Getting big biceps requires a lot of effort, time and patience. You have to diligently pursue your biceps. In this post we are going to discuss the best bicep exercises for mass.
Muscles you need to training for biceps mass
To get big biceps you need to train two muscles. Biceps brachii and brachialis.
The biceps brachii muscle has two heads, long head and short head.
The brachialis muscle lies between biceps and triceps.
The long head or the outer head of the biceps muscles gives you the peak of biceps.
The short head or the inner head of biceps gives you density in your biceps.
Finally, you need to train for brachialis to give you biceps muscles that 3-D look.
Best biceps exercises for mass
Cheat curls
Cheat curls are the favorite exercise of legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarnegger. Cheat curls allow you to lift heavy weights. While this exercise is a little risky, but it’s a tried and tested way to build bigger biceps. It trains the biceps muscle, especially the power fibers.
Wide grip preacher curls
This exercise was used by Mr Olympia bodybuilder Larry Scott. Larry Scott was known for his amazing biceps peak. This is an excellent exercise for the inner biceps. Wide grip curl when done on a preacher machine isolates the short head of the biceps.
Lat Pulldown Biceps Curls
This exercise was coined by Old school bodybuilder Mike Mentzer. Mentzer was the only bodybuilder to receive a perfect score in a bodybuilding competition.
Biceps curl when done on a lat pulldown machine isolates the long head of biceps. The lat pulldown position puts your biceps in a stretched position and gives a massive pump to the biceps muscles.
Drag curl
Drag curl was invented by the bodybuilding guru Vince Gironda. Vince was famous for developing top level bodybuilders and Hollywood physiques.
Drag curl puts your biceps in a stretched position. It gives you a mechanical advantage by isolating the long head of the biceps. This is an excellent exercise for the outer biceps – the peak that you see when you hit the back double biceps.
Cable preacher curl
Cable preacher curl is similar to preacher machine curl. However, there is one key difference. With the cable preacher curl you get maximum torque at the top of the movement. This gives an excellent squeeze and pump at the top of movement. This is a good exercise for biceps peak, better than preacher curl with a barbell.
Cross Body Hammer Curl
Cross body hammer curls isolate your brachialis muscle. It puts maximum stress on the brachialis muscle and adds size to your brachialis. The brachialis muscle when fully developed separates the biceps from the triceps and gives you a wider biceps.
21’s
21’s is a high intensity biceps exercise. It trains your biceps in all three ranges, low, middle and upper range. The key to doing 21’s is to find the right weight to lift 21 reps. Once you have selected the right amount of weight, it is a killer exercise. 4-5 sets of 21’s gives you a complete biceps workout.
Best bicep exercises for mass with dumbbells
Hammer curl
This is a powerful exercise for biceps and brachialis. You can do 3-4 sets with 10-12 reps each.
Reverse Curl
Reverse curl works on both biceps and brachioradialis muscles. You can do 3-4 sets with 12-15 reps.
Zottman curl
Zottman curl works both on the biceps and brachialis muscle.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Incline dumbbell curl works on the biceps muscle. It targets specifically the long head of the biceps.
Hammer Spider Curl
This is a powerful exercise for brachialis muscle. The spider position isolates the arms thus preventing any form of cheating. The hammer grip concentrates on the brachialis muscle.
Concentration Curl
Concentration curl works on the biceps peak. This exercise gives you a full range of motion. Its an isolation exercise so you don’t need to lift heavy weights here.
Biceps workout chart for mass
I am sharing a few tried and tested biceps workout charts for mass. You can follow these workout charts for 4 to 6 weeks for maximum growth in biceps
Biceps Workout Chart A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Cheat Curls | 4 | 4-6 |
| Wide Grip Preacher Curls | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lat Pulldown Biceps Curls | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps Workout Chart B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Drag Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Cable Preacher Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cross Body Hammer Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps Workout Chart C
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Cheat Curls | 3 | 8-12 |
| Wide Grip Preacher Curls | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout with dumbbells
If you don’t have access to a barbell or machines in a gym, here is a full biceps workout with dumbbells.
Biceps workout with dumbbells Plan A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Zottman Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout with dumbbells Plan B
Exercise |
Sets | Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Hammer Spider Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout with dumbbells Plan C
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Zottman Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout at gym
The advantage of a full fledged gym is that you have access to a barbell, dumbbell and machines. This gives variety in terms of angle, range of motion and weights.
Below are some powerful biceps workout at gym
Biceps workout at gym plan A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Concentration Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout at gym plan B
Exercise |
Sets | Reps |
| Drag Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Cable Preacher Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Machine Hammer Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Biceps workout at gym plan C
Exercise |
Sets | Reps |
| Cross Body Hammer Curl | 4 | 8-12 |
| Machine Drag Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| Zottman Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
Tips for big biceps
- Do separate exercises for biceps and brachialis. You can even split exercises for long head and short head
- Lift moderate weight with proper technique. Your reps should be slow and controlled. Occasional cheating is okay
- Train biceps at least twice a week. You can even train it 3 times a week, if biceps is your priority.
- If you want to grow your biceps fast, use the priority principle. Train your biceps muscle first and then move on to the next body part
Biceps mass faq
How can I bulk up my biceps fast?
It takes time to develop a good set of biceps. However, you can do a few things to speed up the process. 1. Increase the frequency, train your biceps 2-3 times per week. 2. Use the priority principle, hit your biceps first and then the next body part. 3. Use different training techniques in different sessions for example one session on heavy weights, another session with moderate weight but higher volume.
Is 2 bicep exercises enough?
Yes 2 biceps exercises per workout are enough. You can use one isolation exercise to train your biceps or the brachialis muscle and the other mass builder exercise to train overall biceps muscle
Best bicep exercises for mass summary
The best exercises for biceps allows you to isolate your muscle, gives you a full range of muscle and help you lift moderate to heavy weights. In the article I have shared a complete list of bicep exercises for mass. Try different bicep mass workouts and let me know how they work for you.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18356480