9 Best Dumbbell Bicep Exercises and Workouts for Show-Stealing Guns

Are you tired of looking in the mirror and feeling like your biceps, are lagging behind? Do you dream of having sculpted, eye-catching arms that turn heads at the beach or in the gym?

You’ve probably tried countless dumbbell workouts, with the hope of seeing your arms grow, but the results just don’t match the effort you’re putting in. The answer you need is more curl variants to hit different muscle groups and keep your biceps and triceps in a state of shock.

The 9 Best dumbbell bicep workout routines

Now let’s dive into how to transform your biceps into attention-grabbing showstoppers with the best dumbbell bicep workout routines. These bicep curl routines will help to give you the variety and isolation that your muscles need to grow to their fullest.

Standard dumbbell curls

One of the foundational dumbbell exercises for more bicep strength and size is the standard dumbbell curl. This full arm exercise primarily targets the biceps brachii, the muscle that creates a bulge when you flex your arm muscles.

Here’s how you can perform it:

1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing forward. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
2. Slowly lift a single dumbbell while you keep your upper arm stationary. Exhale as you contract your biceps, and continue to raise the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level (or when you are at more than a 90-degree angle). Hold this position briefly, and focus on the contraction.
3. Inhale as you lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner. Repeat this movement with the other arm.

Tips for sets, reps and weight:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps per arm.
• Start with a light weight and then a heavy weight to challenge yourself while maintaining proper form

To see the best results, make sure you use proper form and gradually add additional weight as your strength improves.

Dumbbell concentration curls

To step up the previous workout, you can isolate and intensify the work on your biceps with concentration biceps curls. This dumbbell bicep exercise places more stress on the biceps and helps to develop that famous peak we all desire.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor and knees slightly apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells using each hand, and place one elbow on the inside of your thigh. Let the weight hang down between your legs and make sure your arm is fully extended.
2. While keeping your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the dumbbell upward, contracting your biceps. Continue until the dumbbell is at shoulder level or as high as you can comfortably lift it. Hold this position for a second to maximize the contraction.
3. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position. This completes one repetition.

Tips for sets, reps and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 6-12 seated concentration curls.
• Start with a lighter weight and increase it gradually as your biceps get stronger.

Remember to maintain strict form throughout the compound exercise, focus on the mind-muscle connection for the best results.

Alternating dumbbell curls (standing position)

Next up are alternate biceps curls in a standing position. This is an excellent isolation exercise and is a great way to target each bicep individually, which helps with a balanced biceps peak development and a more symmetrical look.

Here’s how to perform it:

1. Begin standing up straight with a pair of dumbbells in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing forward. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
2. Then lift one dumbbell while you keep your upper arm stationary. As you exhale, contract the bicep of the lifting arm and raise the weight until your bicep is fully contracted, and the dumbbell is at shoulder level. Hold this position for a moment, focusing on the contraction.
3. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position as you inhale, and simultaneously lift the other dumbbell in the same controlled manner.
4. Continue alternating between arms.

Tips for sets, reps and weight:

• Aim for 3-4 sets per workout of 8-12 reps per arm.
• Adjust the weight to maintain proper form while challenging your muscles.

Dumbbell preacher curl

The dumbbell preacher curl is another excellent isolation exercise to intensify the work on your biceps. When done right, it helps target them more intensely, which leads to significant muscle growth.

Here’s how to perform them:

1. Find a preacher curl bench or use a regular bench set at a slight incline. Sit down, and make sure your chest is firmly pressed against the inclined part of the bench.
2. Hold a light dumbbell in one hand and let it hang straight down toward the floor.
3. As you exhale, begin to curl the dumbbell upwards, and keep your upper arm securely in place on the bench. Focus on contracting your arm muscles throughout the movement.
4. Continue curling until the dumbbell is at shoulder level or as high as you can comfortably lift it.
5. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the preacher curl pad. This completes one repetition.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps.
• Start with a light weight. As your biceps strengthen, gradually increase to a heavier weight.
• You can also adjust your incline here to work your biceps from a different angle.

Incline dumbbell curl

Next up is yet another one of the best dumbbell bicep exercises to amp up your bicep workout routine. This exercise adds a twist since you use an incline bench, to help target your biceps from a different angle. 

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Start by adjusting an incline bench to a 45-degree angle. Take a seated position on the bench in an upright position.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells using both hands and extend your arms fully, palms facing forward, and let the weights hang down towards the floor.
3. Slowly perform the incline curls one at a time while keeping your upper arms stationary. Exhale as you contract your biceps and lift the weight until your biceps are fully engaged. Make sure to not use your upper back muscles as you want to isolate the biceps as much as possible. 
4. Inhale as you lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the other arm.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets per workout of 6-12 incline dumbbell curls.
• Adjust the weight to challenge yourself while maintaining proper form.

Crucifix dumbbell curl

The crucifix curl is a unique exercise to help work your biceps in a different way – here the focus is on both strength and control. It’s called “Crucifix” because your arms resemble the shape of a cross because of the shape your arms make.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to perform it:

1. Stand up straight with a pair of dumbbells in a “T” position with your arms fully extended, and palms facing upward. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
2. Lift both dumbbells simultaneously while you keep your elbow stationary.
3. Exhale as you contract your biceps, and continue to raise the weights until they are at shoulder level, forming a “Y” shape with your arms.
4. Hold this position for a moment, focus on the contraction, and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position while you inhale.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Start with a weight that challenges you but allows you to maintain control throughout the movement.
• Be carefull of hurting your elbow flexors (especially if you have a weak elbow flexor).

