You can use a weight machine or a barbell to exercise your biceps, but dumbbells give you more variety because you can work one arm at a time. With dumbbells only, you can do a few different exercises to get an entire biceps workout. Perform one to five repetitions of each exercise to increase maximal strength, 8 to 12 reps to make your biceps bigger or 12 to 25 reps for endurance training.
Alternating Dumbbell Curl
The alternating dumbbell curl is a classic bicep exercise using two dumbbells. To perform an alternating dumbbell curl, hold the dumbbells straight against your sides with your palms facing inward and your arms straight. Then flex your elbows and twist your forearms as you lift the weights until your palms face your shoulders. Options for this exercise include sitting on an exercise bench or standing up. You can also perform this exercise by raising both arms together instead of alternating.
Dumbbell Incline Curl
The dumbbell incline curl is a bicep exercise similar to the alternating dumbbell curl, but sitting on an incline bench changes the angle of your arms. This exercise emphasizes the long head of the biceps, which is one of the two muscles of the bicep. Sit on an incline bench with your back against the pad and the feet on the floor to do an incline curl. Hang your arms straight at your sides, with your palms facing inward, then curl and twist your arms with the same motion as the dumbbell curl. Either alternate arms or raise them both together.
Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl
The standing dumbbell hammer curl is similar to the bicep curl, but the forearms remain in a fixed position to hit the biceps at a new angle. Stand up with your arms at your sides and palms facing inward. Then, raise the dumbbells as you bend your arms and keep your palms facing each other through the entire movement. Like the other bicep exercises, you can do hammer curls simultaneously or alternating.
Preacher Curl
The preacher curl is a bicep exercise that uses the back on an incline bench for support so that you can lift heavier weights. By placing your elbow against the top of the seat as you stand behind the bench, you stabilize your arm. To perform the preacher curl, start with your arm straight on the bench, with your palms facing the ceiling and holding a dumbbell. Incline your upper body forward so that your abdomen touches the top of the bench and grip the bench with your other hand. Then bend your elbow to lift the weight toward the ceiling.
Concentration Curl
The concentration curl uses the same movement as the preacher curl, but you do not need an incline bench. For the concentration curl, sit on a chair or bench with your legs apart and rest your elbow against your thigh for support as you do curls.
References
- Muscle and Fitness; "Ways to Build Better Bi's"; Jim Stoppani
- American Council on Exercise: Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- American Council on Exercise: Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl
- Exrx.net: Dumbbell Curl
- Exrx.net: Dumbbell Incline Curl
- National Academy of Sports Medicine: Chapter 13 Program Design Concepts
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