Do you wish to have your well defined biceps? Let’s work it out in just 48 days!
Hereunder are 5 best biceps workout routine for men and women, beginners (and even veteran fitness folks) that you can do either at home or at the gym.
You can execute this routine trice a week, which means your biceps have more time to rest than to work them out – four ( 4 ) days of rest in a week to be exact.
Yes, that’s what supposed to be done – you need to treat your muscles an extra care and give them enough time to recover so they could also give you back what you want – awesome biceps!
Table Of Content
5 Best Biceps Workout Routine [2021]
Workout #1: Alternate Standing Dumbbell Curl
Workout #2: Standing Hammer Curl
Workout #3: Seated Concentration Curl
Workout #4.: Standing Barbell Curl
Workout #5: EZ Bar Curl
Workout Summary
Recommendation
Final Thoughts
5 Best Biceps Workout Routine [2021]
Workout #1: Alternate Standing Dumbbell Curl
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Starting position:
- Stand straight with your feet about 12″ apart
- Keep your back straight
- Keep your elbows at your sides while holding the dumbbells
- You need to keep your body fixed and don’t ever move it while executing every set.
Execution:
- Slowly curl up the dumbbells in your left arm first until they squeezed your bicep then lower the weight back slowly
- Do the same for the right arm to complete the 1st set
- Repeat 1 & 2 up to the last set
Set, Rep and Rest:
- Do the 1st set in 24 reps ( Left arm – 12 reps; Right arm – 12 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 2nd set in 20 reps ( Left arm – 10 reps; Right arm – 10 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 3rd set in 16 reps ( Left arm – 8 reps; Right arm – 8 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #2: Standing Hammer Curl
Starting Position:
- Stand straight with your feet about 12″ apart
- Keep your back straight
- Keep your elbows at your side while holding the dumbbells
- Don’t ever move and you have to keep your body fixed while executing every set
- As you hold the dumbbells, your palms should be facing your body
Execution:
- Slowly curl up the dumbbells in your left and right arms together until they squeezed your biceps then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
- Execute the same for 2nd and 3rd sets.
Set, Rep and Rest:
- Do the 1st Set in 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 2nd Set in 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 3rd Set in 8 reps – 1 – to minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #3: Seated Concentration Curl
Starting Position:
- Sit on a flat bench in an upright position with the desired weight of dumbbell
- Move your upper body a little forward and put your elbow 2-3 inches near your knee
- Place your other hand on your lap for your balance
- While griping the dumbbell, your palm should be facing up
Execution:
- Using first your left hand, carefully curl the dumbbell up towards your bicep and when squeezed, slowly lower the weight back to its starting position.
- Do the same for the right arm
- Repeat 1 & 2 up to the last set
Set, Rep and Rest:
- Do the 1st set in 24 reps ( Left arm – 12 reps; Right arm – 12 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 2nd set in 20 reps ( Left arm – 10 reps; Right arm – 10 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 3rd set in 16 reps ( Left arm – 8 reps; Right arm – 8 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #4: Standing Barbell Curl
Starting Position:
- Stand straight with your feet 12″ apart
- Your back should be straight
- Your arms should be fully extended
- Your barbel grip should be underhand
- Your body as well as your elbows should not be moving while you’re doing the lifting
- You have to control the weight
- This should be done slowly but surely
Execution:
- Carefully curl the barbel until it squeezed well your biceps then slowly lower the barbel back to its original position.
- Do the same execution for 2nd and 3rd sets.
Set, Rep and Rest:
- Do the 1st Set in 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 2nd Set in 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 3rd Set in 8 reps – 1 – to minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #5: EZ Curl Bar
Starting Position:
- Stand straight with your feet 12″ apart
- Your back should be straight
- Your arms should be fully extended
- Your barbel grip should be underhand
- Your body as well as your elbows should not be moving while you’re doing the lifting
- You have to control the weight
- This should be done slowly but surely
Execution:
- Carefully curl the EZ Curl Bar slowly until it squeezed well your biceps then lower the barbel back to its original position.
- Do the same execution for 2nd and 3rd sets.
