14 Best Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells: Sculpt Your Arms to Perfection!

Discover the ultimate guide to bicep workouts with dumbbells! Sculpt your arms to perfection with our 14 best exercises. Elevate your fitness journey now. Workouts with dumbbells are made easy!

Introduction

Developing strong, toned biceps is a common goal for many gym-goers. Using dumbbells for bicep exercises allows you to isolate each arm and correct any muscular imbalances. Dumbbell bicep workouts can be done anywhere and provide an efficient way to sculpt the arms.

This article will provide 14 of the most effective Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells to help you achieve defined, chiselled arms.

Why Train Biceps with Dumbbells?

Here are some of the key benefits of using dumbbells for bicep workouts:

• Targets each arm individually – Allows you to identify and correct any strength imbalances between arms.
• Increases time under tension – Lowering weights slower increases muscle activation.
• Allows full range of motion – Rotate wrists fully with dumbbells vs. barbell curls.
• Easy to increase intensity – small increments allow progressive overload.
• Convenient and portable – Dumbbells can be used anywhere, no gym is required.
• Prevents injury – Unilateral training corrects muscle imbalances.
• Activates stabilizer muscles – More muscle activation for core and shoulders.
• Variety of exercises – Many effective bicep exercises use dumbbells.
• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Focused dumbbell exercises train the biceps through a full range of motion.

14 Killer Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells

Here are 14 of the best bicep exercises to perform using dumbbells:

1. Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Dumbbell curls are arguably the most popular way to build the biceps. To perform:

• Stand with knees slightly bent, core braced, shoulders back.
• Keep elbows fixed at the sides.
• Curl dumbbells up towards shoulders, rotating wrists as you lift.
• Lower under control.
• Focus on squeezing the biceps at the top.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12   (The notation Sets: 3 Reps:  repetitions 10-12 refers to the recommended number of sets and reps to perform for each exercise.

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Curling dumbbells work the biceps through a full range of motion.

2. Incline Dumbbell Curls

Incline curls hit the biceps’ long head by changing the lift’s angle.

• Lie back on an incline bench set to 30-45 degrees.
• Keeping upper arms on the bench, curl dumbbells up towards shoulders.
• Lower under control, getting a full stretch.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Incline dumbbell curls emphasize the long head of the biceps.

3. Hammer Curls

This exercise emphasizes the brachialis muscle in the upper arm while also working the biceps.

• Stand holding dumbbells at sides with palms facing inward.
• Keeping upper arms fixed, curl dumbbells up towards shoulders.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Hammer curls work the brachialis muscle while also activating the biceps.

4. Concentration Curls

Concentration curls allow you to focus on contracting one bicep at a time.

• Sit on a bench. Bring one knee up and rest an elbow on the inside of the knee.
• Keep the upper arm fixed. Curl the dumbbell up towards the shoulder, squeezing the bicep.
• Slowly lower back down. Repeat for specified reps, then switch arms.

Sets: 3/arm Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Concentration curls isolate each bicep muscle individually.

5. Drag Curls

Drag curls increase time under tension by taking 4 counts to raise and 4 counts to lower the dumbbell.

• Stand holding dumbbells with palms facing forward.
• Initiate curl by bringing dumbbells forward before lifting.
• Curl dumbbells up towards shoulders, taking 4 counts.
• Slowly lower back down over 4 seconds. Keep elbows fixed.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Drag curls maximize time under tension on the biceps.

6. Spider Curls

Spider curls target the outer bicep head, beginning with palms down and rotating to palms up as you curl.

• Stand holding dumbbells at sides with palms facing down and elbows fixed.
• As you curl weights up, rotate your wrists until your palms face forward at the top.
• Slowly lower back down, rotating wrists to palms down.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Spider curls emphasize the outer biceps.

7. Zottman Curls

This unique exercise combines a regular curl with a reverse curl in one movement.

• Curl dumbbells up with palms facing forward, squeezing biceps.
• At the top, rotate wrists so palms face downwards.
• Lower dumbbells were doing a reverse curl, focusing on eccentric.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Zottman curls work the biceps eccentrically.

8. Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls

This seated variation hits the long head of the bicep at a different angle.

• Sit on an incline bench set to 45 degrees.
• Keeping upper arms on the bench, curl dumbbells up towards shoulders.
• Lower slowly under control.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Seated incline curls target the long head of the biceps.

9. Cross Body Hammer Curls

Adding a cross-body movement increases contraction in the biceps.

