Biceps
Two-headed elbow flexor on the front of the upper arm. Form variations dramatically shift which head bears load.
The parts
What you're actually training.
Outer biceps
7Long head - recruited more with elbows behind the body.
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Inner biceps
8Short head - recruited more with elbows in front of the body.
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Underneath biceps
2Brachialis - pushes the bicep up. Loves neutral grip.
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Forearm peak
1Brachioradialis - recruited with pronated or hammer grip.
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Exercises
Ranked by directness on biceps.
Hammer Curl
A thick squeeze in the middle of the upper arm and a strong pull through the top of the forearm.
Barbell Curl
A stretching pull on the front of the upper arm in the bottom third, then a hard squeeze at the top.
Dumbbell Curl
Tension shifts from outer bicep at the bottom to a peak squeeze on the inner bicep at the top.
Concentration Curl
A sharp, isolated squeeze right in the belly of the inner bicep.
Spider Curl
Hard peak contraction at the top, no help from the shoulders or back.
Cable Curl
Tension that never lets up - bottom, middle, and top all loaded.
EZ-bar Curl
Same as a barbell curl, with happier wrists.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
A long, almost uncomfortable stretch on the outer bicep at the bottom.
Preacher Curl
Sharp tension across the inner-lower bicep at the bottom of the rep.
Drag Curl
The outer (long head) of the bicep on fire - a totally different region than the curl you're used to.
Chin-up
Even split between hard bicep contraction and lat squeeze under the armpit.
- Biceps
Also involves this muscle
Lifts that pull this muscle in as a supporter.
Rhomboids
Seated Cable Row
Squeeze between the shoulder blades that lingers.
Forearms
Reverse Curl
Brutal pump on the top of the forearm and the outer upper arm.
Forearms
Zottman Curl
Bicep on the way up, full forearm fight on the way down.
Lats
Chest-supported Row
Lats and mid-back working with zero lower-back tax.
Lats
Lat Pulldown
Lats engaging from the very first inch of the pull.
Lats
Single-arm Dumbbell Row
Hard squeeze right under the armpit; lat tension you can chase by adjusting torso angle.
Rhomboids
Inverted Row
Mid-back squeeze every rep. Easier than a pull-up, equally productive for the rhomboids.
Rhomboids
Seal Row
Brutal upper-back squeeze with absolutely zero lower-back risk.
Lats
Pull-up
Tight squeeze under the armpits - that's the lat.
Lats
T-Bar Row
Mid-back density work - lower lats and rhomboids fighting for space.
Lats
Meadows Row
A unilateral lat contraction with a slight rotational pull - very different from a standard row.
Lats
Barbell Bent-over Row
Mid-back squeeze + lower lat pull. Lower back stays tight, not working.
Lats
Muscle-up
Pulling phase like a tight chin-up, transition like a folded-up triceps press.