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Exercises

Warm up for biceps: what to do before your first curl

Published October 24, 2026

Pedal easy for 3 minutes, do 10 arm circles each way, 15 band pull-aparts, one easy set of 15 band hammer curls or doorway curls, then 2 light ramp-up sets of your first curl at about half and three quarters of your working weight. Six minutes covers it, and the elbow is ready to load.

  1. Stationary Bike Quads, Hamstrings
  2. Arm Circles Shoulders
  3. Band Pull-Apart Shoulders, Upper Back
  4. Band Hammer Curl Biceps
  5. Bodyweight Bicep Curl Biceps
  6. Dumbbell Curl Biceps

Raise: 3 minutes

Any easy cardio works. The bike keeps your hands free, and the jump rope also wakes up the grip.

Raise: easy cardio, no impact

Stationary Bike

Quads, Hamstrings

Three minutes of easy pedaling raises your temperature without tiring your grip.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your knee keeps a small bend when the pedal is lowest.
  2. Pedal at a light resistance for the first two minutes.
  3. Add a little resistance every minute until you are breathing harder but can still speak in sentences.

Cues

  • Light first, then a notch up
  • Sit tall

Common mistakes

  • Grinding a heavy gear from the start: build the resistance gradually.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Air Bike, Treadmill Walk

Build a session with Stationary Bike

Raise: quick cardio with a rope

Jump Rope

Calves, Quads

The handles make your forearms work from the first turn, which suits a biceps day.

How to do it

  1. Hold the handles at hip height with the rope behind your heels.
  2. Turn the rope from your wrists and hop just high enough to clear it.
  3. Keep a steady rhythm and breathe; stop and restart if you trip.

Cues

  • Wrists turn the rope
  • Small hops

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the whole arm: keep elbows near your ribs.

Swap for: Jumping Jack, Skipping in Place, High Knees

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Shoulder mobility: 1 minute

The biceps cross the shoulder, so move it before you curl.

Mobility: shoulders through every direction

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Full circles take the shoulder, where the biceps start, through its range.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height.
  2. Draw small circles forward, growing them bigger every few reps.
  3. Reverse direction and repeat, finishing with a few full-size circles.

Cues

  • Small to big
  • Ribs down

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the shoulders into your ears: keep them low and relaxed.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Walkout, Plank IYTW

Build a session with Arm Circles

Activation: upper back and rear delts

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

It balances the curling with a pull for the upper back and sets the shoulders down.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band in front of your chest with straight arms, hands shoulder width apart.
  2. Pull the band apart until it touches your chest, pinching the shoulder blades.
  3. Return slowly until the arms are back in front.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades meet
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to make it easier: use a lighter band and keep the arms long.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Rear Delt Fly, Band Scapular Retraction

Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Light curls without a bar: 1 minute

One easy set of high-rep curls with a band or your bodyweight, far from failure, pushes blood into the muscle.

Activation: biceps and forearms with a band

Band Hammer Curl

Biceps

A light band set gives you 15 easy reps through the full range with almost no load on the elbow.

How to do it

  1. Stand on a light band and hold the ends with palms facing each other.
  2. Curl one hand up toward your shoulder, keeping the elbow beside your ribs.
  3. Lower slowly and alternate sides.

Cues

  • Elbows still
  • Squeeze, then lower slow

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the band up with your hips: use a lighter band.

Swap for: Hammer Curl, Bodyweight Bicep Curl, Dumbbell Curl

Build a session with Band Hammer Curl

Activation: biceps without weights

Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Biceps

With no band, a doorway curl does the same job; lean back further to make it harder.

How to do it

  1. Face a doorframe and hold its edge at waist height with one hand, palm up.
  2. Lean back with a straight body until your arm is straight.
  3. Curl yourself toward the frame by bending the elbow, then lower slowly.

Cues

  • Lean back to make it harder
  • Body stays straight

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the shoulder: keep the elbow pointed forward and let the forearm do the moving.

Swap for: Band Hammer Curl, Dumbbell Curl, Cable Curl

Build a session with Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Ramp up your first curl

Two light sets of the curl you start with: about 10 reps at half weight, then about 5 at three quarters. Pick the first curl by the day you are training.