Set, Rep and Rest:
- Do the 1st Set in 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 2nd Set in 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
- Do the 3rd Set in 8 reps – 1 – to minutes rest in-between sets
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Workout Summary
Workout #1: Alternate Standing Dumbbell Curl
Set, Rep and Rest:
1st set – 24 reps ( Left arm – 12 reps; Right arm – 12 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
2nd set – 20 reps ( Left arm – 10 reps; Right arm – 10 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
3rd set – 16 reps ( Left arm – 8 reps; Right arm – 8 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #2: Standing Hammer Curl
Set, Rep and Rest:
1st Set – 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
2nd Set – 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
3rd Set – 8 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #3: Seated Concentration Curl
Set, Rep and Rest:
1st set – 24 reps ( Left arm – 12 reps; Right arm – 12 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
2nd set – 20 reps ( Left arm – 10 reps; Right arm – 10 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
3rd set – 16 reps ( Left arm – 8 reps; Right arm – 8 reps ) – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #4: Standing Barbell Curl
Set, Rep and Rest:
1st Set – 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
2nd Set – 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
3rd Set – 8 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Workout #5: EZ Curl BarÂ
Set, Rep and Rest:
1st Set – 12 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
2nd Set – 10 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
3rd Set – 8 reps – 1 to 2 minutes rest in-between sets
Recommendation
Program Duration:
48 days
3 days per week ( M-W-F or T-Th-S )
Recommended Dumbbell Weights:
Women – You can start with 3-5 lbs. then as you progress and gain strength, you can increase up to the weight you can handle.
Men – You can start with 5-10 lbs. then as you progress and gain strength, you can increase up to the weight you can handle.
Recommended Workout Supplements:
For Men’s Pre and Post Workout Supplements, you can visit below links for your guidance:
5 Best Pre Workout Supplements 2020 (Men)
5 Best Post Workout Supplements (Men) 2020
For Women, it’s so important for you to note that the supplements best for you are the ones “specifically designed for women“.Â
You can thus visit below for your guidance:
7 Best Pre Workout Supplements 2020 (Women)
5 Best Post Workout Supplements (Women) 2020
Final Thoughts
Workout program for biceps above is most effective when done in 48 days with 64 days of rest all in all.
Hence, considering the only three ( 3 ) days workout with 4 days of rest in a week, four ( 4 ) months is nothing!
Having said that, if you take your workout seriously, there’s no reason you can’t have that awesome biceps!
Meanwhile, If you plan to set up your own budget little gym at home, you can visit the…BEST BUDGET HOME GYM SUGGESTIONS.
Enjoy and have a safe workout!
If you need a hand or have any questions, feel free to leave them below and I’ll be more than happy to help you out.
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Hi Julius,
wow! very in-depth explanation of effective biceps workouts and how to carry them out. I always like doing the seated concentrated curl but after reading your article I hoping to try out the Ez bar curl. I will be following all the directions when I do. Thank you so much for this post and have a great day!
Regards,
Pam
Hi there, Pam!
You’re welcome and my pleasure! If you wish to try out using more equipment, you can learn them from my other workout programs in this very site as well as some fitness tips, foods to avoid eating, workout mistakes to avoid and a lot more.
Appreciate your time stopping by and trust you can visit this site again.
Have a safe workout!
-julius
Hi Jules – great article on the most effective biceps workout.  I try to stay healthy, eat right, do cardio, and lift weights.  But I sometimes get in a rut and just do the same few things over and over again.  I enjoyed this post because it introduced me to additional bicep moves had not been doing.  So thank you for this information.
Nice post,
Michele
Hello there, Michelle!
You’re welcome! Grateful if you enjoyed this post and found it nice. My pleasure! If you wish to add more exercises into your fitness routine, you can visit my other workout programs here…BEST HOME WORKOUT ROUTINES and also here…BEST FULL BODY WORKOUT PROGRAM.
Have a safe workout!
-jules
Wow that is very deep elaboration of the work out with all this in mind I really don’t need trainer what I have in this blog is enough to keep me buy for the next 48 days and more I don’t see why getting those great biceps should be a difficult all one needs to do is follow the training to the latter.
