What it lets you do
- Carrying a case of water from the car up to the third floor.
- Holding a baby in one arm through an entire conversation.
- Lifting a full watering can out of the sink, slowly, under control.
Back to the muscle map
Biceps
The elbow flexors, and more than just curls.
- 28
- Primary muscle
- 33
- Secondary muscle
The muscle everyone flexes in photos. Front of the upper arm, and its actual job is bending your elbow and turning your palm face up.
Where you feel it
The front of your upper arm, peaking when your elbow is bent about halfway. If your shoulder rocks forward near the top, the biceps just handed the rep off to something else.
If you skip it
Everything you hold out in front of you gets heavy fast. Not dangerous, just tiring, and it turns up in the small things you do all day.
Anatomy and function
The biceps brachii has two heads, long and short, that run from the shoulder blade to the forearm. Together with the brachialis underneath and the brachioradialis on the forearm, they flex the elbow. The biceps also supinate the forearm, turning the palm up, which is why a supinated grip makes curls harder.
Because the biceps cross both the shoulder and the elbow, the position of the upper arm changes which head works hardest: arms behind the body (incline curls) stretch the long head, arms in front (preacher curls) favour the short head. The biceps also assist on every pull-up, chin-up and row.
How to train it
The volume and frequency below are programming starting points for the biceps, to be adjusted to each person's level and recovery.
- Rep ranges
- 8-15 reps; curls respond poorly to very heavy, swung weights
- Frequency
- 2 sessions per week of direct work, on top of back training
Key movement patterns
- Standing curl (barbell, EZ bar, dumbbell)
- Incline curl for the long head
- Preacher or concentration curl for the short head
- Hammer curl for the brachialis and forearm
Common mistakes
- 01
Swinging the hips and shoulders to start the curl, which moves the load off the biceps.
- 02
Cutting the range short at the bottom instead of fully extending the elbow.
- 03
Letting the elbows drift forward so the front delt takes over.
- 04
Doing far too much volume, since the biceps already work hard on every pulling exercise.
Exercises for this muscle
61 matching exercises
Primary muscle28
MET 3.5
Cable Hammer Curl – Rope
MET 3.5
Cable Curl
MET 3.5
Machine Preacher Curl
MET 3.5
EZ Bar Curl
MET 3.5
Reverse EZ Bar Curl
MET 4
Barbell Curl – Straight Bar
MET 3.5
Alternating Dumbbell Curl
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Biceps Curl
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
MET 3.5
Concentration Curl – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Curl
MET 3.5
Incline Hammer Curl – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Spider Curl – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Preacher Curl – EZ Bar
MET 3.5
Cable Biceps Curl – Low Pulley
MET 3.5
One-Arm Cable Hammer Curl – Handle
MET 3
Cable Tricep Kickback
MET 3.5
Zottman Curl – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Preacher Curl on Incline Bench – Dumbbell
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Zottman Curl
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Drag Curl
MET 3.5
One Arm Incline Dumbbell Curl
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl – Low Incline
MET 3.5
Reverse Barbell Curl – Standard Bar
MET 3.5
Reverse Grip Preacher Curl – EZ Bar
MET 3.5
Reverse Cable Curl – Straight Bar
MET 3.5
Cable Curl – Straight Bar
MET 3.5
Cable Curl – Rope
Secondary muscle33
MET 4.5
TRX Row
MET 3.5
Dumbbell Chest Fly
MET 3.5
Incline Dumbbell Chest Fly
MET 3.5
Incline Chest Fly – Gym80
MET 3.5
One-Arm Cable Crossover
MET 5
Barbell Bent Over Row
MET 5
Landmine Row
MET 5
Reverse Grip Barbell Row
MET 5
One Arm Dumbbell Row
MET 4.5
Lat Pulldown – Wide Grip
MET 4.5
Reverse Lat Pulldown
MET 4.5
Lat Pulldown
MET 4.5
Lat Pulldown – V-Bar
MET 5.5
Pull-Up
MET 5.5
Neutral Grip Pull-up
MET 4.5
Seated Row – Lat Bar
MET 4.5
Seated Row – Machine
MET 4.5
Assisted Pull-Up Machine
MET 4.5
Assisted Pull-Up – Neutral Grip
MET 4.5
Assisted Pull-Up – Supinated Grip
MET 4.5
Bodyweight Row (Bar)
MET 7
Sled Pull
MET 4.5
Bent-over Row – Gym80
MET 4.5
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
MET 4.5
One Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Row
MET 4.5
One Arm Dumbbell Row – Rotation
MET 5.5
Renegade Row
MET 4.5
One Arm Neutral Grip Dumbbell Row – Bench Support
MET 4.5
High Row – Machine
MET 5
T-Bar Row – Machine
MET 4.5
High Row – Pronated Grip Machine
MET 4.5
Seated Row – Lat Bar (Wide Grip)
MET 4.5
One Arm Seated Row – Cable
Frequently asked questions
How many sets of biceps per week do I need?
For most people, 6-12 direct sets per week on top of back training is plenty. The biceps are small and recover quickly, so quality reps matter more than volume.
Do chin-ups train the biceps?
Yes. Supinated chin-ups load the biceps heavily and are one of the best compound movements for arm size, provided you control the eccentric.
What is the difference between a hammer curl and a regular curl?
A hammer curl keeps the palms facing each other, which shifts work toward the brachialis and brachioradialis. A supinated curl emphasises the biceps brachii itself.
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