The 32 Best Biceps Exercises for Your Workout
A good biceps workout trains the biceps brachii (its two "heads," long and short) and the brachialis, a muscle underneath that adds arm size without showing up as much in visible definition. Changing your grip (underhand, hammer, overhand) shifts emphasis between these muscles.
On this page you'll find 32 biceps exercises curated by Befit, with execution videos, grip tips, and variations for the gym, home gym, and bodyweight training. Every exercise has been reviewed by a fitness professional specialized in strength training.
If you already know what you want, use the level and equipment filters to jump straight to the right exercise. If you'd rather start somewhere, check the top 10 below — the movements with the strongest consensus for biceps hypertrophy and strength.
And if you want a biceps workout built from scratch, personalized to your goal, your time, and your equipment, that's exactly what the Befit app does automatically.
How to build your Biceps workout
Volume per session: 3 to 4 exercises, 9 to 15 total sets — biceps is a small muscle that already gets indirect stimulus from any back pulling exercise.
Movement split: 1 underhand-grip curl (barbell or dumbbell curl), 1 hammer curl (neutral grip, hits the brachialis more), and 1 constant-tension curl (cable or preacher bench).
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps for hypertrophy, with load close to failure on the last reps and 45 to 60 seconds of rest.
Frequency: twice a week is enough, considering the biceps are also activated during every back workout.
Top Biceps exercises
| # | Exercise | Level | Equipment | Muscle focus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
EZ Barbell Curl
|
Beginner | EZ curl bar | Biceps | See execution |
| 2 |
Cable Unilateral Biceps Curl
|
Intermediate | Dual cable pulley machine | Biceps | See execution |
| 3 |
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
|
Beginner | Dumbbells | Biceps | See execution |
| 4 |
Preacher Curl Ezbar
|
Intermediate | Preacher Curl Bench | Biceps | See execution |
| 5 |
Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl
|
Beginner | Dumbbells | Biceps | See execution |
| 6 |
Biceps curl cable
|
Beginner | Dual cable pulley machine | Biceps | See execution |
| 7 |
Barbell Curl
|
Beginner | Standard barbell | Biceps | See execution |
| 8 |
Cable One Arm Biceps Curl
|
Intermediate | Cable pulley machine | Biceps | See execution |
| 9 |
Lever Preacher Curl
|
Beginner | Preacher Curl Bench Bicep Curls | Biceps | See execution |
| 10 |
Dumbbell Alternate Biceps Curl
|
Beginner | Dumbbells | Biceps | See execution |
EZ Barbell Curl
Cable Unilateral Biceps Curl
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Preacher Curl Ezbar
Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl
Biceps curl cable
Barbell Curl
Cable One Arm Biceps Curl
Lever Preacher Curl
Dumbbell Alternate Biceps Curl
All 32 Biceps exercises
Biceps workout at home vs. at the gym
Training biceps at home is simple: a pair of dumbbells already covers standard curls, hammer curls, and alternating curls — the three most important movements for this muscle group.
A resistance band is a good add-on — its constant tension (unlike a dumbbell, which gets lighter at the top of the movement) helps keep the muscle under load through the full range of motion.
At the gym, the toolkit is bigger. You've got a preacher bench to isolate the biceps and remove shoulder assistance, a cable machine for curls with constant tension, and an EZ bar (or straight bar) for grip variations with free weight.
Use the Bodyweight or Home Gym filter above to see only exercises that fit your setup.
How Befit builds your Biceps workout with AI
Picking an exercise is only half the problem. The other half is: how many sets, how many reps, what load, in what order, when to switch things up. And that changes every week as you progress.
Befit solves this with an AI that builds a personalized training plan for your goal (hypertrophy, strength, definition), your level, your time per session, and your equipment. Every week, the algorithm adjusts volume and load based on what you've logged.
You don't need to know how to program periodization. Just train and log it.
Safety tips for Biceps training
- Don't swing your torso to help lift the weight ("cheat curling"). That takes stimulus away from the biceps and transfers uncontrolled load to your lower back.
- On the preacher bench, avoid locking your elbow fully straight at the bottom of the movement with heavy load — that overloads the biceps tendon at the elbow.
- Control the eccentric phase (the lowering part). Letting the weight drop fast is the most common way to lose stimulus and overload the elbow.
- If you feel pain at the front of your shoulder during curls, check whether you're flexing the shoulder too (bringing the elbow forward) instead of keeping it fixed at your side.
- Rest at least 48 hours between biceps sessions.
Frequently asked questions about Biceps training
-
How many exercises should I do for a biceps workout?
An effective biceps workout has 3 to 4 exercises per session, varying grip between underhand, hammer (neutral), and a constant-tension exercise like cable curls or preacher curls. Total volume between 9 and 15 sets per week is enough, since the biceps also work during back pulling exercises.
-
How many sets and reps for biceps hypertrophy?
For hypertrophy, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps work well, with load close to failure on the last reps. Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets — biceps recover faster between sets than larger muscle groups.
-
What's the best beginner biceps workout?
For beginners, a solid biceps workout has 2 exercises: a dumbbell curl (learn the pattern without a fixed barbell grip) and a hammer curl. Focus on not swinging your torso before adding load.
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Can you train biceps at home?
Yes. A pair of dumbbells covers standard curls, hammer curls, and alternating curls — the essential biceps movements. Use the Bodyweight filter in the exercise list above.
-
Does training biceps and back on the same day work?
It works very well, and it's the most common pairing. The biceps are already activated in every back pulling movement, so training them together takes advantage of that pre-warm-up. Suggested order: back first (heavier compound lifts), biceps after (2 to 3 isolation moves).
-
How many times a week should I train biceps?
Twice a week is enough for most people, since biceps get extra stimulus on any pulling (back) day. Someone who trains back frequently might get away with just 1 dedicated biceps session a week.
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What's the best exercise for a biceps peak?
There's no exercise that "creates" a biceps peak — the muscle's shape is mostly genetic. What you can influence is overall biceps brachii hypertrophy, best stimulated by standard curls and preacher curls, which isolate the muscle well through its full range of motion.
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How do I know I'm training biceps the right way?
You should feel the biceps (front of the upper arm) working, not the shoulder or the forearm/wrist. If your wrist tires before your biceps do, check whether your grip is too narrow or your wrist is bending during the movement. Film a set and compare it to the execution video on Befit.
