Big arms enhance appearance, improve daily function, and support overall strength, making dumbbell bicep training more than just cosmetic.
The larger the muscle, the stronger it is, so achieving prominent biceps means you can handle heavier loads in your daily life and when you work out.
Did you know that stronger biceps also increase your metabolism? So, developing them can help you maintain a healthy weight and decrease your chance of injury.
We’ll show you the 13 best bicep workouts and share some top training tips, so read this before you reach for those dumbbells.
Why Choose Dumbbells for Your Bicep Workout?
The humble dumbbell is probably unsurpassed in its versatility and ability to build bicep strength and size. Plus, you can use dumbbells unilaterally so both sides of your body work independently, unlike barbells, allowing you to level up imbalances.
Dumbbells offer multi-plane movement, full range of motion, and functional strength training benefits. This activates more than just your biceps, as your body must work to control the different movements.
Small, portable, and easy to store, there’s no excuse not to have some dumbbells at home.
Understanding Biceps Anatomy and Function
The bicep muscles are situated on the front side of the upper arm; they have two different parts called “heads.” Both sections join at the elbow and help flex the elbow joint. The two heads, the long head and the short head, have different points of origin on the scapula and humerus.
The brachialis is another muscle that helps with elbow flexion. It’s situated deeper than the biceps. Crucially, it differs from the biceps in that it is not involved in forearm supination (the rotation of the arm) or shoulder movement and stability.
The opposing muscle to the bicep is the tricep, which straightens the elbow.
The 13 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Biceps
1. Standing Dumbbell Curl
This classic dumbbell exercise simply involves standing tall with a pair of dumbbells at the end of a relaxed arm. Position yourself with your feet slightly apart but not wide.
Keeping your arms close to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards without twisting or moving your body so the effort is focused solely on the arm muscles. Turn your palms inwards towards your body until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders.
Squeeze the dumbbells close and then lower them, keeping complete control over the descent. Use several repetitions before moving on to alternating bicep curls.
2. Alternating Bicep Curl
Start in the standing position you use for regular dumbbell curls, arms hanging down, a dumbbell in each hand, and feet slightly apart.
Keeping the upper arm close to the body, curl one dumbbell upwards, turning your palm inwards as you do so until your pinky finger is near the shoulder. Squeeze here towards your body and then lower the dumbbell, keeping it under control as it descends.
Switch to the other arm and repeat the process. Keep your weight stable over your feet, and don’t swing to lift the dumbbell, a trap that’s easier to fall into when you’re just lifting one.
3. Hammer Curl
Standing or sitting with your feet slightly apart, lift both dumbbells upwards from the resting position at a steady momentum, keeping your upper arms tight to your body and curling both dumbbells so your palms are facing each other.
The placement of the dumbbells should be as if you were going to use them to hammer something, hence the name, and what makes this different from regular bicep curls. Lower both weights and then immediately repeat the exercise with no resting gap.
4. Alternating Hammer Curl
Hold a dumbbell in each hand in the start position and curl one upwards, keeping the arm tight to the body. Your palm should be facing across your chest as if the other dumbbell were present and not rotated and turned inwards towards the body.
Squeeze the dumbbell in this position for a few seconds, then slowly allow the arm to drop, keeping control all the way down. Repeat with the other arm and then alternate.
5. Alternating Bicep Curl with ISO-hold
Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand and arms loosely resting by your sides. Using one arm only, curl one weight upwards, keeping the arm tight to your body, turning the palm inwards as you do so. Your pinky finger should be near your shoulders. Squeeze the dumbbell in this position for a few seconds.
While it is in place, curl the second dumbbell up and hold them both in place. Then, lower the first arm back to the start position, alternating between both arms so one dumbbell is always in the up position.
6. Alternating Hammer Curl with ISO-hold
From the start position with a pair of dumbbells at your side, curl one arm upwards with little momentum, keeping the palm facing inwards and not turned towards the body. Keep the upper arm tight to the body. Squeeze for a few seconds, then hold the first dumbbell in place while you curl up the second one.
Once both dumbbells are up, lower the first arm slowly back to the resting position and repeat, alternating so that there’s always one dumbbell in the up position.
7. Strict Wall Curl
Find a wall and grab your dumbbells. Stand against the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, lean back into the wall to make contact by driving your shoulders back into the structure, and keep your glutes pressed up hard against the surface.
Squeeze your glutes and abs to tense your body, keeping the back of your arms pressed against the wall. Moving at the elbow, curl the weight up as high as possible. Hold and squeeze your biceps before lowering the weight slowly.
