15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells for Mass & Strength

Bicep exercises play a crucial role in building upper arm strength and improving overall arm definition. Dumbbells have become a popular choice for targeting the biceps because of their versatility and range of motion.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to some of the most effective dumbbell bicep exercises, as well as tell you how to do them with proper and technique.

Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or just starting out, these exercises will help you build stronger, more defined biceps in no time at all.

So grab a pair of dumbbells and let’s get started.

Biceps Brachii Muscle (Anatomy)

The biceps brachii muscle (biceps) is a large, thick muscle of the upper arm.

The Biceps Brachii is attached to the forearm bone called the radius and originates at the scapula in two heads (the bicep gets its name from the two heads).

Your biceps brachii has two heads: short (inner) and long (outer).

• The short head is located along the inner side of the anterior upper arm and the long head is located along the outer side of the anterior upper arm.
• The long head comprises the majority of the biceps’ peak, whereas the short head sits on the inner side and contributes to the biceps’ width.

The biceps is one of four muscles alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles that make up the upper arm.

How To Build Bigger Biceps with Dumbbell

Both bicep heads function together in most workout activities, it’s important to understand how to differentiate the two during exercise, so you can develop both heads to the greatest potential. 

If you want full development of your biceps, you need to stress them with adequate tension through their entire range of motion, so you get maximum eccentric contraction (stretching tension) and concentric contraction (contraction tension).

Benefits of Dumbbell Bicep Exercises

Many advantages come from incorporating dumbbell bicep workout into your daily workouts:

1. Increase Muscle Hypertrophy

Dumbbell biceps exercises require more balance than barbells or machines.

This increased balance requirement builds athletic performance and can lead to greater muscle fiber recruitment.

It requires more muscular control than barbells, enhancing kinesthetic awareness.

2. Allow Unilateral Training

Dumbbells allow unilateral training (training one arm at a time), increasing core stability for athletes and improving any muscular imbalances created by the lifter.

3. Avoid Injury

Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells allow for greater joint safety and stabilization.

Through greater recruitment of the stabilizing muscles, dumbbells allow the joints to move naturally within their range of motion by creating more joint stability.

4. Versatility

Biceps exercises with dumbbells afford a greater level of variety, which prevents physical and mental burnout and also enhances potential growth.

Dumbbells come in a range of weights, making it easy to increase or decrease resistance as needed for progressive overload.

5. Safer

The Dumbbells are safer than other weight tools.

For example, you can simply drop a heavy set of dumbbells after a brutal set of bench presses instead of having the barbell pin you to the bench.

6. Increased range of motion

Dumbbell variations of barbell exercises allow for a greater range of movement (ROM), leading to an increased number of recruited muscle fibers.

7. Perfect Home Workout

Biceps exercises with dumbbells are perfect for the at-home exerciser with limited space. Do you have a small apartment? Do you not have a garage?

A set of Power Block Dumbbells take up only 2 square feet of space and still allows for full-body workouts.

15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells

Since these exercises are dumbbell-only, you can easily integrate these movements into an existing program or perform them separately if you’re doing your biceps workout at home with dumbbells.

Here are 15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells that help to build a stunning biceps.

• Standing Dumbbell Curl
• Dumbbell Reverse Curl
• Incline Dumbbell Curls
• One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
• Standing Dumbbell Preacher Curl
• Seated Dumbbell Curl
• Concentration Curl
• Hammer Curl
• Dumbbell reverse-grip concentration curl
• Cross-Body Hammer Curl
• Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl
• Standing wall curl
• Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl
• Zottman Curl
• Standing Dumbbell Drag Curl

1. Standing Dumbbell Curls

The biceps curl is a well-known weight-training exercise that works the muscles of the upper arm and, to a lesser extent, those of the lower arm.

Standing dumbbell curl works the biceps muscles at the front of the upper arm and the lower arm’s muscles, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

How To Do

1. Stand straight, keeping feet shoulder-width apart, grab a pair of dumbbells by your side. The dumbbells should not be touching your body.
2. Your palms should be facing upwards. Take up the slack by bending the elbows slightly. Tension should be on the biceps.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up as far as possible.
4. Then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.

Tips

• Do not swing the body back as you curl up the weight.
• Do not let the dumbbells touch your body.

2. Dumbbell Reverse Curl

Dumbbell reverse curl is a variation of the dumbbell bicep curl where the motion is the same, but the change in grip allows for specific arm muscles to be targeted.

