Biceps: moves, progressions and balance

Set up. Stand or sit tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing forward.

1. Curl the dumbbells up, keeping your elbows at your sides.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Move only at the elbows.
• Keep the wrists straight.
• Use the full range.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the weights.
• Stopping short of straight arms.

Set up. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.

1. Curl the dumbbells up with the palms still facing in.
2. Stop near the shoulder.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the thumbs up throughout.
• Keep the elbows at your sides.
• Do not swing.

Common mistakes

• Rotating the wrists into a normal curl.
• Rocking the torso.

Set up. Attach a rope to a low cable. Stand facing it holding the rope ends with your palms facing each other, arms straight.

1. Curl the rope up toward your shoulders, keeping the palms in.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows at your sides.
• Stand tall.
• Keep constant tension.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to lift.
• Letting the elbows rise forward.

Set up. Set a bench to a moderate incline and lie back with a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down behind your torso.

1. Curl the dumbbells up, keeping your upper arms still.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower slowly to a full stretch.

Form cues

• Keep your back and head on the bench.
• Let the arms hang straight at the bottom.
• Use lighter weights than a standing curl.

Common mistakes

• Bringing the elbows forward.
• Cutting the stretch short.

Set up. Adjust the preacher curl machine so your armpits sit at the top of the pad and the backs of your upper arms rest flat on it. Grip the handles with your arms nearly straight.

1. Curl the handles up toward your shoulders.
2. Squeeze the biceps at the top.
3. Lower under control until your arms are nearly straight.

Form cues

• Keep your upper arms on the pad.
• Control the bottom of the rep.
• Keep your shoulders down.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the elbows off the pad.
• Dropping fast into the bottom.

Set up. Sit on a bench with your feet wide. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and rest the back of that upper arm against your inner thigh.

1. Curl the dumbbell toward your shoulder.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower slowly to a straight arm.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Keep the upper arm braced on the thigh.
• Move only at the elbow.
• Go slowly.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the elbow off the thigh.
• Twisting the torso to lift.

Set up. Adjust the seat so your elbows line up with the machine's pivot and your upper arms rest on the pad. Grip the handles.

1. Curl the handles toward your shoulders.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the upper arms on the pad.
• Line the elbow up with the pivot.
• Control the lowering.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the elbows off the pad.
• Letting the stack slam.

Set up. Attach a straight bar or EZ handle to a low cable. Stand facing it holding the bar with an underhand grip, arms straight.

1. Curl the bar up, elbows at your sides.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Stand tall.
• Keep the elbows still.
• Keep tension at the bottom.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back.
• Letting the elbows rise.

Set up. Set a cable low with a single handle. Face away from the machine and hold the handle in one hand, arm straight and slightly behind your body.

1. Curl the handle forward and up, keeping the elbow back.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower slowly to the stretched start.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Keep the elbow slightly behind the torso.
• Stand tall.
• Feel the stretch at the bottom.

Common mistakes

• Letting the elbow swing forward.
• Using too much weight to reach the stretch.

Set up. Lie face down on an incline bench with your chest on the pad and arms hanging straight down, a dumbbell in each hand.

1. Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep the upper arms vertical.
• Keep your chest on the pad.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the elbows forward.
• Lifting the chest off the pad.

Set up. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing forward.

1. Curl the dumbbells up with palms up.
2. At the top, turn your palms to face down.
3. Lower slowly with palms down.
4. Turn the palms back up at the bottom.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows at your sides.
• Lower slower than you lift.
• Turn the wrists only at the top and bottom.

Common mistakes

• Using a weight too heavy to lower with palms down.
• Swinging the body.

Set up. Stand tall holding a barbell with an underhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight and elbows at your sides.

1. Curl the bar up by bending your elbows.
2. Squeeze the biceps near the top.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows at your sides.
• Keep the torso still.
• Lower slower than you lift.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the hips to start the rep.
• Letting the elbows drift forward.

Set up. Stand tall holding an EZ-bar on its angled grips with your palms facing slightly in, arms straight.

1. Curl the bar up, keeping the elbows at your sides.
2. Squeeze at the top.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows still.
• Keep the torso upright.
• Use the full range.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the bar up.
• Letting the wrists bend back.

