10 Best Exercises for Bigger Biceps

Ask any guy at the gym what one of his biggest fitness goals is and we're pretty sure he'll say getting bigger arms. No shame in wanting to flex on 'em, especially since according to the American Council on Exercise, the biceps brachii (biceps muscle) is one of the most coveted — and most overtrained — muscles in the body. "A majority of guys want to get bigger biceps solely for aesthetics," says Ben Sweeney, certified personal trainer and coach at Brick New York. "There's no harm in that, but having that strength is important for loads of other things like carrying groceries, or for me, my french bulldog on the subway. Plus they'll also help you with any pushing and pulling movements in your workout routine." So then, what's a guy to do to get cut-off-T-shirt-worthy arms, worthy of year-round play? According to Kyle Parker, USAW coach and director of business development at Exceed Physical Culture, it's two-fold. "Seventy five percent of building muscle is fueling appropriately," says Parker. "The gains window, or the 45 minutes after you work out, is critical for hitting your goals. Another huge part is, of course, picking the right movements, but then structuring them in a way that will help you, not hurt you."   RELATED: Best Leg Workouts for Men Below you’ll find 10 different biceps moves, focused specifically on that muscle group. Some of the top fitness trainers in New York City have created everything from bodyweight, to TRX, to 10-minute workouts focused entirely on developing the bicep (with a side of metcon). Ready, set, flex. The 10 Best Bicep-Building Exercises 21s Equipment Needed: Dumbbells How to Do Them: For the first seven reps: Stand with feet at hip-width distance holding dumbbells by thighs, palms facing out. Lift weights to halfway point, creating 90 degree angle with arms at elbow level. Slowly return to start for one rep. For the next 7 reps: From 90-degrees, curl weights toward shoulders. For the last 7 reps: Complete full bicep curl, from bottom of movement at thigh to shoulder. Lying Barbell Curls Equipment Needed: A barbell How to Do Them: Kneel on an inclined bench, with your chest leaning against the back rest and your arms hanging over the other side. Hold a barbell a little less than shoulder-width apart, making sure that your arms form a 90° angle with your chest at all times, and curl the bar 8 to 12 times. Reverse Grip Curls with a Bar or Cable What You Need: Barbell or cable machine How to Do Them: Hold a barbell or the straight attachment on a cable machine, with your palms facing down and your hands a little less than shoulder-width apart, and curl. Do 8 to 12 reps. Inclined Curls Equipment Needed: Dumbbells How to Do Them: Sit on an inclined bench with dumbbells in each hand and hands down by your sides. You can do hammer curls (where you keep your palms facing your body at all times); regular curls (with palms facing up); or supinating curls (where you start with your palms facing your body, and about halfway through the movement, you turn them facing up). Do 8 to 12 reps. Supinating Curls on Ball Equipment Needed: Exercise ball and dumbbells How to Do Them: Hold dumbbells in each hand and with your arms by your sides, palms facing inward. Sitting on an exercise ball, curl both arms at the same time, turning your palms up about halfway through the movement, so that you complete the curl with your palms facing upward. Pull-Ups Equipment Needed: Pull-up bar How to Do Them: This military training standard is great for biceps, as well as shoulders and overall upper-body strength. Ideally, the bar should be at least a foot higher than you are with your arms extended above your head. Hold on to it, with your palms facing you, and pull yourself up as high as you can; aim for bringing your chin higher than the bar. Remember to lower your body in a controlled manner as well. Do as many as you can, aiming for 15 reps. Preacher Curls Equipment Needed: Preacher bench and dumbbells How to Do Them: Using a preacher bench, sit holding dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up. Slowly curl dumbbells up toward shoulders, pausing a few inches from the chin. Bring weight back to start for one rep. Bicep Curls Equipment Needed: Barbell or dumbbells How to Do Them: The standards never go out of style. Grab a barbell loaded with weight or two dumbbells, with your palms facing outward, and curl. If you want an extra challenge, lower the barbell or dumbbells very slowly (i.e. take a full four seconds to do so) and feel the burn. Cable Bicep Curls with Rope Attachment Equipment Needed: Cable machine with rope attachment How to Do Them: Secure the rope attachment to the lowest hook on a cable machine, and grip it with your palms facing inward, right under the rubber ends. Contract your biceps, slowly turning your palms upward so that they're facing you by the end of the movement. Do 8 to 12 reps. Cheat Curls Equipment Needed: Barbell or dumbbells How to Do Them: Cheat curls aren't for beginners, and should only be undertaken with real caution towards your lower back. It is essentially a regular