It is performed by contracting the biceps with your palms facing down using dumbbells.

The reverse bicep curl is great for building both your bicep and brachialis (upper arms), and also stimulates your brachioradialis (lower arm) muscle.

How To Do

1. Stand straight, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand using an overhand grip, and arms should be fully extended.
3. Keeping your upper arms stationary and your back straight, curl the weights up towards your shoulders, exhale as you do so. Use only your forearms for this movement.
4. Continue curling the dumbbells until they are at shoulder level and your biceps are fully contracted.
5. Return to the starting position in a smooth arc, inhale as you do so.

Tips

• Rotate the forearms slowly, excessive-velocity may cause issues within the elbows or wrists.
• Using a slow eccentric of the exercise can help to improve tension and mind-muscle connection.
• Be aware of proper weight and body mechanics at all times during this exercise.

Read More: Reverse Bicep Curl: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Variations

3. Incline Dumbbell Curls

Your long head bicep will be targeted very well with incline bench curls.

This position will have your elbows down at your side’s behind you, which means your long head will be working from a stretched position.

The Incline Dumbbell Curl is an excellent full-range exercise to build massive peaked bicep and also add variety to your dumbbell bicep training.

How To Do

1. Sit on an Incline Bench with a pair of heavy dumbbells.
2. Curl the dumbbells up to shoulder levels and then curl back to the starting position.
3. At the top of the movement, contract harder and let your palms face yourself.
4. Let the palms face each other at the end of the movement.

Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• Go full range to build longer biceps.

4. One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

Dumbbell Preacher Curl are a remarkable exercise for building the short head of biceps because they produce an intense muscle contraction on every single rep.

The one-arm dumbbell preacher curl is a variation of the preacher curl exercises, uses dumbbells and single arm movements for better control and targeting of the bicep muscles.

How To Do

1. Adjusting the preacher bench seat so that your arm is level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell on one arm with an underhand (palms up) grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your head, keeping your arm on the bench at all times until you reach the top position.
4. Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your bicep.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions, then change to your other arm.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• As a general rule, always hit the weakest arm first. In most cases, this is the left arm.

5. Standing Dumbbell Preacher Curl

The standing dumbbell preacher curl is an alternative to the seated dumbbell preacher curl.

There are some notable differences like the benches and weights which are used.

Read More: Preacher Curl: How To Do It Correctly And Best Variation

How To Do

1. Adjust the bench to an incline level so that you can comfortably rest your arm down the back of the headrest.
2. Grab a dumbbell in one arm and extend it over the bench so that your forearm and tricep are rested upon the bench.
3. Hold on to the top of the bench with the opposite arm to stabilize your body and to balance the weight.
4. Slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder, isolate the bicep and squeeze your muscle.

Tips

• Make sure to keep your upper arms flat on the bench during the exercise to eliminate cheating.
• Perform this exercise slowly and with control.

6. Seated Dumbbell Curl

The seated bicep curl is an excellent exercise that allows you to contract the bicep more, build overall bicep muscle.

In dumbbell curls, the natural full range of motion of the biceps is enhanced. Therefore, it provides a better bicep contraction. You must add this workout to your arsenal of biceps exercises with dumbbells.

How To Do

1. Sit on the edge of a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length.
2. Now curl the arms, bringing them to maximum contraction, and let the palms face you as you do so.
3. Lower the dumbbell through the same arc and extend your arms fully.
4. Repeats the desired number of sets.

Tips

• Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
• Bending forward and leaning forward cuts the range of motion.

7. Concentration Curl

The Concentration Curl is the best exercise to build a biceps peak.

This exercise should be a part of your arms race, as peaked biceps are very impressive to look at. This dumbbell biceps exercise is done standing bent at the torso.

Resting the upper arm against the thigh prevents movement at the shoulder and is an excellent way to isolate the biceps.

How To Do

1. Bend down at your torso holding a dumbbell in your hand and resting your other arm on your knee.
2. Curl your arms to the maximum and twist your wrist so that the little finger is at a lower level than the thumb.
3. Curl the dumbbell back to the start position.
4. Repeat the desired number of sets.

8. Hammer Curl

When it comes to building massive biceps and forearms, dumbbell hammer curl is an effective isolation workout that targets the bicep, brachialis and brachioradialis.

It is one of the most popular exercises among bodybuilders and regular weightlifters.

