13 Best Dumbbell Bicep Exercises To Pump up Your Arms
They say we’re living in the running renaissance. They say we’re in the age of the hybrid athlete. They say functional fitness is the new bodybuilding. But if Google search volume is anything to go by, they’re all wrong, and we’re all still as happy as ever to chase that satisfying sleeve-stretching bicep pump. If you’re reading this, we’re sure you’re in agreement.
For maximum development, training the biceps, the muscles situated at the front of your arms, is just as crucial as working on your triceps. In fact, well-developed biceps not only contribute significantly to the aesthetic appeal of your arms but also play a key role in enhancing your pulling movements, from chin-ups to pulldowns to rows. There are plenty of good reasons to be beefing up your biceps.
Now here's the best bit: adding extra inches to those biceps doesn't require a fully equipped, high-tech gym. Some of the most effective exercises for bulking up your biceps can be done with simple dumbbell moves, and we’ve got eight of the best dumbbell biceps exercises for you.
What Are The Biceps Muscles?
The biceps muscles are located on the front side of your upper arm, composed of two distinct sections or 'heads.'
The long head and the short head originate at different points on the scapula and humerus but come together at the elbow, where they perform their primary function, flexing the elbow and bringing the hand closer to the body.
The biceps are an antagonistic muscle to the triceps, whose function is to extend and straighten the elbow. The biceps relax when the triceps are contracting and vice versa.
Why You Should Use Dumbbells to Train Your Biceps
Dumbbells are undoubtedly among the most versatile tools you can include in your fitness arsenal. Even with access to all the equipment imaginable, the unassuming dumbbell remains one of the most effective tools for building size and strength.
As unilateral free weights, dumbbells provide an near unlimited range of motion and multiple planes of movement. This flexibility necessitates greater muscle fibre activation to stabilise and control the movements safely. Unlike barbells, dumbbells enable unilateral training, meaning each side of your body works independently. This is crucial for correcting imbalances and developing a balanced, well-rounded physique capable of handling real-world challenges.
Additionally, dumbbells are fairly portable and convenient to store. Having a set of adjustable dumbbells at home, or even just a single pair, ensures you can always get a muscle-building, bicep swelling workout in, no matter what life throws your way.
13 of The Best Dumbbell Bicep Exercises
Standing dumbbell curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A). With minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards, turning your palms inwards, until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control.
Alternating bicep curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A). With minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl one of the bells upwards, turning your palm inwards, until your pinky finger is near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control. Repeat with the opposite arm. Alternate in this fashion.
Hammer curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A), with minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards, keeping your palms facing each other throughout (B) Lower both bells and immediately repeat.
Alternating bicep curl with iso-hold
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A). With minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl one of the bells upwards, turning your palm inwards, until your pinky finger is near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here hold the dumbbell in this position while you curl the second dumbbell up. Once both dumbbells are up, lower the first arm back to the start position and repeat. Alternate in this fashion, ensuring one dumbbell is held in the top position at all times.
Alternating hammer curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A), with minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl one of the dumbbells upwards, keeping your palm facing inwards throughout (B) Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control. Repeat with the opposite arm. Alternate in this fashion.
Alternating hammer curl with iso-hold
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A), with minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl one of the dumbbells upwards, keeping your palm facing inwards throughout (B) Squeeze here hold the dumbbell in this position while you curl the second dumbbell up. Once both dumbbells are up, lower the first arm back to the start position and repeat. Alternate in this fashion, ensuring one dumbbell is held in the top position at all times.
Strict wall curl
Grab your dumbbells and stand against a wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lean into the wall, maintaining three points of contact: squeezing the shoulder blades, driving the shoulders into the wall, and your glutes pressed against the wall. (A) Squeeze your abs and glutes to create full-body tension. The back of your arms should be pressed against the wall. Moving only at the elbows, curl the weight up as high as you can. Pause and squeeze your biceps at the top (B) Lower the weight back down with control.
Single dumbbell crush curl
Stand tall holding a single dumbbell with both hands, gripping the outer ‘heads’, at waist height (A). With minimal momentum, curl the dumbbell upwards until it’s beneath your chin (B). Squeeze your biceps hard here here and lower the weight under control. Repeat
Reverse curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing your body (A). With minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards, finishing with your palms facing away from your body (B). Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control.
Seated incline curl
Set a bench to a 45 degree angle or lower and take seat holding a pair of dumbbells hanging at your sides (A) curl both dumbbells upwards, turning your palms inwards, until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control until your arms are hanging freely again.
Zottman curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing upwards (A). With minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards, until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here and rotate your wrists, lowering the dumbbells with palms facing the opposite way. Rotate your wrists back at the bottom and repeat.
Crossbody hammer curl
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A), with minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl one of the dumbbells upwards across the front of your body towards the opposite shoulder (B) Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control. Repeat with the opposite arm. Alternate in this fashion.
Dumbbell gun walk
Stand tall and curl a pair of dumbbells upwards until your forearms are parallel to the ground (A) keeping your arms locked in this position, stride forwards covering 15-20m as quickly as possilbe (B) without the letting the weights drop
Best Dumbbell Bicep Workouts
This 15-Minute Dumbbell Arm Workout Is Designed to Build Muscle, Fast
The Men's Health Dumbbell Club – One Years Worth of Muscle Building Dumbbell Only Training
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