How to get Bigger Biceps at home with dumbbells

What are Your Biceps?

On a basic level, your biceps are a large muscle group located on the front section of your upper arm. The are we common refer to as the biceps are also known by the Latin name biceps brachii (meaning ‘two-headed muscle of the arm’). This muscle group’s primary function is to rotate the forearm and flex the elbow.

As indicated by the Latin name, your biceps are split into two major sections; the long head and the short head. Both heads of the muscle arise from the scapula (shoulder blade) and combine in the middle arm to form a muscle mass. At each end are connective tissues called tendons that anchor the muscles to bone. Both heads work in tandem to move the forearm, allowing them to rotate 90 degrees. Let’s take a deeper dive into those two heads.

Biceps are the bulging muscles on the front of the upper arm. When you flex your arms, they are the ones you are showing off. Making your biceps bigger involves more than doing the same exercises over and over. Learn different strategies, biceps exercises, supporting muscle group exercises, and lifestyle changes that promote bigger, stronger biceps.

Best exercises for bigger biceps

1. One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl

Set up a preacher curl bench making sure that the seat is set at the right height for you. The seat shouldn’t be so low that you need to raise your shoulders, or so high that you need to lean over the support pad.

Rest you arm on the support pad with your triceps near the top and your elbow midway down the pad.

Grip the dumbbell with an underhand grip at shoulder width.

Curl the dumbbell in towards your chin and upper chest in a single smooth arc. Hold for a count of one while squeezing your biceps.

Lower the dumbbell by extending your arms back to the starting position.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions then change to your other arm.

2. Dumbbell Concentration Curls

Sit on a bench that’s set at a height so your knees are bent at 90° with your feet flat on the floor.

Pick up a dumbbell in your right hand and place the back of your upper right arm on the inner part of your right thigh. Your arm should be extended holding the weight off the floor.

Slowly curl the weight up, only moving your forearms – the position of your upper arm on your thigh will help you keep it still during the exercise.

At the top of the move, pause for a beat and squeeze your biceps, then slowly lower the weight back to the start. Do all your reps on one arm, then switch to the other.

3. Hammer Curls

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at arms length by your sides with your palms facing each other.

Keeping your elbows tucked, your upper arms locked in place (only your hands and forearms should move), and your palms facing inward, curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can.

Pause, and then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.

4. Zottman curl

Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still and turning your hands so your palms face up as you lift. 

Pause at the top of the movement and slowly rotate your grip so your palms are facing downwards. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using this overhand grip, counting for three to five beats as you lower the weight to make sure you’re not moving it too quickly. 

When the dumbbells are close to your thighs again, turn your hands so your palms are in the starting position facing one another. You can perform Zottman curls with both arms at the same time, or alternate the arm you lift with.

Don’t go heavy because the slow lowering section of the Zottman curl will quickly become impossible if you overdo the weight, and the dumbbells will descend too fast.

5. Triceps Kickback

Place one knee, shin and foot on a flat bench and bend over to keep your torso parallel to the floor.

 Grasp the head of the bench with your fingertips. In the outside hand hold a dumbbell. Pick a weight with which you can comfortably manage 12-15 reps. 

Press and hold that dumbbell-holding arm against your side, with a 90° bend at the elbow. Straighten your arm backwards until it is parallel to the floor. 

Contract your triceps at that top portion of the lift. Slowly lower until your arm is back at the 90° angle. Repeat for 12-15 reps, then switch arms.

6. Skull Crusher

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie faceup on an exercise mat (or bench) with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Extend arms above the chest with palms facing each other. Engage glutes and pull the rib cage down to prevent arching the low back.

 Tucking elbows in and pressing shoulders down, slowly bend elbows to lower the dumbbells about an inch above the forehead on either side of the head. Avoid moving upper arms and anchor shoulders down to engage the lats, isolating the triceps as the weights lower.

 With control, lift arms back up.