If you’re looking for resistance band bicep exercises to do at home, you’ve come to the right place. Doing bicep curls with a resistance band can be exciting and effective and help you increase strength, mobility, and mass.
A study published by the European Journal of Sport Science has shown that resistance bands provide similar strength gain to single-joint muscles, such as the biceps but are not effective for squat, deadlift, and bench press.1Multiple-joint exercises using elastic resistance bands vs. conventional resistance-training equipment – European Journal of Sport Science
You can do as many as eight bicep workouts with resistance bands at home. These exercises are suitable for all fitness levels. So, whether you’re a beginner or intermediate, male or female, you can incorporate them into your overall workout regime to build sturdy biceps.
Related: The Ultimate List of Resistance Band Exercises
Anatomy and Functions of Bicep Muscles
The biceps muscle is one of the two muscles that make up the upper arm. They run down from shoulder to elbow.
The biceps muscle is made up of two heads, the long head, and the short head. The long head originates from the shoulder blade and inserts into the upper arm bone called the humerus. The short head originates from below your elbow and inserts into your forearm bone called the radius. And they are responsible for flexion and supination movements in the elbow joint.
The brachialis is another part of the biceps muscle group that works as the primary mover of elbow flexion and generates nearly 50 percent arm power.
All three muscles work when you bring your hands toward your shoulders, meaning that when you perform different variations of biceps curls.
There are various resistance band exercises for biceps you can do to strengthen these muscles.
Pros and Cons of Doing Bicep Exercises with Resistance Bands
Pros
- The resistance bands are portable, effective, and allow you to train your biceps anywhere you like, such as at home, park, hotel, at the beach, and gym.
- Resistance bands can be as effective as weights for gaining strength. A meta-analysis has demonstrated that resistance band training can produce similar strength gains compared to conventional resistance training in various age groups of people.2 Lopes, Jaqueline Santos Silva et al. “Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” SAGE open medicine vol. 7 2050312119831116. 19 Feb. 2019, doi:10.1177/2050312119831116 So, it’s best to train your resistance band bicep workout to build stronger arms.
- Bands provide a greater range of motion that help you perform each exercise with better muscle contraction.
- Resistance bands enable you to perform unilateral exercises that are important for the biceps. Unilateral exercises allow you to do single-arm biceps curl and help you focus more on your weaker muscle and fix muscle imbalances.
Cons
- Bands are good for increasing strength and lean mass. However, if you want to build sizable and rounded biceps like bodybuilders, bands are not enough. You’ll need to lift heavy to get big.
- You can train your biceps efficiently with resistance bands, but you will only have a limited number of exercises to perform. Whereas with dumbbells, you can do various exercises to hit your biceps from every angle.
8 Best Resistance Band Bicep Exercises for Sturdy Arms
You can do as many as eight resistance band exercises to hit the long and short head and build strong and defined biceps. Here’s a list of all these exercises.
- Standing Single-arm Bicep Curl
- Resistance Band Concentration Curl
- Resistance Band Hammer Curl
- Reverse Bicep Curl
- Resistance Band Crossover Curl
- Dual Arm Resistance Band Curl
- Lying Bicep Curl with a Resistance Band
- Resistance Band Drag Curl
Let’s see how to perform each exercise step-by-step.
1. Standing Single-arm Bicep Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
The one-arm resistance band curl allows you to focus on one bicep at a time; this way, you can work more on your weaker arm and correct muscle imbalance. Having both arms equally strong help perform various pull exercises effectively.
How to do single-arm banded curl:
- Pick a resistance band, place it under your feet from one side and hold the other side tightly with your right hand.
- Stand upright and hold the band tight or loose according to your strength.
- Keep your elbows straight and pinned to your sides. That’s the starting position.
- Pull the band toward your shoulders until you feel a good contraction in your biceps.
- Pause for a second, then bring your arm back to the start. That’s one repetition.
- Do as many reps and sets as you like. Recommended three sets of 10 reps each.
- Avoid driving your elbows back during the curl, as it will make your exercise easier and less effective.
2. Resistance Band Concentration Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
Resistance band concentration curl is a great exercise to work on your biceps and forearms. The sitting position of this curl allows you to concentrate on your biceps during the entire movement. And because of its mind and muscle connection, the concentration curl elicits higher muscle activation and provides a better outcome.
How to do it:
- Sit on your right knee and bend the other.
- Grab any kind of band, place one side of it under your left foot, and firmly grab the other side with your right hand.
- Place the back of your left arm inside of your thigh.
- Slightly lean forward so that you can curl perfectly. That’s the starting position.
- Now, curl your arm until you feel the good activation in your bicep.
- Pause for a moment, and then lower your arm back to the start. That’s one repetition.
- Recommended three sets of 10 reps on each side.
- Focus on your biceps muscles throughout the movement.
3. Resistance Band Hammer Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
The hammer curl is a great exercise for the biceps. It works all of the muscles in your biceps, including the brachialis, and helps stabilize your elbow joint. It also activates several other muscles in your forearms and upper arms.
How to perform:
- Grab a loop band and stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place one side of the band under your feet and grab the other side with both hands with a neutral grip.
- Keep your arms straight in front of your thigh and elbows tucked to your sides.
- Now, curl your arm toward your shoulder until your biceps are entirely engaged.
- Hold for a couple of seconds, and then lower your arms to the start. That’s one repetition.
