If you are looking to grow bigger carms, then chances are you have heard of bicep curls. They are one of the most popular bicep exercises and for good reason.
However, the fact is that there are many different types of dumbbell curls that you can do, with each one targeting a slightly different part of your biceps and activating your muscles to differing degrees.
Today, we're going to look at the 12 best dumbbell bicep exercises and exactly how to do them, so let's get to it.
A Crash Course on the Biceps Brachii Muscle
Your biceps or biceps brachii, is the muscle located on your anterior upper arm, and it consists of two muscle heads, the short head and the long head.
Both heads of the biceps start at a certain point of the scapula, although at different parts, and they then come together at the radius bone on the forearm, which is why the biceps form a peak, which is what everybody wants.
As for the function of your biceps, the short head of your biceps helps pull your arm back towards the torso, otherwise known as shoulder adduction, and the long head of the biceps helps pull your arm away from the body, otherwise known as shoulder abduction.
The biceps are also responsible for flexion at the elbow, which is how you move your wrists and forearms up towards your shoulder and upper arms. The biceps are also responsible for supination, which is when your forearms rotate outwards.
As you can probably tell by now, your biceps muscles are quite important for a number of reasons, so let's move on and take a look at the 12 best overall dumbbell bicep exercises.
The 12 Best Overall Dumbbell Bicep Exercises
We've got a long list of fantastic dumbbell exercises to target those biceps, so let's get right to it.
1. Concentration Bicep Curl
If you're looking to target your biceps, especially the short head of the biceps, then doing concentration curls is a good option.
Concentration curls are good for various reasons, with one being that because your elbow is resting on your thigh, it prevents you from cheating, which maximizes bicep targeting.
Related: Short head biceps exercises
This is also an exercise you do with a single arm, so you can really focus on that contraction, while also balancing out possible muscle imbalances.
Concentration Bicep Curl Instructions
- Sit down on a bench and spread your legs wide apart, lean forwards a little bit, rest your elbow on your thigh, and hold the dumbbell with your palm facing upwards.
- Slowly curl the dumbbell upwards towards your chest and shoulder, hold the position at the top, contract as hard as you can, and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat this for anywhere between 12 and 15 reps for each arm, for three to four sets.
2. Dumbbell Reverse Grip Biceps Curl
If you want to target both the long head of your biceps as well as the forearm extensor muscles, then doing a dumbbell reverse grip bicep curl is best. It's a relatively easy exercise to do, but you want to maintain proper form, so start with a relatively lightweight.
Dumbbell Reverse Grip Biceps Curl Instructions
- Using an overhand grip, hold a pair of dumbbells with your arms hanging downwards and your knuckles facing forwards.
- Maintaining this position with your palm facing downwards, curl the dumbbells upwards toward your shoulders, pause at the top of the motion, and squeeze as hard as you can.
- Slowly return to the starting position, and repeat this for 10 to 15 reps, for two to four sets.
3. Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl
If you want to target the long head of your biceps over anything else, as well as some of your forearm muscles, keeping your elbows at your sides or behind you is best, which this dumbbell incline bicep curl is fantastic for.
Related: Long head biceps exercise guide
This is also one of the hardest dumbbell biceps exercises, which means that you'll only be able to lift so much. This position is also ideal for maximizing your range of motion while stretching out your biceps as much as possible.
Keep in mind that this curl can be done in a supinated position, hammer position, or even as a Zottman curl.
Dumbbell Incline Bicep Curl Instructions
- Adjust a bench so that it is at a 45° angle, hold a pair of dumbbells so that your arms are by your side, and have your palms facing forwards.
- Curl the weight upwards in a slow and controlled manner until you can't go anymore, and then contract your bicep as much as possible for a good squeeze.
- After a short pause at the top of the motion, slowly return to your starting position and extend your arms so you feel your biceps stretch.
- Repeat this for anywhere between 8 and 12 reps, for up to three sets.
4. Dumbbell Supinated Biceps Curl
Here we have a type of curl that uses an underhand grip, also known as a supinated grip. It's great for placing constant tension on the biceps, and it's also good for training your forearms.
A variation of this is to do supinating bicep curls instead of supinated bicep curls. For this variation, you start with your palms facing inwards and then slowly rotate them outwards as you curl the weight up.
Supinated Dumbbell Bicep Curl Instructions
- Stand straight up and hold a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip.
- Flexing at the elbow and using your biceps, lift the dumbbells upwards and towards your shoulders and rotate your forearms so that your palms end up facing your shoulders.
- Hold the top of the position for two or three seconds and contract as much as possible.
- Perform anywhere from 8 to 15 reps, for three to four sets.
5. Dumbbell Wall Bicep Curl
If you want to target your biceps as much as possible, a good trick is to keep your shoulders and back out of the equation.
Using your upper back and shoulders means taking the stress off of your biceps, and ultimately it means you're cheating during the motion.
By doing dumbbell wall bicep curls, you keep your shoulders and back against the wall, therefore taking them out of the picture.
Dumbbell Wall Bicep Curl Instructions
- Using a supinated grip, hold a pair of dumbbells, and lean your back against a wall, so that your upper and lower back, as well as your head are touching the wall. You'll have to move your feet forward a bit to maintain this position.
- Using a supinated grip, curl the dumbbells upwards until they get as close to your shoulders as you can, and then at the top of the motion, squeeze for a couple of seconds, and return back down to the starting position. Make sure to feel that stretch!
- Repeat this for anywhere between 10 and 15 repetitions for up to four sets.
6. Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Here we have another great exercise that targets the long head of your biceps over everything else, as well as some of the smaller extensor muscles in your upper forearm.
