The Best And Worst Biceps Exercises

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The Ultimate Guide to Biceps Training: Best and Worst Exercises for Maximum Growth

Building impressive biceps can elevate your physique and make you look noticeably stronger, especially in a t-shirt. But with so many biceps exercises out there, it can be challenging to know which ones will give you the most results. This guide categorizes biceps exercises into tiers, from S for "Super" to F for "Fail," based on factors like tension, comfort, progression potential, and how they target different parts of the biceps. Let’s dive into the best and worst exercises to make your arms pop.

Biceps Anatomy

The biceps consist of two heads:

  • Short Head: Sits on the inside of your arm, adding width to the biceps.
  • Long Head: Sits on the back of your arm and contributes to the biceps peak.

Additionally, the brachialis muscle lies underneath the biceps, helping push them up and create more height.

The main functions of the biceps include:

  1. Elbow Flexion: Bending the elbow, as in a curl.
  2. Supination: Turning the palm up, which also activates the biceps.

Ranking Criteria for Exercises

To make it into the top tier, an exercise should:

  • Provide high tension, especially in the stretched position.
  • Avoid causing joint pain or discomfort.
  • Allow simple, progressive overload for continuous muscle growth.

Exercise Tier List

S Tier: Best Biceps Exercises

These exercises maximize tension and are safe, comfortable, and effective for most people.

  1. Preacher Curl (45° Angle)

    • Why: Locks your elbows in place, increasing tension on the biceps in the stretched position.
    • How: Perform curls with your arms supported at a 45° angle for a solid stretch and tension. This position promotes growth near the elbow, thanks to the high stretch-tension combo.

  2. Face-Away Cable Curl

    • Why: By stepping away from the cable machine, you place your arms behind your torso, stretching the biceps fully. The cable also provides consistent tension throughout the range of motion.
    • How: Use a dual-cable machine or one arm at a time, with the cables set around hand height. Curl both arms forward, focusing on driving through your pinkies.

  3. Machine Preacher Curl

    • Why: Stabilizes the upper body, allowing full focus on the biceps. The machine keeps tension high in the bottom half of the movement, ideal for the stretch position.
    • How: Perform curls while bracing your upper arms on a preacher pad, maintaining control and tension at the bottom for maximum effect.

  4. Hammer-Grip Preacher Curl

    • Why: This neutral grip variation focuses on the brachialis, enhancing the biceps peak.
    • How: Use the preacher bench with a neutral grip (thumbs facing up) to curl. This hits the brachialis hard and aids in peak development.

A Tier: Great Exercises

These are highly effective, though they may lack the high tension in the stretched position found in S-tier moves.

  1. Easy Bar Curl

    • Why: Minimizes wrist strain with an angled grip and allows for good overload potential.
    • How: Use the outer angled grip on the easy bar, focusing on driving through your pinkies to keep tension on the biceps.

  2. Standing Dumbbell Curl

    • Why: Great for accessibility and can address size asymmetries by working each arm individually.
    • How: Curl both arms simultaneously for balanced tension, as alternating arms introduces a rest period that may reduce the effect on muscle growth.

  3. Lying Dumbbell Curl

    • Why: Provides a larger stretch near the shoulder and improves tension at the starting position.
    • How: Lie down on an incline bench and curl dumbbells, focusing on the stretch near the shoulder.

  4. Inverse Curl (Hammer Grip Up, Supinated Down)

    • Why: Combines the benefits of hammer curls for the brachialis and a supinated grip for the biceps.
    • How: Curl up with a hammer grip and lower with a supinated grip to overload the negative phase.

B Tier: Good Exercises

These exercises are effective but have minor limitations, like a suboptimal tension curve or reliance on secondary muscles.

  1. Standard Barbell Curl

    • Why: Offers good overload but creates variable tension, especially at the bottom of the movement.
    • How: Perform with a shoulder-width grip, though straight bars may strain the wrists.

  2. Chin-Up

    • Why: Activates the biceps but also engages the back, so it’s not purely a biceps-focused move.
    • How: Use an underhand grip with controlled reps to target the biceps as much as possible.

  3. Flat Bench Curl

    • Why: High tension in the stretch, but progression is limited due to the need for lighter weights.
    • How: Perform as a burnout with higher reps at the end of your workout.

C Tier: Fair Exercises

These exercises can contribute to biceps growth but have notable limitations.

  1. Drag Curl

    • Why: Involves some stretch by pulling the elbows back, but the biceps length does not change much overall.
    • How: Drag the bar up close to your torso instead of a traditional curl.

  2. Spider Curl

    • Why: Emphasizes the shortened position, but lacks tension in the stretched position.
    • How: Lean forward on an incline bench and curl, keeping the dumbbells away from the bench to avoid disruptions.

  3. 21s

    • Why: A "bro" workout staple, 21s can be beneficial with modification but aren't as effective with the traditional format.
    • How: Start with seven top-half curls (shortened), then seven full range, and finish with seven bottom-half curls (lengthened).

F Tier: Least Effective Exercises

These exercises are suboptimal and can be uncomfortable or inefficient.

  1. Waiter Curl
    • Why: Requires an awkward grip, limits overload, and places strain on the wrists.
    • Recommendation: Skip it in favor of dumbbell curls with standard grip freedom.

Top Pick for Overall Biceps Growth

Face-Away Cable Curl: The combination of high tension in the stretched position and consistent resistance makes this an all-star choice for biceps growth.

Top Pick for Peak Development

Hammer-Grip Preacher Curl: With a focus on the brachialis, this move can push the biceps higher and enhance peak appearance.

By incorporating these top-tier exercises into your routine, you can maximize growth and sculpt impressive biceps.

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