resistance band bicep exercises · resistance band workout · resistance bands · Resistance training · Oct 24, 2022

8 Super Effective Resistance Band Bicep Exercises

by Priya Samuel

Are you a guy looking to build bigger and stronger biceps?

Or perhaps a woman trying to get those toned arms?

Whoever you are, we’re here to tell you that resistance bands can make your fitness goals come true!

Now you might harbor this false notion that you can only build your biceps with free weights and Smith machines. But get this. Research shows that resistance bands can be as effective as free weights when it comes to building biceps strength.

So, without further ado, let’s get into 8 super effective resistance band biceps exercises that’ll give you those peaks of steel!

8 super effective resistance band biceps exercises

1. Seated Biceps Preacher Curl

Main muscle targeted: Short head of the biceps brachii

Other muscles worked: Brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Take a resistance tube and secure it under a door with a door anchor.
Sit on the floor with your feet 2 to 3 feet from the door with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor at hip-distance apart.
Hold each handle in one hand with an underhand grip.
Your elbows should be resting firmly on your knees.
Keeping your back straight and your chest up, slowly curl the band towards you and squeeze your biceps until your hands almost touch your face.
Now bring your arms back down until they are fully extended.
Perform 15-20 reps.

Tips

Keep your core tight and squeeze your shoulder blades while performing the preacher curl.
Do not lean forward and maintain a steady position.

Buy Burnlab’s resistance tube set here.

2. Wide grip biceps curl

Main muscle targeted: Short head of the biceps brachii

Other muscles worked: Brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Take a resistance tube and step onto it with your feet at shoulder-distance apart.
Grab each handle in either hand with an underhand grip.
Extend your arms out in such a way that your elbows are away from the sides of your body.
Now slowly curl the resistance tube towards your shoulders.
Pause for a second and squeeze your biceps before lowering your arms back down.
Perform 15-20 reps.

3. Band-assisted chin-ups

Muscles worked: Biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoids.

How to perform

Loop a resistance band around a pull-up bar with the other end hanging down like a stirrup for your feet.
Place one foot inside the stirrup with your other foot by the side. (Alternatively, you can also place your knee inside the stirrup.)
Grab onto the pull-up bar with an underhand grip.
Now pull yourself upwards until your chin is above the bar.
Slowly lower yourself back down. This is one rep.
Perform 8-10 reps.

Tips

Ensure you come to a dead hang at the bottom position and your chest reaches the bar at the top position.
Drive your elbows behind you when you pull up. Don’t pull through your wrists.
Ensure your chest is up and shoulders are back.

Buy Burnlab’s pull-up band set here.

4. Resistance Band Biceps Drag Curl

Main muscle targeted: Long head of the biceps brachii

Other muscles worked: Brachioradialis, brachialis, and forearm flexors.

How to perform

Take a resistance band and step into it with your feet at slightly more than hip-distance apart.
Grip the other end of the band with an underhand grip.
Place your hands by your sides at thigh level. This is the starting position.
Now raise the band toward your shoulders by dragging your elbows behind your body.
Tighten your biceps as hard as possible as they touch the undersides of your forearms.
Pause for 1-2 seconds before slowly returning to the starting position.
Perform 15-30 reps.

Tips:

Perform high reps to maximize the pump effect for bigger and stronger biceps.
Don’t lock your elbows out completely. This will help maintain the tension on your biceps.

You might also like: Different Types Of Resistance Bands & The Best One For You

5. Resistance Band Kneeling Concentration Biceps Curl

Main muscle targeted: Long head of the biceps brachii

Other muscles worked: Brachioradialis, brachialis, and forearm flexors.

How to perform

Get down on your left knee and place your left hand on your hip.
Step onto a resistance tube with your right foot with your knee bent at 90 degrees.
Using your right hand, grab the resistance tube’s handle with an underhand grip.
Your right elbow should be resting on the inside of your right knee. This is the starting position.
Now curl the band towards your left shoulder, squeezing your biceps at the top.
Pause for a second before returning to the starting position.
Perform 15-20 reps before switching sides.

6. Banded Waiter curls

Main muscle targeted: Long head of the biceps brachii

Other muscles worked: Forearm flexors, brachialis.

How to perform

Step into a resistance band with your feet wide apart.
Grab the other end of the band and wrap it around your hands as shown in the video.
When you’re done wrapping the bands, your palms should be facing upward and the band should have sufficient tension.
Keep your back straight and shoulder blades slightly pressed back.
Now raise your hands in a controlled manner until your fingers almost touch your face.
Pause for a second before lowering the band back down.
Perform 10-15 reps.

