Biceps Exercises
128 movements train the biceps. Browse by difficulty below, or see the How to Choose guide.
79 beginner · 44 intermediate · 5 advanced, computed across all tagged exercises.
- 128
- Exercises
- 79
- Beginner-friendly
- 69
- Compound lifts
- 6
- Equipment-free
Biceps exercises by equipment
According to the open Free Exercise DB and wger.de datasets, the 128 biceps movements split across equipment types as below - dumbbell leads, and 6 need no equipment at all.
Biceps movements by equipment
What the Biceps Exercise Data Reveals
The PlainExercise database catalogues 128 movements that list the biceps as their primary target. Within that cohort, 79 are tagged beginner, 44 intermediate, 5 advanced, and 0 carry no explicit level classification. Every record is sourced from the public-domain Free Exercise DB and is grouped below by the upstream difficulty tag rather than by a PlainExercise-imposed ranking, so the distribution reflects what practicing coaches and federations have historically classified rather than a synthetic opinion.
This level spread has a practical signal: when a muscle group is dominated by advanced-level records, it typically means the movement patterns require coordination, loaded stabilizers, or technique built across months of practice, and that substitutions at the beginner level are limited. When beginner and intermediate records dominate, practitioners can generally enter the muscle group with bodyweight or light-load variations and progress through the list. For the biceps, the beginner-accessible pool is at least as deep as the advanced pool, meaning new trainees have a clear on-ramp.
Context matters: this database tracks exercise taxonomy, primary muscle, equipment, mechanic, difficulty, but does not account for individual anatomy, joint history, or programming context. "Primary muscle" is a taxonomy label, not a claim that the listed movement exclusively isolates the biceps. Compound lifts trained for the biceps necessarily recruit stabilizers and secondary movers. This page is general educational information, not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician, physical therapist, or certified trainer before adding or modifying exercises, especially if you have pre-existing injuries, chronic pain, cardiovascular conditions, or are pregnant.
Beginner (79)
Foundational movements to learn the pattern.
- Alternate Hammer Curldumbbell · isolation
- Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curldumbbell · isolation
- Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
- Barbell Curls Lying Against An Inclinebarbell · isolation
- Barbell Rear Delt Rowbarbell · compound
- Bent Over Barbell Rowbarbell · compound
- Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Rowbarbell · compound
- Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Rowdumbbell · compound
- Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms Indumbbell · compound
- Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachmentcable · isolation
- Cable Preacher Curlcable · isolation
- Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rowscable · compound
- Chair Upper Body Stretchother
- Chin-Upbody only · compound
- Close-Grip EZ Bar Curlbarbell · isolation
- Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Bande-z curl bar · isolation
- Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
- Concentration Curlsdumbbell · isolation
- Cross Body Hammer Curldumbbell · isolation
- Cross Over - With Bandsbands · compound
- Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curldumbbell · isolation
- Dumbbell Bicep Curldumbbell · isolation
- Dumbbell Incline Rowdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · compound
- EZ-Bar Curle-z curl bar · isolation
- Flexor Incline Dumbbell Curlsdumbbell · isolation
- Hammer Curlsdumbbell · isolation
- Incline Dumbbell Curldumbbell · isolation
- Incline Hammer Curlsdumbbell · isolation
- Incline Inner Biceps Curldumbbell · isolation
- Inverted Row with Strapsother · compound
- JM Pressbarbell · compound
- Kneeling High Pulley Rowcable · compound
- Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Rowcable · compound
- Leverage Iso Rowmachine · compound
- Low Pulley Row To Neckcable · compound
- Lying Cambered Barbell Rowbarbell · isolation
- Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulleycable · isolation
- Lying Supine Dumbbell Curldumbbell · isolation
- Machine Bicep Curlmachine · isolation
- Machine Preacher Curlsmachine · isolation
- One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curldumbbell · isolation
- One Arm Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- One Half Locust
- One Handed Hangother
- One-Arm Dumbbell Rowdumbbell · compound
- One-Arm Long Bar Rowbarbell · compound
- Preacher Curlbarbell · isolation
- Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curldumbbell · isolation
- Pullupsbody only · compound
- Reverse Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
- Reverse Cable Curlcable · isolation
- Reverse Plate Curlsother · isolation
- Round The World Shoulder Stretchother
- Sandbag Loadother · compound
- Seated Cable Rowscable · compound
- Seated Dumbbell Curldumbbell · isolation
- Seated Dumbbell Inner Biceps Curldumbbell · isolation
- Shotgun Rowcable · compound
- Sled Rowother · compound
- Smith Machine Bent Over Rowmachine · compound
- Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Rowmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Upright Rowmachine · compound
- Spider Curle-z curl bar · isolation
- Standing Biceps Cable Curlcable · isolation
- Standing Biceps Stretchother · isolation
- Standing Concentration Curldumbbell · isolation
- Standing Dumbbell Upright Rowdumbbell · compound
- Standing Olympic Plate Hand Squeezeother · isolation
- Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Benchdumbbell · isolation
- Straight Bar Bench Mid Rowsbarbell · compound
- Suspended Rowother · compound
- T-Bar Row with Handlebarbell · compound
- Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curldumbbell · isolation
- Underhand Cable Pulldownscable · compound
- V-Bar Pullupbody only · compound
- Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
Intermediate (44)
Movements that require basic strength and coordination.
- Alternating Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Alternating Kettlebell Rowkettlebells · isolation
- Atlas Stone Trainerother · compound
- Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Rowbarbell · compound
- Bodyweight Mid Rowother · compound
- Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang Positionkettlebells · compound
- Brachialis-SMRfoam roll
- Conan's Wheelother · compound
- Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Drag Curlbarbell · compound
- Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Rowdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Prone Incline Curldumbbell · isolation
- Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Gironda Sternum Chinsother · compound
- Gorilla Chin/Crunchbody only · compound
- High Cable Curlscable · compound
- Keg Loadother · compound
- Kipping Muscle Upother · compound
- London Bridgesother · compound
- Lying Cable Curlcable · isolation
- Lying High Bench Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
- Lying T-Bar Rowmachine · compound
- Muscle Upother · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Rowkettlebells · compound
- Overhead Cable Curlcable · isolation
- Reverse Barbell Preacher Curlse-z curl bar · isolation
- Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rowsbarbell · compound
- Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldownsother · compound
- Rope Climbother · compound
- Rowing, Stationarymachine
- Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell Curlbarbell · isolation
- Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rowscable · compound
- Side To Side Chinsother · compound
- Snatchbarbell · compound
- Standing Dumbbell Reverse Curldumbbell · isolation
- Standing Inner-Biceps Curldumbbell · isolation
- Standing One-Arm Cable Curlcable · isolation
- Two-Arm Kettlebell Rowkettlebells · compound
- V-Bar Pulldowncable · compound
- Weighted Pull Upsother · compound
- Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neckcable · compound
- Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Upbody only · compound
- Zottman Curldumbbell · isolation
- Zottman Preacher Curldumbbell · isolation
Advanced (5)
Complex or highly loaded movements for experienced lifters.
Training the biceps
128 catalogued biceps movements, here's how to pick from them.
- Start with the 79 beginner-friendly options to groove the pattern before adding load or complexity. How to choose
- 69 of these are compound lifts that train the biceps alongside other muscles, anchor your session around one before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
- No gym? 6 biceps movements need no equipment at all, filter to body-only and train anywhere. Body-only exercises
General information only, not medical or training advice. Stop any movement that causes sharp or joint pain.