• Stand with knees bent, holding dumbbells at sides with palms facing in.
• Curl the right dumbbell across the body towards the left shoulder, twisting at the waist. Return and alternate.
• Keep your palms facing throughout the movement.

Sets: 3/side Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Cross-body hammer curls increase bicep activation through constant tension.

10. Eccentric Curls

Lengthening the eccentric portion increases time under tension for muscle growth.

• Curl both dumbbells up to shoulders, then slowly lower one down, taking 5 counts while holding other dumbbells up. Alternate lowering each arm.

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8/arm

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Eccentric curls emphasize the lengthening portion of the curl.

11. Preacher Curls

This seated isolation exercise removes momentum and keeps tension on the biceps.

• Sit at the preacher’s bench with upper arms on the pad.
• Curl dumbbells up towards shoulders, hold, squeeze, then lower slowly.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Preacher curls isolate the biceps by removing body momentum.

12. Reverse Curls

Reverse curls target the brachioradialis muscle in the forearm for complete arm development.

• Stand holding dumbbells with palms facing down.
• Keeping upper arms at sides, curl dumbbells up towards shoulders.
• Slowly lower back down.

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Reverse curls work the brachioradialis muscle of the forearms.

13. Hammer/Curl Combo

Combining hammer curls with regular curls provides a great all-around workout.

• Curl dumbbells up with palms forward, squeezing biceps.
• At the top, rotate to the hammer position with palms facing in.
• Lower dumbbells with palms facing in.
• Repeat, rotating palms at the top of each curl.

Reps: 10-12

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – The hammer/curl combo works the biceps through multiple angles.

14. 21’s

21’s combine partial reps to fully fatigue the biceps through a full range of motion.

• Curl dumbbells halfway up and do 7 partial reps in this position.
• Then do 7 full-range reps from bottom to top.
• Finish with 7 partial reps in the top half position.

Sets: 3

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – 21’s fatigue the biceps using partial and full reps.

Wrapping Up

Building bigger biceps requires focused training using a variety of exercises and techniques. Include several of these killer dumbbell bicep moves into your workouts to blast your arms and take your physique to the next level. Train hard, and be sure to allow adequate rest between bicep sessions for those muscles to recover and grow.

• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Dumbbells provide an effective way to target the biceps directly.
• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – By training biceps with dumbbells, you can correct muscle imbalances.
• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Dumbbell curls and variations hit the biceps from multiple angles.
• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Use a variety of dumbbell bicep exercises for maximum arm development.
• Bicep Workouts with Dumbbells – Allow proper rest between dumbbell bicep workouts for optimal growth.

Frequently asked questions

Which dumbbell exercise is best for the biceps?

The two best dumbbell exercises for biceps are regular bicep curls and hammer curls. Bicep curls work the main biceps muscles while hammer curls target the brachialis muscle in the upper arm for complete development. For bicep curls, stand holding dumbbells with palms facing forward. Keeping elbows fixed, curl the weights up towards your shoulders, squeezing at the top. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps. For hammer curls, hold dumbbells with palms facing inward. Curl up while keeping upper arms stationary. Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Can you build biceps with just dumbbells?

Yes, you can build bigger, stronger biceps using dumbbells alone. Dumbbells allow for controlled movements through a full range of motion to properly fatigue the biceps. Choose a weight that challenges you for 10-12 reps. Do 2-4 sets of bicep curls along with variations like hammer curls. Increase the weight as you get stronger. Hit your biceps with dumbbells 2-3 times a week and you will see noticeable growth over time.

Is 5 kg dumbbell enough for biceps?

Whether 5 kg dumbbells are enough for bicep training depends on your current strength levels. If you’re new to lifting, 5 kg is a reasonable starting point to practice proper form. Execute slow, controlled reps without swinging. But to continually challenge your biceps, you’ll need to increase the weight incrementally over time. Most men should work up to using 15-25 lb (7-12 kg) dumbbells for biceps. Choose a weight that fatigues your muscles at 10-12 reps.

Should I do 2 or 3 bicep exercises?

2-3 exercises is ideal for well-rounded bicep training. Start with an isolation exercise like dumbbell curls to fatigue the main biceps muscles. Then add a variation such as hammer or inclined curls to hit the arms from different angles. You can also include a forearm exercise like reverse curls. Keep the reps 10-12 and do 2-4 sets of each movement. Rotate through these 2-3 exercises over 2-3 sessions per week for the best bicep stimulation.