The hammer curl involves using a neutral grip, which is not only ideal for targeting the long head of your biceps, but also helps keep your shoulders and elbows in an ergonomic position, and it prevents them from being internally or externally rotated.
This is an exercise that you can do standing up, although to prevent yourself from cheating as much as possible, it's best to sit down, so that you can't use your back or shoulders to gain leverage.
Dumbbell Hammer Curl Instructions
- Sit down on a bench with your back straight and vertical, and your arms hanging down at your sides.
- Hold a pair of dumbbells using a neutral hammer grip, which means that your palms are facing inwards.
- Curl the weight upwards until the dumbbell touches your shoulders, hold this position for a couple of seconds while squeezing as hard as you can, and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat this exercise for anywhere between 12 and 15 repetitions, for two to four sets.
7. Step Back Bicep Curl
By stepping back when you do a bicep curl, it helps add more tension to the mix, and also helps to train your core and legs to a certain degree.
It's a great exercise to help train your strength, stability, balance, and coordination. If you want this exercise to target your legs as well, you're not just going to step back, but also do a reverse lunge.
Step Back Bicep Curl Instructions
- Stand upright with your back straight and hold a pair of dumbbells down by your side. Use either a hammer curl or supinated curl grip.
- Perform a curl as you usually would, but also step back with one of your feet at the same time.
- At the top of the motion, squeeze for some extra contraction, and then return to your starting position, both in terms of your arm and foot.
- When you do this exercise, alternate the foot you use to step backwards.
- If you want to make things harder, doing a reverse lunge instead of just a step back is recommended.
- Do anywhere between 12 and 16 repetitions, up to four sets.
8. Offset Biceps Curl
This is a unique type of bicep curl that puts a lot of strain on both muscle heads because you hold the dumbbell in an off-center manner. It forces your biceps to work really hard.
Here you use a supinated grip, but because your hands are offset on the dumbbells, it makes a light dumbbell feel much heavier by causing your wrists to resist rotating.
Offset Bicep Curl Instructions
- Stand upwards with your back straight and your chest puffed out.
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand with a supinated grip, but move your hands outwards on the dumbbell grips so that your thumbs are touching the outward head of the dumbbell.
- Curl the weight upwards towards your shoulders and squeeze as hard as you can, holding the position at the top for a couple of seconds.
- Lower back down to the starting position and repeat this movement for anywhere between 8 and 15 repetitions, for up to four sets.
9. Fat Grip Bicep Curl
The fat grip bicep curl simply has you wrapping a towel or any kind of wrap around the handle of the dumbbell, therefore increasing its diameter. This makes the dumbbell harder for you to hold on to, therefore targeting your forearms along with your biceps.
Fat Grip Bicep Curl Instructions
- Use grips or towels and wrap them around the handles of a pair of dumbbells.
- Using whatever grip you see fit, do curls as you normally would for anywhere between 8 and 15 repetitions, and up to four sets.
10. Zottman Bicep Curl
What we have here is a very special type of bicep curl that combines several of the others that we've talked about so far. What you get here is a combination of a reverse curl and a supinated curl.
This is because you start off with a supinated curl position, but as you curl, you rotate your palms so that they end up facing downwards so that by the time you get to the top of the curl, you’re in a reverse curl grip.
This is a fantastic exercise for both your biceps and your forearms. As far as well-rounded bicep exercises go, this is probably the best one on the list, especially for targeting both the short head and long head.
Zottman Bicep Curl Instructions
- Start by standing up straight, your upper back engaged, and your chest puffed out.
- Hold a pair of dumbbells by your side using a supinated grip, with your palms facing upwards.
- In a controlled manner, slowly curl the dumbbell upwards while rotating your wrists and forearms inwards.
- When you get to the top of the motion, your palms should be facing down.
- At the top of the motion, contract as hard as you can, and then with your palms facing downwards, slowly return to the starting position, while also rotating your forearms back to the supinated position.
- By the time you get to the bottom of the motion, you should be back in the supinated grip.
11. Dumbbell Pinwheel Biceps Curl
The dumbbell pinwheel bicep curl is great for targeting the short head of your biceps, plus it's great for your forearms as well.
The fact that this type of curl sees your forearm moving across the front of your body also helps to maximize the range of motion you move in, for greater muscle-building benefits.
Dumbbell Pinwheel Bicep Curl Instructions
- Stand up straight with your chest pushed forward, hold a pair of dumbbells, extend your arms down by your sides, and have your palms facing inwards in a neutral grip.
- You'll have to do one side at a time, so start by curling your right hand towards the left shoulder while contracting your bicep as much as possible.
- Return back to your starting position in a slow and controlled manner, and then repeat this motion for the other arm.
- Alternate sides and repeat for anywhere between 10 and 16 repetitions, up to four sets.
12. Bicep 21’s
Here's another unique bicep curl that technically has you doing three different curls in one single movement. It's a great way to put your biceps under maximum tension for the biggest growth benefits.
Bicep 21’s Instructions
- Stand upwards with your back straight.
- Start by holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides using a supinate position.
- Curl the dumbbells upwards until your elbows are bent at 90° position, and then return right back to the starting position, and repeat this for seven repetitions.
- Next, start by holding your arms so that your elbows are bent at a 90° angle, and then curl the dumbbells upwards until they reach your shoulders, and then return back until your elbows are bent at a 90° angle. Repeat this for seven repetitions.
- You're now going to fully straighten your arms so that they're down by your sides, and then perform seven regular full range dumbbell curls. Repeat this for up to two or three sets.
Rounding Up
Now that you know what the 12 best dumbbell bicep curls are, you can work towards growing thicker and more powerful guns that will be able to blow the competition out of the water!
Remember, you don't need to do all of these exercises every single day, but adding two or three of them into your routine will benefit your biceps greatly.