- Aim for three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
You can also perform a single-arm hammer curl if you want to concentrate on one arm at a time.
4. Reverse Bicep Curl with Resistance Band
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
The reverse bicep curl is one of the variations of bicep exercises that help target your two-headed muscles from a different angle. So, you can incorporate this exercise when you create your resistance band bicep routine.
How to do it:
- Start with standing straight, holding a loop band in your hand.
- Position the one end of the band under your feet.
- Hold the other end firmly with both hands with an overhand grip. Your palms should be facing you.
- Keep your arms straight and elbows tucked at your sides so that when you pull the band, it won’t go backward. That’s the starting position.
- Now, curl your arms until you feel the full contraction in your biceps.
- Hold for a moment at the top before you uncurl your arms.
- Do as many sets and repetitions as you like.
You can also perform this exercise unilaterally.
5. Resistance Band Crossover Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
The crossover curl is an excellent workout that works throughout the arms, especially for the bicep. It targets the long head of the biceps and helps build brawny arms.
How to perform:
- Stand straight, place one end of the loop band under your right foot and hold the other end with your right hand with an overhand grip.
- Now, pull the band toward your left shoulder across from your chest. Make sure your bicep muscles get fully engaged.
- Hold for a second at the top and then return to the start. That’s your one Repetition.
- Do as many reps as possible.
6. Dual Arm Resistance Band Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No Anchor | Any Band |
Like alternate curl, you can do dual arm curl to build rounded biceps. The dual arm banded curl allows you to use more resistance and challenge your strength. You can do single-arm and both arms curl interchangeably to achieve good results.
How to do it:
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, put one end of the band under your feet and grab the other end firmly with both hands.
- Keep your arms straight in front of your thighs and elbows slightly forward. That’s your starting position.
- Now, curl both arms together until your biceps get fully engaged.
- Pause for a moment at the reach and then lower to the start. That’s your one rep.
- Try to do at least three sets of 10-12 reps each.
7. Resistance Band Lying Bicep Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Yes, you need an attachment | Any Band |
The lying face curl is one of the excellent bicep resistance band exercises you can do to strengthen and grow your two-headed muscle group. It puts your biceps under constant tension during the movement as well as allows you to increase the resistance.
How to resistance band lying face curl:
- Anchor one side of the band to the door handles or anywhere if it fits.
- Hold another side of the band firmly, and lay down on the mat on your back.
- Bend your knees to 90 degrees, and put your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your arms straight and pull the band towards your shoulder. Make sure your bicep muscles get fully engaged.
- Pause for a couple of seconds at the final reach and then return to the start. That’s your one repetition.
- Try to do at least two sets of 10-12 reps each.
8. Resistance Band Drag Curl
| Level | Anchor | Band Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | No | Any Band |
The drag curl is another excellent variation of biceps curls you can do with resistance bands. It is slightly different than other curls because your elbows move backward when you bring your hands toward your shoulders.
Including the drag curl with other resistance band bicep exercises provide variety to your bicep training, helps your target the long and short heads from every angle and may improve the strength and appearance of your biceps muscles.
How to do it:
- Grab a band and stand upright in the shoulder-width stance.
- Place one end of the band under your feet and grip another with an underhand grip.
- Drive your elbows back as you curl your arm toward your shoulders.
- Squeezing your biceps, pause for a moment before you uncurl your arms.
- Perform two to three sets of eight to 10 reps.
How Does a Resistance Band Bicep Workout Routine Look Like?
To create a well-designed and effective biceps workout routine, you need to include those exercises that work on each head. Below I’ve shared a couple of resistance band bicep workout routines, for example. You can use them to create your own.
Example 1:
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Single-arm Bicep Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Concentration Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Resistance Band Hammer Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Resistance Band Crossover Curl | 10 x 2 | 1-2 min |
| Resistance Band Drag Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
Example 2:
| Exercise | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Dual Arm Resistance Band Curl | 12 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Banded Concentration Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Resistance Band Hammer Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Lying Bicep Curl | 10 x 3 | 1-2 min |
| Reverse Bicep Curl | 10 x 2 | 1-2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do resistance bands help grow biceps?
Resistance bands can help you build muscular strength and grow your biceps to some extent. They are good alternatives to weights but do not expect they’ll help you grow sizeable biceps like bodybuilders.
How often should you do resistance band bicep exercises?
The biceps workout frequency depends on how many days a week you train. For example, if you work out three to four days a week, you should train once a week, and twice if you exercise six days a week.
What kind of resistance bands are good for bicep curls?
Resistance bands have various types, such as power, loop, and tube bands. And they come with different tension levels, from 5 lbs to 150 lbs. And for the biceps, you can get the band which has tension levels from 5 to 35 lbs. Bands with handles
will be more suitable as they provide a better grip.
What other Muscles Can You Train With Biceps?
The bicep is a small muscle group, so you can train with any muscles, from the chest and back to the legs and shoulders. However, make sure you start with your large muscle first and then your biceps when you train two muscles together.
Related Resistance Band Workouts:
References
- 1Multiple-joint exercises using elastic resistance bands vs. conventional resistance-training equipment – European Journal of Sport Science
- 2Lopes, Jaqueline Santos Silva et al. “Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” SAGE open medicine vol. 7 2050312119831116. 19 Feb. 2019, doi:10.1177/2050312119831116