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing towards your body.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly curl the dumbbell up to your shoulders.
4. Pause for a second at the top of the lift, squeeze your biceps, then lower the weights under control.

Tips

• Raise and lower the dumbbell slowly.
• Keep in control of using your strength, not using momentum or gravity.
• Neither lean back as you lift the weight nor lean forward as you lower it.

Read More: Cable Hammer Curl: Muscle Worked, Benefit & Alternate

9. Dumbbell reverse-grip concentration curl

Reverse grip dumbbell concentration curl is a great basic move.

When done correctly, it can effectively target your bicep, and forearms.

It is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles.

How To Do

1. Sit on a bench with your legs apart, grab a dumbbell in one hand (say left hand).
2. With your left arm almost fully extended, rest your elbow against the inside of your left thigh.
3. Pronate your wrist so that your palm faces backward.
4. Exhale as you curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder. Hold and squeeze your biceps for a count of two.
5. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
6. Repeat with your right arm.

Tips

• Don’t lockout at the bottom of the exercise.
• Keep your back straight and your upper arm still.

10. Cross-Body Hammer Curl

The cross-body hammer curl is a dumbbell exercise that targets the biceps, brachialis, and forearm muscles.

Rather than lifting the weights directly in front of the body, you lift them across the torso. Throughout each rep, the wrists remain neutral.

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing towards your body.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly curl the left dumbbell upward, across your body, and toward your left shoulder.
4. Pause for a second at the top of the lift, squeeze your biceps, then lower the weights under control.
5. Repeat with your right arm and continuously do alternating arms.

Tips

• Raise and lower the dumbbell slowly.
• Neither lean back as you lift the weight nor lean forward as you lower it.

11. Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl

The reverse preacher curl is a variation of the standard preacher curl that targets the brachialis more, which lies deeper than your biceps brachii in the upper arm.

The reverse bicep preacher curl may be performed with a barbell, dumbbells, or EZ-curl bar.

However, the dumbbell reverse curl provides better stability and the full range of motion.

How To Do

1. Adjust the preacher bench seat so that your arms are level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a pronated (palms down) grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your head, keeping your arms on the bench at all times, until you reach the top position.
4. Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your biceps.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Do not lock out your elbows at the bottom of the reverse curl.
• Try to use a lighter to moderate weight.

12. Standing wall curl

The Standing wall curl is the best variation of the standing dumbbell curl because this exercise is done with strict form.

To perform cheat-free wall curls, you’ll need an open wall and a set of dumbbells.

Grab a weight that’s lighter than you used to perform a standard curl.

How To Do

1. Stand with your back to a wall and your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms down by your sides with your palms facing in.
2. Curl the dumbbells upwards, rotating your wrists so that your palms face up.
3. Make sure your elbows don’t move forward. Pause at the top of the move
4. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
5. Repeats the desired number of sets.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• Try to use a lighter to moderate weight.

13. Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl

This is a great variation of the preacher’s curl, and you should add it to your arsenal of dumbbell biceps exercises.

It is a very effective exercise that targets the brachioradialis, brachialis, and bicep muscles.

Using a hammer/neutral grip targets more of the brachioradialis and brachialis than the biceps.

How To Do

1. Adjust the preacher bench seat so that your arms are level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral/hammer grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your head, keeping your arms on the bench at all times, until you reach the top position.
4. Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your biceps.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• Do not lock out your elbows to prevent a bicep tear.

 14. Zottman Curl

The dumbbell zottman curl is one of the most effective variations of the bicep curl.

It utilizes different hand positioning at different portions of the lift.

The first portion, the regular curl, focuses on bicep strength. The second lowering portion, the dumbbell reverse curl, allows you to overload the forearms.

You can perform Zottman curls with both arms at the same time, or alternate the arm you lift with.

How To Do

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells to your sides.
2. Keep your palms facing up as you curl the weights up to your shoulders. Pause at the top of the movement.
3. Slowly rotate your grip so your palms are facing downwards. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using an overhand grip.
4. When the dumbbells are close to your thighs, again turn your hands while returning to the starting position.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• Don’t go heavy. Choose a lighter weight and focus on perfecting your form.

15. Standing Dumbbell Drag Curl

The dumbbell drag curl is a variation of the dumbbell curl and is used to build bicep muscles.

While less popular than the standard dumbbell bicep curl, the dumbbell drag curl is an extremely effective bicep exercise.

