by Tanner Shuck
The Top 5 Biceps Curls
Need to fill out those shirtsleeves? Drop the bar. Here are the best dumbbell exercises for biceps size. Have you tried them all?
Best Dumbbell Exercises for Biceps
Dumbbells are the most versatile pieces of training equipment in existence. You can do countless exercises anytime, anywhere. Here are the five best dumbbell exercises for building bigger and stronger biceps:
1. Incline Dumbbell Curl
Increasing the ROM (range of motion) and mechanical disadvantage with the incline bench forces the biceps to work much harder than traditional seated or standing curls. The larger ROM plus the big stretch on the muscle results in more hypertrophy. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps with moderate weight. Emphasize a slower negative for each rep to maximize results.
2. Dumbbell ISO Curl
Alternate arms each rep. Leave the non-working arm up in an isometric hold to maximize time under tension. Essentially, you keep tension on both biceps for the entire set. More time under tension, more hypertrophy. Perform 3-4 sets of 16-20 reps (8-10 reps each arm).
3. Zottman Curl
Perform a supinated curl for the concentric (lifting phase) and a pronated curl for the eccentric (negative phase.) This will target both the biceps and brachialis. Do 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps.
4. Hammer Curl
This is possibly the most effective dumbbell exercise for arms. The hammer curl targets the biceps, brachialis, and forearms. Perform these with your thumbs facing forward (neutral grip) and squeeze the dumbbells as tightly as possible while keeping them in front of your body to maximize TUT. You can go heavier on these than supinated curls, so choose a challenging weight.
5. Dumbbell Gun Walk
Hammer-curl the dumbbells, hold an isometric hold at the top and walk for a set amount of time or distance. Like that? Try the towel gun walk next!
