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The Ultimate Biceps Workouts: 7 Biceps Exercises to Build Mass

One of the most prominent muscles in your upper arm, your biceps are involved with just about every arm movement, from raising your arms to bending your elbows to screwing in a light bulb. They also make your arms look massive, so here are some of the best bicep workouts for mass and definition.

Wide Grip Standing Barbell Curl

 

  1. Stand with your back straight. Hold the barbell in a wide grip at the outer handles of the bar. Keep your arms down with the bar be at about your hips. Keep your palms facing forward and your elbows close to your torso. This is the starting position for this exercise.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, pull the barbell up in a curl. Exhale as you contract your biceps. Your forearms should be the only thing moving.
  3. Lift until the bar is at about shoulder level and your biceps are fully contracted. Hold this position for a second, squeezing the biceps.
  4. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.

 

Hammer Curls

 

  1. Standing with your back and torso straight, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your elbows held close to your torso. The weights should be at your sides with your palms facing inward to your torso. This is the starting position.
  2. While you exhale, curl the weights forward and up as you contract your biceps. Your upper arms should stay stationary. Raise the weights until the weights are at about shoulder level and your biceps are completely contracted. Try to keep your elbow stationary during this movement, focusing on only moving your forearm.
  3. Pause at the apex and squeeze your biceps.
  4. As you inhale, slowly bring the weights back down to your starting position.

 

Zottman Curl

 

  1. Standing upright with your back straight, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides. Make sure your elbows are kept close to your torso. Your palms should be facing inward toward the torso.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and contract your biceps to curl the weights up. As you perform a curl, rotate your wrists so that you change to a supinated grip (meaning your palms will be facing up). Continue the curl until the weights reach your shoulders.
  3. Hold this position for a second, squeezing your biceps.
  4. In the contracted position, slowly turn your wrists until your palms are facing down in a pronated grip. Your thumbs should be slightly higher than your pinkies.
  5. Slowly bring the weights down in this pronated grip.
  6. As the dumbbells approach your thighs, rotate your wrist again so that they return to a neutral grip with your palms facing inward toward your torso until you are back at the starting position.

 

Cross Body Hammer Curl

 

  1. Stand with your back and torso straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand down at your sides. Your palms should be facing inward.
  2. Curl the dumbbell in your left arm up toward your right shoulder while keeping your palm facing in toward your torso. Do not twist your arm. Exhale as you perform this movement.
  3. Continue the curl until the dumbbell touches the top of your shoulder. Hold the position and squeeze for a second.
  4. Inhale as you slowly lower the weight back to the starting position, following the same path you took when you raised the weight.
  5. Repeat with the opposite arm.

 

 Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press

 

  1. Stand with a dumbbell held in each hand hanging at your sides. Your palms should be facing forward. Keep your eyes ahead, chest up, and your feet at a comfortable shoulder width apart.
  2. Flexing your elbows, curl the weight up. This should be a controlled motion. Don’t use momentum or flex your shoulders.
  3. When the weights reach shoulder level, perform the press by extending your arms up, flexing and abducting your shoulders to rotate your arms so that your palms are facing forward.
  4. At the apex of this motion, pause for a second before slowly reversing the movement in a controlled manner, returning to the starting position.

 

Concentration Curl

 

  1. Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on the floor in front of you between your legs. Keep your legs spread, knees bent, and your feet firmly planted on the floor.
  2. Pick the dumbbell up off the floor with your right arm. Place the back of your right elbow at the top of your inner right thigh. Rotate your wrist so that your right palm faces away from your thigh. Your arm should be hanging fully extended with the dumbbell just off the floor. This is the starting position.
  3. Curl the weight up and exhale as your bicep contracts. Your upper arm should remain stationary. Your forearm should be the only part of you moving.
  4. Continue the curling movement until the dumbbell reaches shoulder level and your biceps have fully contracted. At the peak of your movement, your pinky should be slightly higher than your thumb.
  5. Squeeze your biceps and hold the contracted position for a second.
  6. Inhale as you slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position in a fluid, controlled motion. The weight shouldn’t be swinging at any moment.
  7. Repeat with your left arm.

 

Drag Curls

 

  1. Standing straight, hold a barbell at your hips with your palms facing forward. Keep your elbows as close to your torso as possible. This is your starting position.
  2. Unlike a regular curl, “drag” the barbell up by keeping it in contact with your torso. Do not lift your shoulders. Obviously, your elbows will not be pinned to your sides. Instead, try to bring them straight back as you lift the weight up. Exhale as you perform this movement. Raise the bar to about the middle of your chest.
  3. At the top of your motion, pause for a second before bringing the barbell back down, still keeping it in contact with your torso and inhaling as you lower it. Return to the starting position.

 

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