Set up. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders. Hinge at the hips with soft knees until your torso is well inclined and the bar hangs below your shoulders.

1. Brace your stomach and keep your back flat.
2. Pull the bar toward your lower ribs, driving your elbows back.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
4. Lower the bar under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your torso angle fixed.
• Lead with the elbows.
• Keep your neck in line with your back.

Common mistakes

• Standing up more with every rep to heave the weight.
• Rounding the lower back.

Set up. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight.

1. Pull your shoulder blades down and back to start the movement.
2. Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your ribs.
3. Bring your chin over the bar.
4. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your body still, legs together.
• Think of pulling the bar down to you.
• Finish every rep at full hang.

Common mistakes

• Kicking or swinging to get over the bar.
• Stopping halfway down between reps.

Set up. Hang from a bar with an underhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight.

1. Set your shoulders down and back.
2. Pull yourself up, keeping your elbows in front of you.
3. Bring your chin over the bar.
4. Lower slowly to a full hang.

Form cues

• Keep your chest up toward the bar.
• Keep your legs still.
• Control the lowering.

Common mistakes

• Craning the neck to get the chin over the bar.
• Dropping quickly from the top.

Set up. Sit at the cable pulldown station with your thighs under the pads. Grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders and sit tall with a slight lean back.

1. Pull your shoulder blades down to start.
2. Pull the bar to your upper chest, driving the elbows down and back.
3. Pause briefly with the chest up.
4. Let the bar rise under control until your arms are straight.

Form cues

• Keep your chest lifted.
• Pull with the elbows, not the hands.
• Keep the lean small and fixed.

Common mistakes

• Leaning far back and rowing the weight.
• Pulling the bar behind the neck.

Set up. Sit at the cable row with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent. Grip the handle and sit tall with your arms straight.

1. Pull the handle toward your stomach, driving your elbows back.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Let the handle move forward under control until your arms are straight and you feel a stretch across the upper back.

Form cues

• Keep your torso upright and still.
• Keep your shoulders down.
• Pull to the belly button area.

Common mistakes

• Rocking back and forth to move the weight.
• Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears.

Set up. Place one knee and the same hand on a flat bench, back flat and parallel to the floor. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with the arm hanging straight.

1. Pull the dumbbell up toward your hip, keeping the elbow close to your side.
2. Squeeze the shoulder blade back at the top.
3. Lower the dumbbell under control to a full stretch.
4. Finish the set and switch sides.

Form cues

• Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor.
• Pull toward the hip, not the chest.
• Keep your neck neutral.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the torso to lift the weight.
• Using only a short range at the top.

Set up. Straddle a barbell anchored in a landmine or T-bar base, attach a close handle and hinge forward with soft knees and a flat back.

1. Hold the handle with straight arms.
2. Pull it toward your chest, driving the elbows back.
3. Squeeze your upper back at the top.
4. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your torso angle steady.
• Brace your stomach.
• Keep your chest up.

Common mistakes

• Standing up as you pull.
• Rounding the lower back under the load.

Set up. Adjust the machine so your chest rests on the pad and you can reach the handles with straight arms. Plant your feet.

1. Pull the handles back, driving your elbows past your body.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Return under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest on the pad.
• Keep your shoulders down.
• Pause briefly at the back.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest off the pad to move the weight.
• Cutting the stretch short at the front.

Set up. Set a bar in a rack at about waist height. Lie underneath, grip it a little wider than your shoulders and hold your body straight with your heels on the floor.

1. Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes.
2. Pull your chest up to the bar, driving the elbows back.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your body in one straight line.
• Bend your knees to make it easier.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag.
• Leading with the chin instead of the chest.

Set up. Attach a close or wide neutral-grip handle to the cable pulldown. Sit with your thighs under the pads, palms facing each other and arms straight.

1. Pull the shoulder blades down first.
2. Pull the handle to your upper chest, elbows driving down.
3. Let it rise under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest up.
• Keep the lean small.
• Get a full stretch at the top.

Common mistakes

• Pulling with the arms alone and shrugging.
• Leaning far back.