Main lift or ramp: alternating dumbbell curl

Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

Alternating dumbbells let you check each arm, and the ramp is quick because you only change dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Hold two dumbbells by your thighs with palms forward.
  2. Curl one dumbbell toward your shoulder while the elbow stays at your side.
  3. Lower it all the way, then curl the other.

Cues

  • Full straight arm at the bottom
  • Elbow stays put

Common mistakes

  • Rocking the torso: if you need momentum, the weight is too heavy for this stage.

Swap for: Hammer Curl, Incline Dumbbell Curl, Cable Curl

Build a session with Dumbbell Curl

Main lift: two-arm barbell curl

Barbell Curl

Biceps

The heaviest curl most people do, so it gets the full two-to-three-set ramp.

How to do it

  1. Grip the bar shoulder width, palms up, and stand tall.
  2. Curl the bar to your upper chest, keeping the elbows near your sides.
  3. Lower all the way down under control.

Cues

  • Elbows by your ribs
  • Stand still

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back as the bar comes up: lighten it until your torso stays put.

Swap for: EZ-Bar Curl, Dumbbell Curl, Cable Curl

Build a session with Barbell Curl

Main lift: biceps from a long stretch

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

It loads the biceps at full stretch, so it should come after one ramp set at half weight even if your arms are warm.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench to about 45 degrees and lie back holding two dumbbells, arms hanging.
  2. Curl the dumbbells up without bringing the elbows forward.
  3. Lower all the way until the arms hang straight again.

Cues

  • Arms hang behind you
  • Elbows stay back

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the shoulders off the bench: keep your back flat on the pad.

Swap for: Dumbbell Curl, Spider Curl, Cable Curl

Build a session with Incline Dumbbell Curl

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Arm day with dumbbell curls

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentExercise Bike, Resistance Bands, Dumbbells, Incline Bench

You curl with dumbbells and want a quick start.

Bike, mobility and one band set make the elbow comfortable, and two ramp-up sets of the alternating curl bring you to working weight without spending reps you need later.

Biceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Stationary BikeSeconds. 3 minutes straight, no rest. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15 4 15 s
Band Hammer Curl 1 × 15 4 30 s
Dumbbell Curl2 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–12 2 75 s
Incline Dumbbell Curl1 warm-up set first 2 × 10–12 2 75 s
How to run it
Do the warm-up in order, then your working sets.
How to progress
Leave the warm-up alone; push the working sets.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Heavy barbell curl

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets9 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentJump Rope, Resistance Bands, Barbells, Dumbbells

You curl a loaded bar and want three ramp-up steps.

A heavier bar asks more from the elbow and wrists, so this version uses the jump rope for the grip and gives the barbell curl three ramp-up sets.

Barbell biceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Jump RopeSeconds. 2 minutes straight, no rest. 2 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15 4 15 s
Barbell Curl3 warm-up sets first 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell Curl 2 × 10–12 2 1 min
How to run it
Do the warm-up, then the barbell curl and dumbbell curl.
How to progress
Add weight when the last working set ends with more than 2 reps in reserve.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

At home, no band

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentJump Rope, Dumbbells

You train arms at home with a doorframe and one pair of dumbbells.

Doorway curls stand in for the band set, and the first dumbbell curl gets two ramp-up sets.

Home biceps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Jump RopeSeconds. 3 minutes straight, no rest. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Bodyweight Bicep CurlPer arm. 1 × 12 4 30 s
Dumbbell Curl2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Do the warm-up, then the dumbbell curls.
How to progress
When reps get easy at your dumbbell weight, slow the lowering to three seconds.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are good warm-up exercises for biceps?

Easy cardio, arm circles, band pull-aparts, a light set of band or doorway curls, then light sets of your first curl.

How many warm-up sets before curls?

Two for dumbbell curls, three for a heavy barbell curl. Later curls need one or none.

Should I stretch my biceps before curling?

Save long holds for after. Before training, move the shoulder and elbow instead.

Can I train biceps and triceps together?

Yes. Warm both with the same routine and ramp the first exercise of each, as on the arm day warm up page.

How long should a biceps warm-up take?

Five to six minutes.