8 Resistance Band Bicep Exercises, Stretches, And Workout Program

If you want the ease of being able to exercise anywhere, you need to use resistance bands!

They are lightweight, compact, and can replace dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells for almost any exercise.

And, luckily for you, one of the easiest muscle groups to train with resistance bands is the biceps. 

I have been a personal trainer for many years. I’ve helped many people just like you grow their biceps without going to the gym or spending a lot of money on equipment!

Follow a consistent training schedule that incorporates my recommended resistance band bicep exercises. 

You will start to see a physical difference in no time and feel stronger than ever!

While having large and defined biceps is a plus, having strong arms helps you perform everyday, functional activities with ease – yet another reason to take your training more seriously.

Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about transforming your biceps like you never have before!

What are the benefits of resistance band bicep exercises?

Related: What Is Functional Strength Training?

1. Grow Your Biceps

Your biceps will become more prominent and stronger over time by consistently tearing the muscle fibers and allowing them to rebuild. 

When you continuously work your biceps with resistance bands, they will start to develop and grow. 

You even have control over which type of look you prefer for your biceps! Some people like the look of them being wider and others longer. 

Depending on what you desire, you can prioritize exercises that involve a movement with your palms facing in or up.

2. Increase Metabolism

The more muscle you carry on your frame, the faster your metabolism will be. As your biceps grow with the help of the resistance band exercises, your metabolism will grow right along with it.

Having a fast metabolism allows you to eat more while maintaining your goal weight, which is a massive goal for a lot of us.

3. Improve Functional Strength

Any time you pick something up or pull something, you use your biceps. This happens countless times every day, so why not make things a little easier on yourself?

You can do this by keeping up with your resistance band routine. You continually become stronger over time and better able to handle everyday tasks.

What resistance bands are good for bicep exercises?

Related: 12 Week Resistance Band Training Program PDF

Luckily, you can use either bands with handles or bands that form a loop for all of these exercises! 

It is recommended to have both within reach because one is more optimal than another for some exercises, but it is not required.

Be sure to have access to bands of varying resistance. You should have bands that provide a certain resistance depending on the exact movements you are doing. 

You also need to be able to make each exercise harder over time to ensure you are progressing.

8 Resistance Band Bicep Exercises

Related: Resistance Band Back Exercises

The following exercises are guaranteed to help your biceps grow because they cause the muscle fibers of your biceps to contract during the curling motion. 

Like dumbbells or barbells, bands can provide the resistance needed to keep your biceps working hard as you pull against them to bring your hand up near your shoulder.

These exercises are great for anyone wanting to build muscle mass, improve strength, and take the physique of their arms to the next level!

1. Bicep Curls

Bicep curls are the most standard exercise out there for building your biceps. They are excellent for isolating the biceps to really help them grow and create a new look for your arms.

If you have to choose one bicep exercise, ensure these curls make the list for your next pull day.

What Level Resistance Band?

• Medium

How-To Perform Bicep Curls

1. Stand in the center of a band. 
2. Grab each of the handles, and start by standing tall with your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing forward. 
3. Keeping your chest up and back straight, start to bring your hands up and as close to your shoulders as possible. 
4. Slowly release your hands back down until your arms are extended again before repeating the movement.

Benefits

• Isolates the biceps
• Strengthens the biceps
• Promotes more ease with functional movements

Pro Tips

• Make sure you do not swing your body at all to help the weight come up. If you find yourself doing this, allow for a little more slack in the band.
• Keep your elbows tucked against your sides to isolate the biceps further.

2. Hammer Curls

Hammer curls are very similar to bicep curls, except they target the long head of the bicep more than the short head. That’s because your palms are facing inward for the duration of the exercise.

These curls are great for adding size to your biceps and helping you improve your grip. Include them in your next upper body day or pull day workout.

What Level Resistance Band?

• Medium

How-To Perform Hammer Curls

1. Stand in the center of a band. 
2. Grab each of the handles and start by standing tall with your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing inward. 
3. Keeping your chest up and back straight, start to bring your hands up and as close to your shoulders as possible. 
4. Slowly release your hands back down until your arms are extended again before repeating the movement.

