Biceps exercises

The 8 staple movements, taken from the 3,215 exercise guides in the SETR app: technique, recommended volume, cues and classic mistakes.

The biceps bends the elbow and turns the forearm palm-up. Arm position changes where the muscle is most stretched: arm behind the body (incline curl) for work in the stretch, arm in front (preacher) for the squeeze. The hammer curl, with a neutral grip, also trains the brachialis and brachioradialis, which add thickness to the arm.

1. Barbell curl

Barbell curl — Barbell Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Barbell
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps · secondary : Forearms

How to do it

  1. Standing, feet hip-width apart, holding the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  2. Arms straight, elbows tucked against your ribs, torso upright and abs braced.
  3. Raise the bar toward your chest by bending only your elbows.
  4. Lower slowly to full arm extension.

Tips

  • Squeeze your glutes and brace your core to eliminate swinging.
  • Don't go higher than the point where your elbows start moving forward.
  • Above all, control the descent: that's where your biceps takes the most load.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Swinging your torso back to fling the bar up.
  • Moving your elbows forward at the top, which takes tension off your biceps.
  • Cutting the descent short and never fully straightening your arms.

2. EZ-bar curl

EZ Barbell Curl

EZ-bar curl — EZ Barbell Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
EZ Bar
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps

How to do it

  1. Stand holding an EZ bar with an underhand grip on the angled sections, arms straight in front of your thighs.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your body.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the bar toward your shoulders.
  4. Lower under control to full extension.

Tips

  • The angled shape of the EZ bar eases the strain on your wrists compared with a straight bar.
  • Keep your elbows fixed, without letting them drift forward.
  • Squeeze hard at the top of each rep.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Swinging your torso to help the movement.
  • Letting your elbows move forward during the set.
  • Using too heavy a load that breaks down your technique.

3. Dumbbell curl

Dumbbell curl — Dumbbell Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Dumbbells
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps

How to do it

  1. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight in front of your thighs, underhand grip.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your body.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
  4. Lower under control to full extension.

Tips

  • Keep your elbows fixed, without letting them drift forward.
  • Avoid swinging your torso to help the movement.
  • Squeeze your biceps hard at the top of each rep.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Swinging your torso to help the movement.
  • Letting your elbows move forward during the set.
  • Using too heavy a load that breaks down your technique.

4. Hammer curl

Hammer curl — Hammer Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Dumbbells
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps · secondary : Forearms

How to do it

  1. Stand holding a weight in each hand, neutral grip, arms at your sides.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise your hands toward your shoulders, keeping the neutral grip.
  4. Lower under control to full extension.

Tips

  • Keep your elbows fixed at your sides throughout the movement.
  • The neutral grip targets your brachialis and forearms more than a classic curl.
  • Squeeze hard at the top of each rep.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Letting your wrists rotate during the movement.
  • Swinging your torso to help the movement.
  • Using too heavy a load that breaks down your technique.

5. Incline dumbbell curl

Dumbbell Incline Curl

Incline dumbbell curl — Dumbbell Incline Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Dumbbells
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps · secondary : Forearms

How to do it

  1. Set yourself up on an incline bench, back supported, arms hanging, dumbbells in an underhand grip.
  2. Keep your shoulders down and your elbows still at your sides.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the dumbbells to shoulder height.
  4. Lower slowly to full arm extension.

Tips

  • The lower the backrest, the bigger the stretch — and the lighter the load should be.
  • Hold for one second in the low position to feel the stretch.
  • Keep your feet flat to stabilize your hips.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Sitting up off the backrest as the reps go on.
  • Moving your elbows forward at the top.
  • Letting the dumbbells drop at the end of the set.

6. Preacher curl

Barbell Preacher Curl

Preacher curl — Barbell Preacher Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Barbell
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps

How to do it

  1. Sit at the preacher bench, arms resting on the incline pad, armpits snug against the top of the pad.
  2. Hold the bar with an underhand grip, arms almost straight.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the bar toward your shoulders.
  4. Lower under control to a full stretch, without locking your elbows out abruptly.

Tips

  • The preacher bench prevents any cheating — keep your form strict and your load reasonable.
  • Don't lock your elbows out abruptly at the bottom; control it all the way.
  • Focus on a full stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Lifting your shoulders off the pad to help the movement.
  • Using a load that is too heavy and cuts your range of motion.
  • Locking your elbows out abruptly at the bottom of each rep.

7. Cable curl

Cable curl — Cable Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Cable
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps

How to do it

  1. Stand facing the low pulley, bar or handle held with an underhand grip, arms straight in front of your thighs.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your body.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the handle toward your shoulders.
  4. Lower under control to full extension.

Tips

  • The pulley gives constant tension through the whole movement, unlike a free weight.
  • Keep your elbows fixed, without letting them drift forward.
  • Squeeze hard at the top of each rep.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Swinging your torso to help the movement.
  • Letting your elbows move forward during the set.
  • Using too heavy a load that breaks down your technique.

8. Machine preacher curl

Lever Preacher Curl

Machine preacher curl — Lever Preacher Curl
Sets
3-4
Reps
10-15
Tempo
3-0-1-0
Equipment
Machine
Level
Beginner
Muscles worked
Biceps · secondary : Forearms

How to do it

  1. Sit on the machine, armpits braced firmly on the pad, chest resting against it.
  2. Grab the handles with an underhand grip, arms almost straight.
  3. Raise the handles toward your shoulders by bending your elbows.
  4. Lower slowly to almost full arm extension.

Tips

  • The machine sets the path: focus solely on the squeeze.
  • Don't fully lock your elbows at the bottom under load.
  • Perfect for finishing an arm workout with long sets.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Rising off the seat to finish the last reps.
  • Letting the plates touch between reps.
  • Setting the pad too far away and losing your armpit support.

Tempo is read in seconds: lowering, pause at the bottom, lifting, pause at the top. “3-1-1-0” means three seconds down, a one-second pause, one second up, then straight into the next rep.

How to combine them

There is no need to do them all in one session. Two or three exercises per muscle are enough: a heavy compound lift first, while you are fresh, then one or two more targeted moves.

Aim for roughly 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week, spread over two sessions, with sets taken to within 1 to 3 reps of failure. Beyond that, fatigue grows faster than results.

Keep the same main lifts for at least eight weeks: it is the only way to tell whether you are genuinely progressing.

159 exercises for this muscle in the app

Other muscle groups