You are definitely right, Charles! You don’t really need to spend much money for the trainer as gaining awesome biceps isn’t really difficult – following my program, you can do this in just 48 days!
For your further fitness guidance, you can as well visit my BEST FULL BODY WORKOUT PROGRAM.
Have a fun and safe workout!
-jules
Coming across this article while browsing has come at the right time as I’m just about to start rehab after bicep surgery. Would these exercises help with my rehab?Â
I know I would have to start very lightly but I have not been given adequate  rehab exercises by the hospital so these would be ideal.
Yes, these exercises can definitely help you with your rehab but you have to do these after having enough recovery time and gaining back the natural strength of your bicep to avoid any further injury.
Your bicep thus need to wear compression sleeves to support the muscle and its fast recovery. Here are 10 of the BEST ARM COMPRESSION SLEEVES that you can choose from. Hope this helps – jules
Hi Jules,Â
This looks like a great routine for building strength and toning the arms. I will definitely add it to my routine. However, I have issues with my spine and I’ve noticed that certain arm exercises with weights cause pain my neck. How can a person tell the difference between improper form and a dangerous exercise for certain medical conditions? Also, I heard recently that you should feel fatigue in your muscle but you shouldn’t feel burning. Is that true?
Hello, Kris!
Regret to hear you’ve got some issues with your spine and neck. For a safer workout, I would suggest you have to do some therapy first with these injuries to avoid hurting further your self.
Meantime, we naturally feel muscle fatigue after the workout and with that burning feeling, that’s what you feel if you don’t give your muscles a break after continuously beating them up at the gym. Our muscles also need some rests to recover and that’s actually their time to develop and grow.
There are apparently some fitness folks who used to do what so called, “counter-productive workout habits” that are actually sabotaging their workout progress. What are these habits? you will learn them here…WORKOUT MISTAKES TO AVOID
Thanks for stopping by!
-jules
Julius, Thanks for the article, a thorough introduction into building up your biceps.Looking at some of the exercises, the standing bar curl and the ez bar curl appear to be the same.Can these be done with dumbbells with the arms orientated in the right direction or is it best to do them with a barbell? What is the difference between the barbell and the ezbar?Do these exercises increase bicep stamina?Many thanks in advance Phil
You’re welcome, Phil! Yes, both EZ Bar Curl and Standing Barbell Curl have just the same effect. EZ Bar Curl here actually serves as alternate and reinforcement of Barbell Curl to avoid wrists injury because using a Barbel Curl for longer sets can cause wrist pain or injury.
Meantime, the difference between the Barbell and the EZ Bar are the form of the bar and their handles that also differ the placement of hands. Yes, these exercises increase strength and stamina.Â
To guide and assist you further with your safe workout, you can visit here…WORKOUT MISTAKES TO AVOID also here…BEST FITNESS TIPS FOR BEGINNERS and here…GYM DOs AND DON’Ts.
Enjoy your workout!
-jules
I been focused on loosing weight the last couple months and now is time to start working on build biceps and this exercise will help me tremendously to accomplish my goal I will bookmark your site to start working on.do yo you have any diet recommendations to follow with this exercises?
Thank you for sharing this great article.
It’s my pleasure! For your diet, you can visit this…PRE & POST WORKOUT FOODS and you need to as well consider these…5 FOODS TO AVOID EATING. Trust these help. – jules
As I write for seniors and best exercises for them, I encourage the biceps exercises particularly.When our biceps are weak, we will strain our back and shoulders more often. The simple activities of daily living require so much arm movement and we’re largely unconscious of it.Putting our shoulder to the task isn’t the right solution. Strengthening the biceps is.We will just as unconsciously stop using our backs for what our arms can do if they are strong enough.Your variety of exercises is very helpful and I’ve bookmarked your page.
Grateful for saving my article and It’s good to learn you’re into fitness and writing as well. Our arms really are the busiest part of our body and they need to be strong enough ( especially if we are aging ) for the other parts not to suffer.
Speaking of the seniors, they need to wear something that can support their muscles and narrowing bones especially if they do some exercises like these.
