3 Best Exercises for Beginners that Want Wider Biceps

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Signup for Newsletter Fitness Calculators Upper Body 3 Best Exercises for Beginners that Want Wider Biceps By Robbie Wild Hudson | Oct 11, 2026 / 13 min read / –> / –> –> Follow Boxrox –> –> Many beginners want wider biceps because a broader upper arm can make the entire arm look more muscular from the front, even when it is relaxed. The important thing to understand is that you cannot change the basic shape of your muscles. Genetics influence the length of your biceps muscle bellies, tendon insertions, and the way your arms look naturally.

What you can change is muscle size. For a wider looking upper arm, you should not focus only on the biceps brachii, which is the visible muscle people usually mean when they say “biceps.” You should also train the brachialis, a powerful elbow flexor that sits underneath the biceps brachii. As the brachialis grows, it can push the biceps outward and contribute to a thicker, wider appearance from the front and side.

The brachioradialis also matters. This muscle runs along the thumb side of your forearm and helps create a fuller transition between your upper arm and forearm. Building it will not make your biceps wider by itself, but it can make your entire arm look more developed.

The three exercises below are beginner friendly, easy to progress, and useful for training the muscles that contribute to wider looking arms. Do them consistently, use good form, and gradually challenge yourself over time.

The biceps brachii has two heads, commonly called the long head and short head. It flexes the elbow, meaning it helps bend your arm, and it is also a major muscle for turning the palm upward, which is called supination. Both heads contribute to upper arm size, but no exercise can completely isolate one head in a way that overrides your genetics.

The brachialis lies beneath the biceps brachii and attaches to the ulna, one of the forearm bones. Unlike the biceps brachii, it does not cross the shoulder or rotate the forearm. Its primary role is elbow flexion. Because it sits underneath the biceps, developing it can add thickness across the upper arm.

This is why a wider arm is not built with endless standard curls alone. Traditional curls are still valuable, especially when performed with a fully supinated grip. However, a balanced beginner plan should also include neutral grip and pronated grip elbow flexion exercises. These positions can increase the contribution from the brachialis and brachioradialis while still training the biceps.

The dumbbell hammer curl is one of the best beginner exercises for building wider looking arms. Instead of turning your palms upward as you curl, you keep your palms facing each other. This is called a neutral grip.

A neutral grip reduces the mechanical advantage of the biceps brachii for forearm supination and increases the involvement of other elbow flexors, especially the brachialis and brachioradialis. That makes the hammer curl an excellent choice if your goal is to build more thickness around the outside of the upper arm and a more muscular connection between the upper arm and forearm.

Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms by your sides. Your palms should face your thighs. Keep your chest up, ribs controlled, and shoulders relaxed rather than shrugged toward your ears.

Curl the dumbbells upward by bending at the elbows. Keep your palms facing each other throughout the repetition. Stop when the dumbbells are close to the front of your shoulders, then lower them under control until your elbows are fully straight.

Your elbows should stay close to your torso. A small amount of natural movement is normal, but avoid driving your elbows forward aggressively or swinging your hips to get the weight moving. If you have to lean back and throw the dumbbells upward, the load is too heavy for the target muscles.

The hammer curl trains elbow flexion without the fully supinated hand position used in a standard dumbbell curl. Research on forearm position and elbow flexor activity shows that changing the grip can alter how the biceps brachii and brachioradialis contribute to the movement. The brachialis remains an important elbow flexor regardless of grip, making hammer curls a practical way to build it alongside the other arm muscles.

For beginners, the dumbbell hammer curl is also easy to learn. Dumbbells allow each arm to move independently, which can help you identify and reduce noticeable side to side strength differences. The neutral wrist position often feels comfortable for people who find straight bar curls irritating on the wrists.

Start with two or three sets of eight to 15 controlled repetitions. Choose a weight that makes the final few repetitions challenging while allowing you to keep your torso still and complete the full range of motion.

The reverse curl is a highly effective exercise for beginners who want arms that look thicker and wider. You hold the weight with your palms facing down, which is called a pronated grip.

This position shifts more work toward the brachioradialis and other elbow flexors while making the biceps brachii less mechanically advantaged than it is during a palm up curl. The result is an exercise that develops the upper forearm and supports the wider, denser look many people want around the elbow and lower portion of the upper arm.

Use a straight bar, an EZ curl bar, cables, or a pair of dumbbells. An EZ curl bar is often a particularly comfortable starting point because its angled handles can reduce wrist discomfort for some lifters.

Stand upright and hold the weight with your palms facing down. Begin with your arms straight and your elbows close to your sides. Curl the weight upward by bending your elbows. Keep your wrists neutral rather than allowing them to bend backward or forward.