7. Cross Body Hammer Curl with Resistance Band

Main muscle targeted: Brachialis

Other muscles worked: Biceps brachii, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Step onto a resistance tube with your feet at hip-distance apart.
Grab both handles of the tube one in each hand with your palms facing each other.
Stretch the resistance tube until it’s taut and your arms are by your sides. This is the starting position.
Now curl your right arm up towards your left shoulder as you exhale.
Pause for 1-2 seconds before bringing your arm back to the starting position as you inhale.
Now repeat the same movement with your left arm.
Keep alternating between both arms.
Perform 10-15 reps on each side.

Tip

Complete each rep slowly without using momentum as this will keep the tension on your biceps and forearms and force them to grow.

You might also like: 11 Amazing Benefits Of Resistance Bands Workouts

8. Reverse biceps curls with resistance band

Main muscle targeted: Brachialis

Other muscles worked: Biceps brachii, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Step on a resistance tube with your feet about hip-width apart.
Hold one handle in each hand with an overhand grip.
Stand erect with your arms by your side. This is the starting position.
With a controlled motion, curl your hands up to your shoulders.
Ensure that your upper body is stable and your elbows are tucked into your sides.
Pause for a moment before you bring your arms back down slowly until your elbows are almost locked out.
Perform 10-15 reps.

Tip

Ensure you squeeze at the top for a few seconds and concentrate on the eccentric motion as well to increase time under tension and thus muscle growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can resistance bands build your biceps?

Yes, they can!

Resistance bands are excellent for building your biceps due to the following factors.

You can perform specific exercises to isolate and target both the long head and the short head of the biceps brachii muscle. You can also use them to target your brachialis (a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow) and brachioradialis (a muscle of the forearm that flexes the forearm at the elbow).
You will have a wider range of motion compared to using a weight machine. As you can apply resistance from any angle using a resistance band, you can maximize the stress exerted on your biceps and thus have bigger gains.
It is easy to adjust the resistance levels and thus customize your workout. You can do this by increasing or narrowing your stance, gripping the band at various points, combining two or more bands, or doubling up a band. It is also convenient to increase the time under tension just by slowing down the eccentric part of various exercises.

2. What are the best bicep exercises using resistance bands?

The best bicep exercises using resistance bands include biceps preacher curls, biceps concentration curls, cross body hammer curls, reverse biceps curls, drag curls, and many more.

3. Can resistance bands build arm muscle?

Yes, absolutely!

Resistance bands can be used as a stand-alone tool to perform various arm isolation exercises including bicep curls, concentration curls, etc. to increase biceps size and strength.

Since biceps are activated by pulling movements, you can also add resistance bands to your compound body-weight movements like chin-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, etc. to target various muscle groups including your biceps, triceps, deltoids, etc. simultaneously.

4. Are resistance band bicep curls effective?

Yes. Resistance band bicep curls are extremely effective for your biceps thanks to the below factors.

Peak contraction is the biggest advantage that resistance bands have over free weights, especially for biceps curls. Biceps curls are the hardest at the mid-range of motion when your forearms are parallel to the ground, with the top-range and end-range being relatively easy. But due to the linear variable resistance of bands, the peak contraction stage will be the hardest, resulting in higher biceps activation and growth.
Just by changing your grip and arm positions, you can amp up or scale down the intensity of your bicep curls. For instance, the underhand grip activates your biceps brachii the most while the overhand grip places maximum emphasis on your forearms. When it comes to arm position, the narrow curl isolates the long head of the biceps brachii, while the wide curl targets the short head effectively.
There are plenty of biceps curl variations that you practice with resistance bands. Seated, standing, lying down, kneeling, and so on!

Check out our resistance band workouts for shoulders and legs here!

Tips for doing perfect Biceps Curls

Make your reps slow and controlled especially on the eccentric part of the movement. This will increase the time under tension and trigger muscle hypertrophy.
Keep your upper body stable. Swinging at your hips or moving your shoulders is a big no-no. If you find yourself doing this, you might need to switch to a band of lower resistance.
Ensure there is no slack in the band. You should have tension in your band throughout the range of motion if you want to work those biceps.
Lock your elbows by your sides. If your elbows keep moving forward, you are taking the tension away from your biceps.

Final words

One thing to keep in mind about biceps training is to ensure that you work them along with other muscle groups. Focusing only on your biceps can cause an imbalance that could impact your shoulder and elbow alignment which in turn could make you more susceptible to injury.

So, are you ready to take your biceps training to the next level? Browse through Burnlab’s premium-quality resistance bands and grab your set today!

Which one is your favorite resistance band biceps exercise? Let us know in the comments below!