I would then like to recommend to let them wear ARM COMPRESSION SLEEVES that they can use not only during their fitness but also for their daily chores and activities and even when they do nothing as these sleeves are designed to increase blood flow and circulation as well as reduce the risk of having muscle strain and fatigue. These amazing sleeves can definitely aid them well. Be safe! – jules
Hi Julius,Â
After reading your article I have no doubt that I will be able to improve my biceps by following your exercises.Â
I am a veteran and there were few lapses in my life that I stopped practicing sports for studies, jobs, etc.Â
Today with more years, I would never stop exercising my body, since then return to good physical condition will cost much more effort.Â
A person commented a long time ago “If you do not like going to the doctor you can do it by doing exercises regularly” Thank you for explaining the exercises very clearly always respecting the rest time that our muscles need.Â
Greetings! Claudio
Hello there, Claudio!
You’re welcome and am so glad to learn you now have the chance to exercise and would never stop to do it this time around.
Meantime, that comment is apparently true as exercise gives us a strong, healthy body and keeps us away from any illnesses.
Thanks as well for appreciating this article and yes, muscles need to be given enough time to rest as they grow and develop more while resting.
Thanks for stopping by!
-julius
Hello and thank you for this informative article. I really had an awesome time reading it. I love working out and part of my routine is hand routine.
For biceps I usually do alternate standing dumbbell curl and standing barrbel curl. From my experience other exercises did not give that good results for me. Also I always recommend combining at least two biceps routines in order to get the best results.
I really appreciate your blog. I will put you on bookmarks.
Strahinja.
Hi Strahinja!
Great to learn you love working out and seemingly don’t miss to always include your hands / arms in your routine which is indeed necessary as they do the multi-tasking among the body parts and they need to be firm and strong by working out your biceps.
If you wish to add a full body workout in your routine, that would be great and you can refer to my other program here…BEST FULL BODY WORKOUT PROGRAM.
Have a safe workout!
-jules
Hi Julius,
Your site is oriented in helping people get and stay fit and in living healthy. Well, Congratulation!!!! I have reviewed all parts of your site and in every post and tab, you approach these two subjects directly and with descriptions which are very relevant to the intent of your site. You have found some very discreet and clever ways to monetize you site. You also have placed WA advertising in locations which are not obstructing the intent of your fitness and health texts or illustrations.Â
Conclusion: “Congratulations”!!!! In my opinion, you have a great site Jules and based on what I saw, I know that it will get better as time goes on.
Have a great day.
Jules Â
Hello there, Jules!
Nice name! LOL!
Wow! Thanks indeed for taking your time to visit all my articles and am really flattered by that including those compliments.
It just feels really great after all these time and effort I’ve been exerting here with that genuine intent to assist people in my own little way.
Wish you all the best, Jules and be safe always!
-julius
Hello and thank you for this informative article. I really had an awesome time reading it. I love working out and part of my routine is hand routine.
For biceps I usually do alternate standing dumbbell curl and standing barrbel curl. This helps me with building my biceps just the way I want them. For anyone starting their biceps routine I recommend at least combining two types of exercises for the maximum results.
Thank you. I will bookmark your website.
Strahinja.
Hi Strahinja!
Great to learn you love working out and seemingly don’t miss to
always include your hands / arms in your routine which is indeed
necessary as they do the multi-tasking among the body parts and they
need to be firm and strong by working out your biceps.
If you wish to add a full body workout in your routine, that would be great and you can refer to my other program here…BEST FULL BODY WORKOUT PROGRAM.
Have a safe workout!
-jules
Your post comes exactly at the right time. I was looking at my arms the other day nad noticed that since I stopped being so active they have become all floppy and really not nice to see!!! I need to do some exercise I sadi to myself and maybe is the destiny bringing your post in my direction.. Thank you for all the exercise routines, I am definately starting up tomorrow
You’re most welcome! Grateful to learn you found this post just at the right time. As you head back into shape, here’s another workout program that you can do at the comfort of your home, for your further guidance…GREAT HOME AB WORKOUT. Enjoy and have a safe workout!