Dumbbell hammer curl

Dumbbell hammer curls are a great versatile exercise that targets not only your biceps but also your forearm muscles. It’s a great addition to your routine for a more balanced arm development.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing your each. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability. Unlike traditional curls, you need to maintain a neutral grip (palms facing each other) throughout the exercise.
2. Slowly lift one dumbbell (or both) at a time while keeping your upper arms stationary. Exhale as you contract your biceps, and raise the weight until your biceps are fully engaged.
3. Hold this position for a moment, focusing on the contraction, and then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 rep ranges per arm when performing Dumbbell Hammer Curls.
• Use a lighter dumbbell that challenges you while you to learn to maintain proper form and control.

Spider curl

Spider Curls are excellent for isolating your biceps and building that coveted peak. The reason for this is because they limit the range of motion using the dumbbells. This means you can focus more on using a single pair of dumbbells with heavy weights. This exercise is excellent for building those sleeve-busting arms.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Set up an adjustable bench at an incline angle (about 45-60 degree angle) and stand facing it.
2. Rest your chest and upper arms on the incline bench, making sure your armpits are just above the top edge.
3. Position your arms fully extended with palms facing forward and let them hang.
4. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
5. Slowly curl the dumbbells upward while keeping your elbow stationary. Exhale as you contract your biceps, and raise the weight until your biceps are fully engaged.
6. Hold the position.
7. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps when performing spider curls.
• Choose a weight that lets you maintain strict form and control throughout the exercise.
• Watch out for over-extending your elbow flexors with this exercise (especially if you have a weak elbow flexor). 

Pinwheel dumbbell biceps curls

The last one is called the pinwheel biceps curl and it targets your biceps but also engages your forearms. This curl variant adds a twist to your standard curls, helping you achieve a more complete arm workout.

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing your torso. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
2. Unlike traditional curls, maintain a neutral grip (palms facing each other) throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly lift one dumbbell at a time while keeping your upper arms stationary. Exhale as you contract your biceps, and raise the weight until your biceps are fully engaged.
4. As you curl the dumbbell upward, simultaneously rotate your wrist outward, so your palm faces upward at the top of the movement. This twisting motion engages your forearm muscles.
5. Hold this position for a moment – focus on the contraction.
6. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position, rotating your wrist back to the neutral position.
7. Repeat the movement with the other arm.

Tips for sets, reps, and weights:

• Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps per arm.
• Choose a light weight that challenges you and move onto heavy loads later on.
• Watch out for wrist pain and limit your wrist rotation – this could mean you need to work on your wrist extensor more.

How do you get strong biceps muscles?

A powerful biological process called muscle hypertrophy primarily governs muscle growth, like for the biceps.

Muscles are composed of different types of muscle fibers, but two types are relevant to bicep growth: Type I (slow-twitch) and Type II (fast-twitch) fibers. Type II fibers, specifically Type IIb and IIx, have the greatest potential for hypertrophy and are the focus of bicep-building exercises. These fibers have a higher capacity for force generation and growth.

Resistance exercises like dumbbell curls cause microscopic tears to the muscle fibers. To which your body responds by strengthening the fibers, which causes them to become thicker and more robust.

Building biceps also requires proper nutrition. Muscle growth relies on an adequate intake of protein, which comes from amino acids and leads to more gains over time.

Muscle growth doesn’t happen during workouts but during the rest and recovery periods that follow. Get adequate sleep and recovery time to repair and grow your muscles.

Advantages of developing your biceps

You use your biceps for a lot of daily tasks. Think of things like hauling grocery shopping bags or picking up your kids—strong biceps can make these tasks feel easier.

If you’re into sports or just enjoy recreational activities like hiking or swimming, stronger biceps can help with your performance.

Strong biceps help with the overall joint stability in your shoulder and elbow. This can reduce the risk of injuries where you use repetitive arm movements—like typing, throwing a ball or playing an instrument.

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As your biceps grow stronger, your range of motion using your arms for upper body exercises also increases. More flexibility and mobility will help with your overall posture and form when you workout. It will also help to reduce the risk of overcompensating with other muscle groups so you can focus more on using only your bicep. The other added benefit of this is that it takes some of the strain of the shoulder joint, elbow joint, and wrist joint.

How to train your biceps without dumbbells?

Now, you might wonder how to keep up the progress when you don’t have a pair of dumbbells at hand. Luckily, there are alternative ways to train your biceps without dumbbells.

Resistance bands are a versatile and cost-effective tool for bicep training. They provide resistance in both the concentric (lifting) and eccentric (lowering) phases of your exercises, similar to what dumbbells do.

Here’s two biceps exercises you can use:

• Bicep curls: Step on the center of the resistance band with both feet and hold the ends in each hand. Curl your hands up towards your shoulders while you keep your upper arms stationary.
• Band pull-aparts: Hold the band in front of you with both hands, and then pull it apart while you keep your arms straight. Pull until you feel it between your shoulder blades. This exercise engages your biceps and shoulder muscles.

You don’t always need equipment to do an effective biceps workout, since you can use body weight exercises. You can perform calisthenics exercises like single arm pull ups or archer push ups to help isolate your whole forearm and arm muscles.

You can also use a few household items as a substitute for dumbbells:

• Water bottles or jugs: Fill empty water bottles or milk jugs with water to create makeshift weights.
• Bags of rice or beans: Similarly, you can use bags of rice or beans as weights for bicep curls.

FAQs : Dumbbell Bicep Workouts