Arm flexors

Biceps brachii

Musculus biceps brachii

The biceps brachii is a two-headed muscle on the front of the upper arm and one of the main muscles used in curling and pulling movements.

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Front view of the human muscular system with the biceps highlighted
Front view · upper arm

At a glance

Region
Upper arm
Movement pattern
Curling and pulling movements
Joint
Elbow and shoulder joints

Exercises

Exercises for the biceps

Athlete pulling up on an assisted pull-up machine with both knees on the assistance pad.

Assisted pull-up machine with knee pad

Machine-assisted pull-up

A counterweighted knee pad reduces the bodyweight you pull, making the pull-up adjustable for the lats and assisting biceps.

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Standing biceps curl with band securely under both feet, palms up and elbows close to the torso.

Resistance band · Foot anchor · Handles

Resistance-band biceps curl

Bend the elbows against a band to train the biceps with increasing tension as the band stretches.

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Seated dumbbell biceps curl with the back supported, palms facing upward and elbows kept close to the torso.

Dumbbells · Bench

Seated dumbbell biceps curl

A supported torso makes it easier to bend the elbows without swinging the weights.

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Standing dumbbell hammer curl with palms facing inward, wrists neutral and elbows close to the sides.

Dumbbells · Standing

Dumbbell hammer curl

The neutral grip keeps the palms facing each other and involves the biceps together with the brachialis and forearm muscles.

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Incline dumbbell curl with the back and head supported and the upper arms hanging slightly behind the torso.

Dumbbells · Incline bench

Incline dumbbell curl

The inclined backrest keeps the upper arms slightly behind the torso and starts the biceps from a longer position.

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Standing barbell curl with an underhand grip, elbows beside the ribs and forearms raised in front of the body.

Barbell · Standing

Barbell biceps curl

Curl one bar with both hands while keeping your upper arms beside your torso.

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Standing cable curl with palms up and a taut cable connecting the short bar to a low pulley.

Machine · Low cable pulley

Cable biceps curl

A curl against a low cable provides another option for training elbow flexion.

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Chin-up with a shoulder-width underhand grip, bent elbows and feet clear of the floor.

Pull-up bar · Bodyweight

Underhand chin-up

An underhand pulling movement that trains the biceps together with the back.

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Understand the muscle

Two heads with an attachment at the radius

The long and short heads begin at different points on the shoulder blade, merge along the upper arm, and attach to the radius and forearm fascia below the elbow.

The listed exercises involve this region alongside other parts of the muscle. A muscle head or deep portion is not necessarily trained in isolation.

Simply explained

What does the muscle do?

In simple terms, the biceps bends your elbow and turns your forearm so your palm faces upward.

Side view of an arm: the forearm moves from straight (1, dashed) toward the upper arm (2, teal).
Side view · upper arm stays still

Bend your elbow

Elbow flexion

The forearm moves toward the upper arm. The biceps assists the brachialis during curls and pulling movements.

View of a bent forearm rotating from a palm-down start (1, dashed) to a palm-up finish (2, teal).
Forearm view · elbow remains bent

Turn your palm upward

Forearm supination

The radius rotates around the ulna until the palm faces upward. The biceps is especially strong in this action when the elbow is bent.

Often works with
Sources & illustrations

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.