Benefits

• Isolates the biceps
• Improves grip
• Builds mass on the long head of the bicep

Pro Tips

• Make sure you do not swing your body at all to help the weight come up. If you find yourself doing this, allow for a little more slack in the band.
• Keep your elbows tucked against your sides to isolate the biceps further.

3. Concentration Curls

In general, curls are amazing for building the biceps. However, concentration curls are on another level! 

These types of curls allow you to really focus on the contraction of your bicep while preventing any possible swinging of the body for assistance with getting the weight up.

Use this exercise as a finisher on the next day you target the biceps!

What Level Resistance Band?

• Light

How-To Perform Concentration Curls

1. Get into a seated position and anchor the band under one foot with one handle between your feet. 
2. Keeping your back straight, lean forward and position your elbow inside your knee. 
3. Grab the handle lying in between your feet and start with your arm extended and your palm facing the other leg. 
4. Slowly bring your hand to your shoulder, pause for a moment, and then bring it back down. 
5. Repeat this movement for reps before switching to the other side.

Benefits

• Strengthens the bicep
• Improves mind-muscle connection
• Isolates the bicep even more than traditional curls

Pro Tips  

• To feel the burn more, try placing two fingers on the bicep as it is contracting.
• Try counting to five as you curl up, hold at the top, and then release.

4. Assisted Close-Grip Pull-Ups

No matter your fitness goals, the pull-up is a functional movement that needs to be included in your routine on an upper-body or pull day. 

Pull-ups can help you with many everyday activities while helping you develop strength in your entire upper body.

What Level Resistance Band?

• Heavy

How-To Perform Assisted Close-Grip Pull-Ups

1. Secure one end of a band around a pull-up bar, so the other end is hanging down. 
2. Place one or both of your feet within the hanging end and grab the handles that allow your palms to face inward. 
3. Start with your arms fully extended and the band supporting some of your weight. 
4. Keeping your elbows pointing forward, pull your chin up until it reaches the height of the pull-up bar, then come back to the starting position.

Benefits

• Builds your biceps
• Strengthens your back
• Very functional movement

Pro Tips

• Make sure your back is straight and puff your chest out as you come up to ensure good posture. 
• As you progress and need to make the exercise more challenging, use skinnier bands that support your weight less.

5. Drag Curls

The purpose of drag curls is to minimize the use of your anterior deltoids during the curl movement so that your biceps get even more attention. 

Be sure to add these into your routine one to two times a week to challenge your arms differently.

What Level Resistance Band?

• Medium

How-To Perform Drag Curls

1. Stand in the center of your band and grab each of the handles. 
2. Have your arms extended by your side and your palms facing forward. 
3. Rather than focusing on bringing your hands up to your shoulders, instead focus on bringing your elbows back until your hand naturally comes up near your shoulders. 
4. Pause for a moment before extending your arms again and repeating the movement.

Benefits

• Challenges your biceps
• Isolates the biceps more than other versions of curls
• Improves the appearance of your arms

Pro Tips

• Really focus on contracting your biceps as hard as you can for the duration of the movement to make it more effective.
• Try pausing at the top position for five seconds before releasing to make the exercise more difficult.

6. Single-Arm Bicep Curls

While simultaneously curling both arms is undoubtedly effective, focusing on one arm at a time can allow you to have a more conscious mind-muscle connection. 

If you have the time, it is recommended to do single-arm bicep curls rather than regular bicep curls!

What Level Resistance Band?

• Medium

How-To Perform Single-Arm Bicep Curls

1. Stand in the center of a band. 
2. Grab each of the handles, and start by standing tall with your arms extended by your sides with your palms facing forward. 
3. Keeping your chest up and back straight, start to bring one hand up and as close to your shoulder as possible. 
4. Slowly release your hand back down until your arm is extended again before repeating the movement on the other side.

Benefits

• Isolates the biceps
• Strengthens the biceps
• Promotes more ease with functional movements

Pro Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked against your sides to isolate the biceps further.
• When your hand gets to the top, try twisting it, so your palm starts to face out to target your bicep in a new way.