curl with a bit of "body language" added. They'll give you a great bicep workout, with extra body movement in the hips, pelvis and lower back to "swing" the weight up. You want to make sure to use these sparingly, only after a proper warm up, and this should only be undertaken by intermediate to advanced weightlifters. The Best Bicep Workouts 10-Minute Workout Created by Rafique "Flex" Cabral, NASM-certified trainer at Trooper Fitness Equipment: Kettlebells, Resistance Bands Do: Each move for 40 seconds, 20 second transition, 3 rounds Trainer tip: "You want to do each move as many reps as possible throughout the workout. If you're only going for 10 minutes, you're working until exhaustion." Chin-ups: Grab pull-up bar with palms facing body. Hang, fully extending arms, gripping bar tight. Pull bodyweight up until chin clears bar. Slowly return to start for 1 rep.Goblet Squat Curl: Start with feet wider than hip-width, turned slightly out, holding kettlebell. Sit hips back, lower into squat with chest up until kettlebell meets floor. Curl bell up toward shoulders, lower. Continue curling bell for 40 seconds.Resistant Band Rows: Start sitting on floor with legs outstretched. Place resistance band around soles of feet, holding end in each hand. Pull back on band, keeping elbows close to sides, until hands meet chest. Slowly return to start for 1 rep.   Trainer tip: "Focus on fast pull back and a slower controlled extension," says Cabral. HIIT Workout Created by Michael Jock, trainer at Exceed Physical Culture Do: 40 seconds per movement, 4 rounds, 2 minute rest between each Equipment: Barbell, kettlebell, dumbbells Deadlift High-Pull: Start with feet wider than hip-width, toes turned slightly out, knees tracking over toes holding kettlebell. Deadlift bell, fully extending knees and hips with arms straight. Pull bell up toward shoulders, keeping it close to the body, until it gets above collar bone. Release the shrug, deadlift bell back to the floor for 1 rep.Bent Over Row (Barbell, Dumbbell, or Kettlebell): Stand with feet at hip-width distance holding dumbbells. Hinge forward slightly at the hips, allowing dumbbells to come down to roughly knee height, maintaining a flat back. Row dumbbells up toward chest, keeping elbows close to body. Pause at top of movement, return back to start for 1 rep.Jump Pull-up: Jump up, grab pull-up bar with palms facing away from body. Pull bodyweight up until chin clears bar. Slowly lower bodyweight, then drop to floor for 1 rep.Renegade Row: Start in a high plank position holding dumbbells. Do one pushup, return to start. Row dumbbell toward chest with right hand, keeping hips square. Repeat on opposite side for 1 complete rep.Alt. Lunge w/ Dumbell Curl: Stand with feet together holding dumbbells. Step forward with right leg about two feet, lowering down into lunge, creating 90-degree angle at both knees. At bottom of movement, curl both weights up to shoulder height. Lower weights back toward floor, press through front heel to return to start for 1 rep. Repeat on opposite side. TRX Workout Created by Kyle Parker, USAW certified trainer, director at Exceed Physical Culture Equipment: TRX, rower Segment 1 2 Rounds: 40 sec working intervals, 10 sec rest intervals Note: Switch sides on power pull and resisted torso rotation for second round TRX Bridge Row: Lie down grasping TRX handles with both hands, keeping arms extended, feet on floor. Pull handles and drive hips as high as possible in the air. At the top of the movement, pull handles until they touch shoulders. Lower body back to start for 1 rep.TRX Bridge Bicep Curl: Face toward TRX, grabbing handle in each hand, palms facing up. Lean back until arms are extended. Bend elbows until hands frame face, simultaneously pulling body upward. Return to start for 1 rep.TRX Power Pull (Single-Arm Rotating Row): Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width distance, facing TRX, holding handle with right hand. Keeping left arm extended, rotate torso to left side, creating a “T” shape with arms. Drive  right elbow back in rowing motion, rotating torso to face TRX. Slowly return back to start for 1 rep.TRX Resisted Torso Rotation: Stand facing TRX system, holding handle with both hands, arms extended at chest height. Lean back slightly and distribute some weight to heels, maintaining body alignment. Rotate torso and extend arms as one unit to right side, stopping at head height. Pull TRX system to chest. Return slowly to start for 1 rep. Complete 500-Calorie row (Goal: Complete in 2:00 or less) Segment 2 3 Rounds: 30 sec working intervals, 10 sec rest intervals TRX Single-Arm Bicep Curl, Right: Stand next to TRX apparatus with feet together. Grab single handle with right arm, turn sideways. Extend arm fully to side, lowering body toward ground. Pull yourself back up by doing a bicep curl. Return to start for 1 rep.TRX Single-Arm Bicep Curl, Left: Stand next to TRX apparatus with feet together. Grab single handle with left arm, turn sideways. Extend arm fully to side, lowering body toward ground. Pull yourself back up by doing a bicep curl. Return to start for 1 rep.TRX Y-Fly: Start with feet together facing TRX. Holding handles, slowly walk feet in front, creating 45-degree angle with ground, arms extended. Open arms into “Y” position, engaging core. Slowly return to start for 1 rep. Complete 750-Meter Row (Goal: Complete in 3:00 or less) Segment 3 3 Rounds: 20 sec working intervals, 10 sec rest intervals TRX Underhand Grip Pull-Up: Start with feet hip-width apart, holding TRX handles with palms facing up. Walk feet under apparatus until body is at 45 degrees. With arms fully extended, pull bodyweight up toward handles, engaging your core and keeping elbows close to side body. Pause for a second at top of movement when wrists meet chest, lower back to start for 1 rep. Narrow Push-Ups: Start in high plank position with hands closer than shoulder-width distance. Lower chest to floor, keeping elbows in line with side body. Press body back up to start for 1 rep.TRX Wide (Overhand) Grip Pull-Up: Start with feet hip-width apart, holding TRX handles with palms facing down, in Y-shape from torso. Walk feet under apparatus until body is at 45 degrees. With arms fully extended, pull bodyweight up toward handles, engaging your core and keeping elbows close to side body. Pause for a second at top of movement when wrists meet chest, lower back to start for 1 rep. Complete 1000m Row (Goal: Complete in 4:00 or less)  Bodyweight Workout Created by Justin Norris, co-founder, LIT Method based in Los Angeles Equipment: Towel Directions: Do each exercise for 1 minute; Complete each circuit 2 times Circuit one: Pre-Exhaust Phase Mountain climbers: Start in plank position; explosively drive knee to chest, then switch legs in quick fashion.Inch Worms: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge at hips, touch  palms to floor, and slowly walk hands out to plank position. Hold for 5 seconds, return to start for one rep.Commandos: Start in high plank position, feet hip width apart, and hands directly in line with shoulders. Slowly lower onto forearm one arm at a time, then lift back up into high plank position, alternating arms. Circuit two: Isolation Phase Push-Up With Isometric Bicep Shoulder Tap: Start in high plank position. Do a push-up, keeping elbows close to the side of your body. As you return to start, tap hand to opposite shoulder and squeeze bicep for 15 seconds. Repeat on opposite side for one rep.Isometric Bicep Towel Hold: Start in kneeling position with towel. Place towel underneath knee, holding towel in hammer curl grip, thumb up. Perform isometric bicep curl, bringing towel toward shoulder. Hold in static position 15 seconds, lower back to start for one rep.Tricep Push Ups: Start in high plank position with hands closer than shoulder-width distance. Lower chest to floor, keeping elbows in line with side body. Press body back up to start for one rep. Dumbbell Workout Created by Chris Hudson, trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp Equipment: One set of 20-pound dumbbells Directions: 3 sets of each movement Seated Wide Dumbbell Curls: Start seated on bench holding dumbbells with arms extended down, palms facing out to sides, and shoulders externally rotated. Curl weights up to shoulders, lower back to start for 1 rep. Do 30 reps. Tip: "Try to keep the pinkie side of your hand slightly higher than the thumb side of your hand (wrist supination)," says Hudson. "It will give that bicep a little extra pop at the peak of the contraction." Seated Single Arm Heavy Concentric Hammer Curl: Start seated on bench holding dumbbell in one hand, palm facing in toward body with thumb up.  on a bench hold a heavy weight in one hand palm facing in towards your body. Curl weight up slowly (about 3 to 4 seconds). Slight pause at the top, then lower back to start in 1 second. Do 6 to 8 reps; repeat on opposite side for 1 set. Standing Medium Weight Bicep Curl: Stand with feet at hip-width distance holding dumbbells, palms facing forward. Curl weights up toward shoulders. Lower weights half-way down, hold for 10 seconds. Repeat; hold for 7 seconds. Repeat; hold for 5 seconds. Repeat; hold for 3 seconds. Repeat; hold for 1 second. Finish with 5 full bicep curls to complete the set. Heavy Dumbbell Eccentric Concentration Curl: Sit on bench holding one dumbbell. Place right upper arm against right inner thigh. ("The arm in this position removes some of the emphasis from helper muscles and really concentrates the work in the bicep," says Hudson.) Curl weight up to shoulder, pause for 3 seconds, lower back to start for 1 rep. Do 6 to 8 reps. Twisting Curl 21's: Stand with feet at hip-width distance holding a medium set of dumbbells. Starting with hammer curl, thumbs facing up, curl weight halfway. Slowly return to start for 1 rep. Do 7 reps. Switch to palm-up grip. Curl weight to shoulder with palms facing up, then return to  halfway point, creating 90-degree angle at elbow, for 1 rep. Do 7 reps. Finish by completing both phases together for one movement, doing 7 full-range twisting curls to finish the set. You Might Also Dig: Best Stretches for Men Over 30 How to Create a Calorie Deficit Without Losing Muscle The Best Shoulder Workouts