Top 10 Bicep Exercises for Bigger Arms

What builds arm size

Upper arm thickness is built by training multiple muscles through productive ranges with progressive overload. The exercises below were selected against four criteria. Each pick meets at least three of the four.

Trains multiple elbow flexors

The upper arm contains the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis. Arm size is largely determined by combined development of all three. The list below includes exercises that train each muscle directly. The brachialis sits beneath the biceps and pushes the biceps up when developed, which contributes significantly to visible arm thickness.

Heavy loading capacity

Hypertrophy responds to progressive overload. The exercises below allow heavy loading through barbells, weighted bodyweight exercises and machines. Light isolation only programmes plateau quickly because the load ceiling caps progress. Heavy compound and machine work form the foundation.

Full range of motion

Schoenfeld and colleagues have shown exercises trained through full range produce more hypertrophy than partial range work. The exercises below all allow the elbow flexors to lengthen fully at the bottom and shorten fully at the top. Partial range cheats are deliberately excluded.

High volume tolerance

Hypertrophy responds to volume. High joint stress exercises limit how much weekly volume can be performed. The exercises below have moderate joint cost which allows higher weekly set counts without recovery issues. Most lifters can sustain 16 to 25 weekly sets across these exercises.

Ten bicep size builders ranked

The exercises below are ordered by training priority for arm size. Pick four or five from the list to build a size focused programme. Run them for 12 to 20 weeks at high weekly volume for measurable arm growth.

1. Close grip chin ups

The bodyweight king of bicep size builders. The narrow supinated grip places the biceps in their strongest mechanical position. Add weight via dipping belt once bodyweight reps exceed 10. Full guide at our Close grip chin ups page.

2. Barbell curls

The standard heavy bilateral curl. Allows the heaviest absolute loads of any curl variation. Our Barbell curls page covers form and progression. The foundation of bicep strength programming.

3. EZ bar curls

The wrist friendly version of the barbell curl. Allows equivalent loading to the straight bar with reduced wrist stress. See our EZ bar curls page. Often the better default than straight barbell curls.

4. Incline dumbbell curls

The long head focused dumbbell curl. The stretched bottom position biases the long head of the biceps which contributes most to visible bicep peak. Our Incline dumbbell curls page covers bench angle and form.

5. Hammer curls

The neutral grip dumbbell curl that biases the brachialis and brachioradialis. Essential for complete arm development. See our Hammer curls page. The brachialis pushes the biceps up when developed.

6. Wide grip chin ups

The bigger arms compound exercise that adds lat width alongside bicep work. The wider grip distributes load between biceps and lats. Full guide at our Wide grip chin ups page.

7. Preacher curl machine

The fixed path machine preacher curl. Biases the lower bicep with high volume tolerance. Allows productive isolation work without free weight balance demands. See our Preacher curl machine page.

8. Cable curls

Constant cable tension and adjustable load. One of the most consistently productive bicep hypertrophy exercises. Our Cable curls page covers setup and progression.

9. Drag curls

The long head focused barbell variation. The dragging bar path with elbows behind the body biases the long head from the shortened end. See our Drag curls page. Complements incline curls for complete long head training.

10. Zottman curls

The hybrid curl that trains biceps on the way up and brachialis and brachioradialis on the way down. Time efficient combined arm training. Our Zottman curls page covers the wrist rotation technique.

A bigger arms bicep session

Pick four to five exercises from the list above. Run the workout twice per week with at least 48 hours between sessions. Total weekly bicep volume should sit between 16 and 24 sets across all exercises.

Warm up: 5 minutes

Light rowing two minutes followed by 10 band pull aparts, 10 dead hangs (5 seconds each) and 10 light arm circles each direction. The warm up activates the back and shoulders and prepares the elbow and wrist joints for heavier loading.

Exercise 1: Close grip chin ups or barbell curls, 4 sets of 6 to 10

The primary compound. Pick weighted chin ups if bodyweight reps exceed 10. Otherwise barbell curls at heavy loads. 1 to 2 reps in reserve. Rest 2 minutes between sets. This exercise sets the heavy bicep load for the session.

Exercise 2: Incline dumbbell curls or hammer curls, 4 sets of 8 to 12

The hypertrophy builder. Incline curls bias the long head. Hammer curls bias the brachialis. Pick based on which area needs more emphasis. Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Exercise 3: Cable curls or preacher curl machine, 3 sets of 12 to 15

The volume builder. Light to moderate load, strict form, longer rep ranges. Rest 60 to 75 seconds between sets. This third exercise adds weekly volume without significant fatigue accumulation.

Exercise 4: Zottman curls or drag curls, 3 sets of 10 to 12

The bicep finisher. Lighter load, strict form, deliberate technique. Drives blood flow and reinforces complete arm training at the end of the session. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Sets, reps and recovery for bigger arms

Bigger arms respond to volume and consistency more than to any specific exercise selection. Productive programming uses moderate to high weekly volume with rep ranges that allow productive sets close to failure.

Total weekly volume: 16 to 24 sets

Productive hypertrophy volume sits between 16 and 24 weekly sets of bicep focused work. This sits above Schoenfeld and colleagues minimum threshold (10 sets per week) and below the point of diminishing returns (around 25 to 28 sets per week for most lifters).

Rep range: 6 to 15 reps

This is the hypertrophy productive range. Below 6 reps the cardiovascular demand is high and fatigue limits volume. Above 15 reps the loads become too light for productive overload. The 6 to 15 range allows productive sets close to failure with manageable recovery.

Frequency: 2 to 3 sessions per week

Twice weekly bicep training is the standard. Three weekly sessions are possible if total volume stays in the 20 to 24 set range. ACSM recommends at least 48 hours between sessions training the same muscle group at intensity. The biceps recover relatively quickly because the muscle is small.

Load progression

Add reps within the prescribed range first. When you complete all sets at the top of the range with 1 to 2 reps in reserve, add the smallest available weight increment. Linear progression on bicep exercises typically continues for 8 to 12 weeks before requiring a periodisation change.

Block periodisation

Run a 12 to 20 week arm size focused block once per year. The longer block duration is needed because muscle growth happens over weeks not sessions. After the block rotate to a strength or maintenance focus for 4 to 8 weeks to consolidate the gains and prevent staleness.

More on bicep training

For beginner friendly progressions, our Best Bicep Exercises for Beginners guide covers entry level options. Close grip chin ups are the bodyweight king of bicep builders. And Barbell curls are the heavy bilateral standard.