Target your upper arms with this dumbbell biceps workouts

Don’t be fooled into thinking isolation exercises are a waste of time. They may just be working one muscle group at a time, but they tend to do so super-effectively. Biceps are a case in point. I can really recommend biceps isolation exercises like the ones in this dumbbell biceps workout. They’re focused and targeted for maximum gains in a relatively short time. So grab your favourite adjustable dumbbells and get ready to zoom in on those biceps muscles. This four-part session is easy to perform at home or in the gym. You can do it as a standalone session or at the end of an upper-body or full-body workout.

How to do this dumbbell biceps workouts

• Perform the designated number of reps for each exercise
• Note the maximum rest between exercises
• Complete the designated number of sets, with minimal rest between sets

The exercises in this dumbbell biceps workout

1. Seated hammer curl 
2. Preacher curl
3. Dumbbell 21s
4. Inverted forearm curl

1. Seated dumbbell hammer curl

Reps	10
Rest	60 secs
Sets	4

Why I like it: I often use the seated hammer curl as a way of improving grip strength. It’s also also a great way to keep the risk of injury to a minimum.

How to do a seated dumbbell hammer curl:

1. Take a seat on a bench, holding the dumbbells in arms extended towards the floor, palms facing inwards
2. Bend your elbows and elevate your lower arms to draw the weights toward your shoulders. Your upper arms should be still, and your wrists aligned with your forearms
3. At the height of the movement, hold for one second. Your thumbs should be near your shoulders, and your palms facing the middle of your body
4. Return to the beginning position by lowering the weights

2. Dumbbell preacher curl 

Reps	8-10
Rest	60 secs
Sets	3

Why I like it: This single-arm dumbbell variation is a great way to nail proper form, while also helping to iron our muscle imbalances.

How to do a dumbbell preacher curl:

1. Grab a dumbbell and place your upper arm on top of the preacher bench or incline bench. Hold the dumbbell at shoulder height
2. As you inhale, slowly drop the dumbbell until your upper arm is fully extended and your biceps are fully stretched
3. As you exhale, curl the weight up with your biceps until they are fully clenched and the dumbbell is at shoulder height. Remember to bring that little finger higher than the thumb to guarantee full contraction
4. Squeeze the biceps firmly for a second in the contracted position, then repeat for the number of reps and sets prescribed
5. Repeat with your other arm

3. Dumbbell 21s

Reps	21
Rest	90 secs
Sets	3

Why I like it: The best thing about dumbbell 21s is that they maximize your muscles’ time under tension, and that’s a key growth stimulus.

How to do dumbbell 21s:

These are called ‘21s’ because you’re going to perform 7 reps in 3 different positions, all in one set. (Choose a fairly light pair from your best dumbbell set for this one – you’ll need it.) 

1. Stand holding a pair of dumbbells, palm facing forwards
2. Now curl them up, but stop once your forearms are parallel with the floor
3. Lower back down, then repeat that movement for a total of 7 reps
4. At the end of the last rep, curl the dumbbells all the way up
5. This time, instead of lowering straight down, you’re going to lower until your forearms are parallel again
6. Now curl the weights up to your shoulders once more and repeat for 7 reps in total
7. The final position is a full curl, so lower the weights all the way down, then curl them all the way up for a total of 7 reps 

4. Dumbbell inverted forearm curl 

Reps	15-20
Rest	60 secs
Sets	3

Why I like it: The dumbbell inverted forearm curl (or reverse wrist curl) is an isolation exercise that improves the flexibility of the wrist joints, especially in the case of flexion and extension of the hand.

How to do a dumbbell inverted forearm curl:

1. Light weight, high reps is the aim here
2. Sit on the end of a bench, with a light dumbbell in one hand. Hold the dumbbell with knuckles facing upwards
3. Rest the arm with the dumbbell over the corresponding knee
4. From this position, let the weight bring your wrist down towards the ground
5. Now use your forearm muscle to raise the weight back up

What is the biceps muscle?

Your biceps muscle – formally known as the biceps brachii – is found on the front of your upper arm. It is made of two parts: the long head and the short head.

The main action of this muscle is to flex the elbow joint, which happens every time bend your arm to bring your hands towards you body, such as during a biceps curl. Below the biceps is the brachialis, which helps in this movement.

The biceps is an antagonistic muscle, which means it works with another muscle – in this case, the triceps. As the biceps contracts, the triceps relaxes to allow the elbow to bend. When the reverse happens, the arm straightens. Just as it’s important to perform regular bicep workouts with dumbbells, you should also make time to focus on dumbbell triceps exercises, too. Or, hit your arms from all angles with a range of dumbbell exercises for arms and shoulders.

Need some dumbbells? We recommend the Jordan Fitness Premium Urethane Dumbbells, which offer a huge weight range and a floor-friendly design.