Top 10 Barbell Biceps Exercises For Ultimate Growth

If you want to grow your bicep size with only barbell workouts, then this post is for you. Barbells allow you to lift heavier loads and highly activate the biceps heads compared to dumbbells.¹ Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl – Peer Journal That’s why I’ve shared the 10 best barbell exercises for biceps that you include in your arms workout routine to build strength and mass.

EZ bar curl, landmine concentration curl, prone barbell incline curls, and standing biceps curls are some of the best examples of biceps exercises. You’ll see more in this blog.

You can also combine barbell exercises with dumbbell biceps workouts to add more varieties to your training.

Okay! So, let’s see how to do each barbell biceps workout with a step-by-step guide, images, and Youtube videos.

Related: Dumbbell Curls Vs. Barbell Curls: An Insightful Review

1. Standing Barbell Biceps Curl

The standing barbell curl is one of the basic workouts for the biceps that engages bicep muscles effectively and helps you build bigger arms.

How to:

1. Put the appropriate weight into the bar and grab it with an underhand grip with your hands are just outside your hips in the standing position. That’s the start.
2. Keeping your chest up, elbows tucked at your sides, core tight and back straight, curl your arms until your biceps are squeezed.
3. Pause for a second or two and then straighten your arms to complete your first rep.
4. Do three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps each.

2. Prone Incline Barbell Biceps Curl

If you feel uncomfortable in your lower back during the standing curl, you can try prone incline biceps curl with a barbell.

It doesn’t create stress on your back and enables you to focus only on your long and short heads specifically.

How to perform

1. Set the bench to 30 to 45 degree incline and place a bar underneath of the head of the bench.
2. Lie on your stomach (prone) until your neck with face down and arms straight below your shoulders so you can grab the bar.
3.  Hold the bar firmly with an underhand grip and brace your upper body.
4. Curl your arms until your palms are in front of your shoulders.
5. Squeezing your biceps hold in that position for a moment and then uncurl your arms. That’s your first repetition.
6. Complete two to three sets of 8 to 10 reps each.

3. Landmine Concentration Curl For Bigger Biceps

To effectively engage your two-headed arms muscles, you can incorporate landmine concentration curl in your barbell workout routine for beef-up biceps mass.

How to do landmine curl

1. Place the one end of bar to an appropriate position so that it won’t move unnecessarily.
2. Insert the desired the weight into another end and sit on feet.
3. Grab the weighted end with your right hand place the back of your arms inside of your right thigh. That’s the start.
4. Flex your working arm until you feel the contraction in your bicep muscles.
5. Straight your arm to the start. That’s one rep.
6. Do as many repetitions as you like.

4. EZ Bar Biceps Curl

The EZ bar is one of the best isolation exercises that activate the bicep muscles and help you develop solid and sizeable arms.

How to perform EZ bar bicep curl

1. Holding the EZ bar with an underhand grip, stand straight in the normal stance with your hands are just outside your hips and elbows tucked at your sides. That’s your starting position.
2. Brace your core, inhale and flex your arms until your biceps are fully contracted.
3. Pause for a couple of seconds and then return the weight to the starting position. That’s your first repetition. Repeat for the required number of sets and reps.

5. Barbell Reverse Bicep Curl

If you want to build bigger arms, you need to do various exercises that strengthen your biceps, triceps, and forearms.

And a study published by Peer Journal suggested doing barbell curls with a reverse handgrip resulted in an increase in brachioradialis activation that promotes muscular hypertrophy of the elbow flexors and helps you develop muscular arms.

Here are steps to do reverse barbell curl.

1. Place some weight plates into an EZ bar.
2. Grab it firmly with an overhand grip with your palms are facing inside.
3. Stand upright with your back straight and chest up.
4. Curl your arms until you feel the work in your biceps.
5. Hold for moment and then lower the bar down until your arms are straight. It is your first rep.
6. Complete a couple of sets of eight to ten reps each.

6. Barbell Preacher Curl

The preacher curl is one of the most likable biceps exercises you can do using an easy barbell. It allows you to isolate your two heads more specifically and help you increase strength and size over time.

