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Isolation ExercisesCompound Exercises

Edited by Maluniu, Rob S, Katie R., Dave Crosby and 71 others

Having strong biceps is useful for arm wrestling, showing off, and many types of sports. To learn how to build those guns, read this article.



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    Make changes to your lifestyle to effectively build muscle. This means drinking more water, eating more lean protein and fiber, and making more time to engage in vigorous, fat-burning exercise. Sleeping well is also important, because it keeps your body healthy and facilitates muscle growth. With that, read on for specific exercises that target your biceps.

Method 1 of 2: Isolation Exercises

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    Bicep Curls. These are the best exercises for biceps. There are hundreds of different kinds of curls, each used to help work out a specific part of the body. Curls are done with dumbbells and barbells. Some of these are listed below:
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    Basic Biceps Curl. The standard biceps curl targets the whole muscle. Start by holding the barbell or dumbbell in your hands with your arms facing down. Keep your elbows straight and held in tight to your sides. Exhale as you bring the bar to the chest until your biceps are fully contracted. Then inhale as you lower it (don't drop it, do it slowly.) Repeat.
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    Concentration Curl. This curl targets the upper biceps. Sit down on a chair or bench with a dumbbell in one of your hands. Lean forward slightly and place your triceps (back of the arm) on the inside of your thigh. Inhale as your lower, and exhale as your bring it up to your shoulder. Switch to other arm.
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    Hammer Curl. The hammer curl targets the lower bicep. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your leg. Exhale as your bring your forearm up until it touches your biceps. Inhale as you lower, keeping the elbows close to the body.
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    Body Drag Curls. In a standing barbell curl position, slide the bar upward against your body until it reaches your mid-chest level - about as high as you'll be able to move it without cheating it up - then lower the bar the same way, making sure it does not lose contact with your torso. Your elbows will move backward and your shoulders cannot assist in the movement.
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    Reverse Curls. Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palm facing behind you, the top of your hand facing forward. In one swift movement, bring the dumbbell up at the same time as turning it. You should end up with your arm in the basic bicep curl position. Lower and repeat. This is a great exercise for both biceps and forearms.
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    Preacher curls. Preacher curls target most of bicep and help in increasing strength. Start by taking a barbell or a pair of dumbbells and rest your arms on the pad and press your chest against it. Curl the weight slowly and bring it back down. The preacher pad isolates your biceps as well. When doing these curls keep the bar right at the middle, not at the bottom or top. Then you will get really strong.

Method 2 of 2: Compound Exercises

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    Do chin-ups. Chin ups work the back and biceps, respectively. They also work the core. Because the back is assisting your biceps in lifting your entire body over the bar, your biceps can handle much more weight, which is the key to muscle building. [1] Imagine bicep curling your own body weight; your biceps are far too small too handle such weight!
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  • When your current weight is easier, but any extra weight makes it too hard, simply do more reps with your current weight until you have built up enough strength to do a sizable amount of repetitions with the next weight.
  • Muscles don't come overnight, it takes time and dedication so don't get disappointed.
  • The most common mistake made when doing curls is doing them too fast and/or lowering the weight too fast. Take your time. Raise and lower the weight at the same pace and avoid getting sloppy. You'll appreciate the results.
  • Weight doesn't matter as much as form. If you have to start at ten pounds, that's all right. Just make sure you keep the form and technique good. Once you find it easier to do your current weight, it's time to take it up another five pounds or so.
  • The key to having great guns is to exercise your triceps too. Your triceps make up most of your arm and toned triceps give definition to your biceps.
  • If you are wanting to gain big biceps you should find the weight that suits you, and should keep your reps short, 8 reps is enough, your 8th rep should be near enough impossible to lift, do 3 sets of each exercise you do.
  • Know that other common bicep exercises include the preacher curl, incline biceps curl, cable curl, and the lying bicep curl.
  • Using walls as a support whilst pushing against using your arms will supply you with a good head start, seeing as it uses your own body weight and you can turn and twist to suit.
  • First work on size then on curls, because if you curl first, then it is difficult to work on size.
  • If you feel pain in your wrists and/or elbows while doing any of these exercises, use an curl bar and/or dumbbells instead of a straight bar.
  • Only doing curls will not get you "guns", you need to exercise your whole body, especially the legs. To put 1 inch of muscle on your arms, you will need to increase lean mass by 4 pounds!


  • Never use a weight that is too heavy for good form (for example requires you to swing and use momentum for the lift). Without good form you will not get optimum muscle growth, and you risk injury too.
  • To get hypertrophy, you have to train for hypertrophy that means a weight that would be acceptable would be that in which you can preform 8-12 reps with. If you do more, you'll be training for endurance, if you do less, you'll be training solely for strength.
  • There is no need to use a power cage or squat rack for curls. If you cannot pick the weight off the floor, you shouldn't really be performing curls at that weight either. Again, doing so could result in injury.

Article Info

Categories: Upper Body Strengthening and Toning

Recent edits by: Nicholas, IsabelleZita, Lindsey Legate

In other languages:

Español: Cómo tener mejores biceps, Italiano: Come Sviluppare i Bicipiti, Português: Como Obter Bíceps Melhores


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