Dumbbell curls, incline curls, cable curls, preacher curls, barbell curls—most guys’ bicep workouts are pretty redundant, boring, and, most importantly, ineffective.
“For growing size, curls come up short,” says strength coach Kourtney A. Thomas, C.S.C.S., owner of Lagniappe Fitness in St. Louis. “Part of the problem is that they only work one section of the biceps effectively.” That’s the section that runs on the outside of your arm and gives you a big (OK, let’s be honest, little) bump when you flex your arm. However, multiple muscles comprise your biceps, and for the strongest and sexiest of arms, you’ve got to work all of them.
Luckily, each of these exercises work all of your biceps’ muscles. Plus, they can also help you score a stronger back, triceps, shoulders, and core while you’re at it.
CHIN-UPS
This upper-body muscle-builder requires a lot more bicep strength than do curls with 20-pound dumbbells, Thomas says. So, by stressing them with a higher load (aka your entire body weight), you can maximize their growth.
Instructions: Grab the chin-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, and begin to pull yourself up with your biceps until your chin is just above the bar. (Avoid swinging, jerking, or using any momentum, as it will take the stress off of your biceps.) Pause, squeezing your biceps for a few seconds, then slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended. That’s one rep.
UNDERHAND-GRIP PULL-DOWNS
Not ready for pull-blown chin-ups just yet? This exercise mimics the chin-up motion and benefits, but allows you to use lighter loads, she says. Graduate to chin-ups when you’re good and ready.
Instructions: Attach a straight bar to the top pulley of a cable pull-down machine. Grab the bar with an underhand grip, your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Sit up tall, pull the shoulders down and back, and pull the bar down with your elbows passing along your ribcage. Stop when your biceps are in line with your torso. Pause, squeeze the biceps, then slowly raise your arms back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
INVERTED UNDERHAND BODYWEIGHT ROWS
This move works your biceps with a one-two punch. First, by using an underhand grip, it keeps your biceps under constant tension. Second, it also strengthens the rest of your arms, back, and even your core. “Gaining that overall strength allows you to train heavier and harder, which leads to bigger gains in smaller muscles like the biceps,” she says.
Instructions: Place a barbell about waist-height on a squat rack. Grab it with an underhand grip and hang underneath the bar. With your heels on the ground and arms fully extended, your body should form a straight line from head to heels. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, engage your core, and pull your chest up to the bar, making sure your body stays in a straight line. Pause, then slowly lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended. That’s one rep.
STRAIGHT-BAR SEATED UNDERHAND CABLE ROWS
Besides working multiple muscles in your biceps and throughout the rest of your upper body, this row variation allows you to lift heavier loads than you can with bodyweight rows, she says. More weight = bigger biceps.
Instructions: Attach a straight bar a cable row machine, sit down on the bench, and grab the bar with an underhand grip, your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart. Sit up tall and pull your shoulders down and back. Then, pull the bar to your chest, your elbows brushing against the sides of your ribcage. Pause, squeeze your biceps, then slowly return to the starting position. That’s one rep.
ROPE PULLS
Pull over pull, this simple exercise will increase both your biceps’ strength and endurance, Thomas says. Plus, it will get your whole body working and your heart pumping so you burn any fat that’s currently hiding your muscles.
Instructions: Attach a rope to a heavy object, such as a sled or a few weight plates. Assume an athletic position, feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, and pull the weight toward you, hand over hand. Stop when it’s at your feet.