Using a cable machine creates the same resistance. Plus, it’s freestanding, so you don’t need to find a wall.
8. Single Dumbbell Crush Curl
Stand with your legs slightly apart and grab one dumbbell with both hands. Hold the outer heads firmly at waist height and then curl the dumbbell upwards with the slowest momentum until it’s under your chin. Ensure you keep yourself tall, and don’t bend forward or double up.
When the weight is under your chin, squeeze your biceps hard for a few seconds before lowering the weight in a slow and controlled fashion.
9. Reverse Curl
Stand tall with your feet slightly apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of you with your palms facing your body. Keep the upper arms tight to your body and curl both dumbbells upwards as slowly as possible.
You should finish with your palms facing away from you. Squeeze the biceps in this position for a few seconds and then lower them in a controlled way before repeating the exercise.
Tip: You can also use a barbell for this exercise if you want a heavier load.
10. Seated Incline Curl
Adjust a bench to a 45-degree angle or lower and sit down with a dumbbell in each hand hanging down at your sides. Tuck your feet under the bars to help with stability. Curl both dumbbells upwards, turning the palms of your hands inwards until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders.
Hold this position and squeeze for a few seconds before lowering the weights until your arms are hanging loosely in full extension.
11. Zottman Curl
Stand straight with legs slightly apart and a pair of dumbbells, arms down by your sides and palms uppermost. Keeping your arms tight to your body, curl the dumbbells upwards like a regular curl with your pinky near your shoulders.
Then, squeeze and rotate the wrists, dropping the weights down with your palms facing the other way. Rotate your wrists back to the start position and then repeat.
12. Crossbody Hammer Curl
This exercise mixes the regular hammer curl with some body crossover. Stand tall and straight, holding the dumbbells with your arms at your sides.
Keeping your arms tight to your body, curl one dumbbell across the front of your body in a crossing action toward the opposite shoulder. Squeeze here and then return the weight to the start position with slow control. Repeat with the opposite arm and then alternate.
This exercise can also be easily performed with a cable. The Speediance Gym Monster 2 uses digital weights, making it easier to change the resistance level. You can also generate different weights to correct muscular imbalances.
13. Dumbbell Gun Walk
From a standing position, curl two dumbbells up until your arms are parallel to the ground. Lock your forearms and then stride forward for a few meters, covering the ground as quickly as possible while keeping the weights in position.
Training Tips for Maximizing Your Dumbbell Bicep Workout
Using dumbbells effectively is about more than just focusing on individual exercises for your biceps. Understanding how the muscle works and the best way to develop it should form part of a coordinated training program.
These training tips will help you get the most out of your dumbbell bicep workout:
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Grip variations allow you to isolate and work the short head of the muscle on the inside of the arm or the long head on the outside, enhancing strength and aesthetic appearance.
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Tempo is a training technique that focuses on the speed of each phase of the lift and curl, increasing muscle tension and maximizing muscle recruitment for the best hypertrophy.
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Seated bicep curls are better at isolating the muscle than standing, as they require less focus on core stability. If you’re standing, it’s easier to generate momentum using your legs and hips; sitting down effectively stabilizes these parts of the body.
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Consider targeting joints and muscle groups around the biceps, using compound exercises or compound programming with other training techniques for optimal strength and maximum hypertrophy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Build Biceps With Only Dumbbells?
No, you can use cable resistance equipment that builds your biceps as effectively as dumbbells. Even standard pushups from the floor will increase your bicep size and strength; you just need to rotate your hands to the outside to isolate the specific muscle.
What Dumbbell Workout Is Best for Biceps?
The vintage dumbbell curl remains the best “go-to” workout for your biceps. The palm-up positioning allows for maximum engagement of the bicep muscle. Partner this with the hammer curl; the different grip isolates and works the brachialis muscle, which sits underneath the bicep.
Dumbbell Workouts Sculpt Arms, Strengthen Muscles, and Support Overall Health
Bulging biceps are the hallmark of a gym-toned body and the ultimate statement of power, top of the workout list for gym devotees and bodybuilders. However, behind that iconic look are a whole host of other benefits.
From improving your metabolism to empowering your life and staying safe from injury, the mighty bicep packs a punch, and the humble dumbbell has always played a big part in this story.
Now, you can enjoy the benefits of a bicep workout alongside other training aids. The Speediance Gym Monster 2 is designed to replicate that dumbbell workout with many different features, giving you multiple equipment options in one neat piece of kit.