The dumbbell drag curl is a unique bicep curl variation in which you don’t completely bring the weight in front of your body, which makes it more difficult to swing and use momentum to get the weight up.

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your abs are drawn in.
2. Grab the dumbbell with a double underhand (supinated) grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Bring your elbows and shoulders back slightly as you curl the Dumbbells upwards. It should feel like you are “dragging” the dumbbell up to your body.
4. Squeeze your biceps hard at the top and slowly return to the starting position.

Dumbbell Bicep Exercises Training Tips

Here are some tips for effective dumbbell bicep training:

Focus on proper form

Maintaining proper form during bicep exercises with dumbbells is crucial for preventing injury and maximizing results.

Pay close attention to your technique and avoid swinging or using momentum to lift the weight.

Vary your exercises

To target different muscle fibers and prevent plateaus, it’s important to vary your bicep exercises with dumbbells.

Incorporate a range of exercises that target different areas of the biceps, such as curls, hammer curls, and preacher curls.

Use progressive overload

To build bigger biceps, it’s important to continually increase the weight you’re using.

Gradually increase the resistance over time to keep your muscles challenged and growing.

Add Compound Exercises

It’s best to perform them after compound exercises such as chin-ups and row variations.

These compound exercises use the most weight and exhaust the biceps, making it easier to fully target them with isolation moves.

Don’t neglect other muscle groups

Bicep exercises should be part of a comprehensive arm workout that includes exercises for the triceps, and forearms.

Neglecting these muscle groups can result in imbalances and limit your overall results.

Warm up

Before starting your workout, be sure to warm up properly.

This can include light cardio, dynamic stretching, or a lighter weight bicep exercise.

Training Volume (Sets and Reps)

Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:

Sets

• Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
• Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
• Advanced: ~20 sets per week.

When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress. 

Reps

The best rep ranges and loads to work with.

• 6-8 reps with heavy load
• 8-15 reps with moderate load
• 15-20+ with light load

The load should bring you to or near failure within the given rep ranges to be effective. 

Training Plan As Per Your Goal

1. For muscle endurance: Aim for 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps, with a moderate amount of resistance.
2. For muscle strength: Aim for 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps, with a heavier amount of resistance.
3. For muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size): Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, with a moderate to heavy amount of resistance.

It is always best to start with a lower number of reps and sets, and then gradually increase as your strength improves.

Furthermore, it is important to allow for adequate rest between sets, typically 60-90 seconds.

Workout Samples For Beginner, Intermediate & Advance

Dumbbell Bicep Workout Routine For Beginner

Here is a beginner-friendly dumbbell bicep workout routine that can be done at the anywhere:

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Dumbbell Bicep Curl	3-4	8-10
Hammer Curl	3-4	8
Dumbbell Reverse Curl	4	8-10

This workout plan is a starting point that can be adjusted based on individual fitness levels and goals.

Bicep Workout Routine For Intermediate

Here is an intermediate dumbbell bicep workout routine:

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Curl	4	8-10
Cross-Body Hammer Curl	3-4	10-12
Dumbbell Concentration Curl	4	10-12
Dumbbell Preacher Curl	3	8-10

Dumbbell Bicep Workout Routine For Advance

Here’s a sample bicep workout plan for advanced individuals:

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions
Incline Dumbbell Curls	4	15-20
Dumbbell Preacher Curl	3-4	10-12
Hammer Curl	4	8-10
Drag Curl	3	10-12
Zottman Curl	3	8-10

Note:

It’s a good idea to add a variety of exercises to your bicep workout routine to target the muscle from different angles and provide overall muscle growth.

Be smart: don’t limit yourself to dumbbell bicep exercises. Get the benefits they offer and use other bicep exercises to supplement them when needed.

• Barbell Bicep Exercises & Workout For Mass & Strength
• Bicep Cable Workout To Build Mass And Strength
• Bodyweight Biceps Exercises At Home To Bigger Arm

A bicep dumbbell workout can be easily incorporated into any training program and can be particularly effective when used alongside, barbells, machines, and cables to build the biggest, strongest bicep possible.

Conclusion

For anyone interested in strengthening their biceps and gaining muscle, this dumbbell exercise is highly recommended.

Furthermore, it not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides strength. It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done consistently, the results will speak by themselves.

Thanks for reading, enjoy working your Biceps!

Stay Fit, Live a Happy and Healthy Life

BEST DUMBBELL BICEPS EXERCISES FOR BIGGER AND STRONGER ARMS