Pause briefly near the top when your forearms are close to vertical. Lower the weight slowly until your elbows are straight again. Do not rush the lowering phase. Controlled eccentric training helps you maintain tension through the full repetition and makes it easier to practice consistent technique.

A pronated grip changes the contribution of the elbow flexors. Research comparing different curl variations has found meaningful differences in biceps brachii and brachioradialis activity depending on the bar and grip used. This does not mean one curl variation makes every other curl unnecessary. It does mean that including more than one grip can provide a more complete training stimulus for the muscles around the elbow.

Reverse curls are usually more difficult than regular curls with the same weight. Your forearms and grip may fatigue first, especially when you are new to resistance training. That is normal. Begin with a lighter load than you think you need, use smooth repetitions, and prioritize elbow and wrist comfort.

Perform two or three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Keep the movement strict and avoid turning it into a hip swing. If your wrists hurt, try dumbbells or an EZ curl bar and reduce the load.

The assisted chin up is the best compound exercise on this list for beginners who want wider biceps. Unlike curls, chin ups train the biceps while also building the lats, upper back, grip, and shoulder stabilizers. Stronger upper back muscles can make your torso look wider, which can make your arms look more impressive by comparison.

A chin up uses an underhand grip with your palms facing you. This grip places the forearm in a supinated position, allowing the biceps brachii to contribute strongly to elbow flexion. It is a useful complement to hammer curls and reverse curls because it trains the biceps through a different movement pattern and with a larger overall load.

Use an assisted chin up machine or a resistance band. Take an underhand grip on the bar with your hands around shoulder width apart. Start with your arms straight, shoulders controlled, and body stable.

Begin by pulling your shoulder blades slightly down and back. Then bend your elbows and pull your chest upward toward the bar. Think about driving your elbows toward your ribs rather than trying to pull with your hands alone.

Lower yourself with control until your arms are straight again. Do not drop rapidly into the bottom position, especially if you are new to chin ups. The lowering phase should be deliberate and comfortable.

Choose enough assistance that you can complete six to 12 good repetitions. If you cannot yet perform an assisted chin up with control, start with slow lowering repetitions. Step or jump to the top position, then take three to five seconds to lower yourself to the bottom.

Studies examining pull up and chin up variations show substantial activation of the biceps brachii and brachioradialis during these movements. Chin ups also train the muscles of the back, making them an efficient option when you want to build your arms without filling your workout with isolation exercises.

The chin up is more technically demanding than a curl, but assistance makes it accessible. It also provides a clear progression path. Over time, reduce the assistance, complete more repetitions with the same assistance, or add a controlled pause at the top.

For beginners, two or three sets of six to 12 repetitions is enough. Rest for at least two minutes between sets so your grip and upper back can recover properly.

The exercise itself matters, but progressive overload matters more. Your muscles need a reason to adapt. That can mean adding a small amount of weight, performing an additional repetition with the same weight, improving your range of motion, or using better control with the same exercise.

Start by training your biceps and related elbow flexors two times per week. You could perform hammer curls and reverse curls after an upper body workout, then include assisted chin ups in another session later in the week. This approach gives you repeated practice without creating so much soreness that your technique falls apart.

Beginners do not need extreme volume. Six to 10 challenging direct sets per week across these exercises is a productive starting range for many people. For example, you could perform three sets of hammer curls and two sets of reverse curls on one day, then three sets of assisted chin ups and two sets of hammer curls on another day.

Keep one to three repetitions in reserve for most sets. In practical terms, that means finishing a set when you feel you could probably perform one to three more repetitions with good form. You do not need to reach complete failure on every set to build muscle, and stopping slightly short of failure can help you maintain cleaner technique.

Use a full, pain free range of motion. Start each curl with your elbow straight, then curl as far as you can without your shoulder rolling excessively forward. On chin ups, lower under control to a comfortable hang and avoid bouncing.

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Finally, remember that bigger arms depend on recovery as well as training. Resistance training supports muscle growth, but your body still needs enough food, protein, sleep, and time between sessions to adapt. Consistency over months matters far more than chasing a new exercise every week.

The first mistake is using weights that are too heavy. Beginners often turn curls into a full body movement by leaning back, swinging the hips, and driving the elbows forward. This may allow more weight to move, but it reduces control and makes it harder to place tension where you want it.

The second mistake is treating every curl as identical. Standard curls are useful, but including neutral grip and pronated grip work can help train the elbow flexors more comprehensively. Hammer curls, reverse curls, and chin ups each provide a slightly different challenge.

The third mistake is constantly changing the program. Choose a few exercises, learn them well, and record your performance. If you complete 10 hammer curls with a given weight this week, aim for 11 or 12 next time before increasing the load. Simple progression works.

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