How to perform:

1. Sit on the table of preacher curl bench.
2. Insert suitable weight into an EZ bar and grab it with an underhand grip with your hands hip-width apart.
3. Make sure your triceps should be rested on the bench and fit firmly on the ground.
4. Curl your arms until your biceps are squeezed.
5. Pause for a moment and then return to the start.
6. Do as many times as you wish.

7. Barbell Drag Curl For Biceps

The barbell drag curl creates as much contraction as the other biceps curls and helps you build mass gradually.

It is a unique exercise, so you can add it to your routine to make your training fun.

Steps to do drag curl:

1. Holding a bar with an underhand grip, stand upright in a shoulder-width stance with your arms are straight in front of you.
2.  Brace your core, inhale and curl your arms toward your shoulders. And as you curl, your elbows will move slightly backward at the same time.
3. Once your arms are fully flexed, return to the starting position. That’s one rep!
4. Complete the required number of repetitions.

8. Underhand Grip Barbell Bent-over Row

The reverse grip bent-over row is one of the compound workouts that not only work on the back but also activate the biceps.

The underhand grip provides contraction in your two-headed muscles when you bring your elbows up and back.

How to:

1. Load the desired weight into the bar, grab it with an underhand grip with your hands just outside your hips and assume a shoulder width stance.
2. Brace your abdominal muscles, bend at your hips and bring your torso forward. And keep your arms straight below your chest. That’s the start.
3. Pull the bar toward your stomach so your elbows raises upward.
4. You’ll feel your back and biceps engaged at top of the row.
5. Pause for a moment and then lower your arms return to the start. That is your one repetition.
6. Do as many reps and sets as you wish.

9. Barbell High Pull

The barbell high pull is a full-body workout that activates and engages upper and lower body muscles, especially the back, arms, and shoulders.

If you like doing compound exercises, you can include barbell high pull in your biceps workout plan.

You can follow the below steps to perform high pull.

1. Pick a loaded barbell with an overhand grip with your hands are hip-width apart.
2. Stand upright and assume a shoulder-width stance.
3. Bend at your hips with your arms are straight just outside your knees.
4. Pull the bar rapidly toward your neck as high as possible. You’ll feel the work in your biceps, upper trap and shoulders during the movement.
5. Pause for moment at the top, and the reverse the movement to complete your first repetition.
6. Repeat for the desired number of times.

10. Barbell T Bar Row

You can do the T rowing to boost hypertrophy when you do back and biceps (pull) workouts with barbells.

Doing multi-joint compound exercises is essential when you work out to increase mass. And that’s the reason I’ve incorporated T-bar workout in this guide on barbell bicep workouts.

You can easily do the barbell T rowing with the following instructions.

1. Place the one end of a bar in a corner so it stay intact.
2. Put the weight plates into the bar (second end) depending on your strength.
3. Stand between the weights with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4. Bend your knees, lean forward and grab the bar using the “V” handle with your arms are straight below you’re your trunk.
5. Pull the weight toward your stomach as high as possible so biceps and back muscles can engage.

30-minute Biceps Workout Routine with Barbells For Gain

I hope the exercises will help you build bigger biceps with a barbell at home or the gym. However, only biceps workouts won’t help you gain muscles.

If you want to beef up mass, you’ll have to work out your larger muscles twice a week, such as a chest, back, and legs. Gaining in your big muscles will help you increase your bicep size over time.

To increase significant mass, you should focus more on your nutrition. You can make a customized diet plan with the help of high calories foods and whey protein.

Like arms, if you want to grow your legs, you can check out a complete guide on barbell leg exercises.

Since you’re here, you may like related articles:

• The Best Isometric Bicep Exercises

• The 10 Best Bodyweight Exercises For Arms

• 12 Week Body Transformation Workout Plan With Free PDF

• 10 Dumbbell Exercises For Arms At Home And Gym

• The Most Downloaded Workout Routines

References

• 1
  Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl – Peer Journal