Biceps exercises

How to train your biceps

The biceps bends your elbow and turns your forearm so your palm faces up. That is why a curl of some kind is the foundation: the barbell curl lets you lift the most, the dumbbell curl lets each arm work on its own, and the cable curl keeps the tension on through the whole movement.

Your grip decides what works hardest. With your palm up, the biceps does most of the work. With your thumb up, as in the hammer curl, the muscles underneath the biceps and in your forearm take more of it. With your arm behind your body, as in the incline dumbbell curl, the biceps is stretched more at the bottom. One variation of each gives you arm training that covers the whole muscle.

Your biceps also works in every row and every pull for your back, so two or three exercises a week usually go a long way.

Common mistakes

• Swinging. If you lean back to get the weight up, it is too heavy. Keep your elbows still at your sides.
• Half the movement. Straighten your arm fully at the bottom and lower the weight slowly. The slow way down is half the training.