7. Lateral Curls

Want yet another curl variation? If you don’t feel like standing on a band, try these lateral curls to target your biceps and back on your next pull day!

What Level Resistance Band?

• Heavy

How-To Perform Lateral Curls  

1. Attach your band to an anchor at chest height, grab each of the handles, and take a few steps back until there is no slack in the band. 
2. Start with your arms extended out in front of you at chest height with your palms facing up. 
3. Keeping your triceps parallel to the floor, slowly bring your hands towards your shoulders. 
4. Hold there for a moment before returning your arms to the starting position.

Benefits

• Strengthens the biceps
• Challenges the upper back
• Promotes improved functional movement

Pro Tips

• To help with balance, lean back on your heels for the duration of the action. If needed, you can perform this exercise while seated.
• Play around with having the band anchored directly in front of you or to the side. If you choose to have it to the side, you could only work on one arm at a time.

8. Preacher Curls

Like concentration curls, preacher curls force you not to be able to “cheat” during the exercise by swinging your body to get the weight up. 

These curls are a killer finisher that you need to add to your next pull workout to build your biceps.

What Level Resistance Band?

• Light

How-To Perform Preacher Curls

1. Anchor your band somewhere near the floor, and come to a seated position with your feet planted on the floor and your knees bent. 
2. Position your triceps against your shins and your knees in your armpits. 
3. Grab the band handles and start with your arms extended and palms facing up. 
4. Slowly curl your arms, so your hands start to come towards your biceps. 
5. Pause for a moment and then release them back to the original position.

Benefits

• Builds your biceps
• Promotes good form
• Strengthens your forearms and anterior delts

Pro Tips

• If you feel any pain in your elbows, feel free to not extend your arms all the way out before curling them back up again. 
• Try counting to five as you start to extend your arms to make the exercise more difficult.

Resistance Band Bicep Workout Program

Related: Resistance Band Chest Exercises

Depending on your experience with working out, choose either the beginner or advanced workout to add to your weekly training routine. 

If you consistently train your biceps with these workouts, utilize progressive overload, eat enough protein, and follow a healthy sleep schedule, you should start to see results in a month or so!

Beginner Workout

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS	REST TIME
Lateral Curls	3	10-12	60 seconds
Bicep Curls	3	10-12	30 seconds
Hammer Curls	2	12-15	30 seconds
Concentration Curls	2	8-10	30 seconds

Advanced Workout

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS	REST TIME
Assisted Close-Grip Pull-Ups	4	12-15	1 minute
Preacher Curls	4	12-15	30 seconds
Drag Curls	3	10-12	30 seconds
Single-Arm Bicep Curls	3	8-10	30 seconds

5 Resistance Band Stretches For Biceps

Related: Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises

1. Standing Bicep Stretch

Secure your band to an anchor on the ground. Face away from the anchor and hold one end of the band in between your clasped hands behind your back. 

Slowly start to walk forward until you feel a nice stretch in your biceps and shoulders. Stay here for ten seconds before releasing.

2. Wall Bicep Stretch

Anchor one end of your band to something at chest height. Grab the other end of the band with one hand and stand away from the anchor so that arm is fully extended. 

Slowly turn your body so that you are facing away from the anchor and the arm holding the band starts to go behind you. Hold here for ten seconds before switching to the other side.

This stretch is amazing for your biceps, chest, and the front of your shoulders!

3. Hanging Stretch

Throw a band over a pull-up bar and secure both your hands on either end. Slowly start to come down to your knees while keeping your arms fully extended above your head.

The further away you get from the bar, the more you should start to feel your biceps lengthen out and release tension.

4. Lower Back Stretch

Attach a band to an anchor at waist level. Hinge at your hips, grip the band, and slowly take a few steps back until you feel a nice stretch along your biceps and back. 

Keep your arms extended and your gaze on the floor for the entirety of this stretch.

5. Winged Stretch

Anchor your band at chest height. Slide each of your arms through a handle so that it rests at the elbow. Hold your arms up so they form a 90-degree angle and your elbows are in line with your shoulders with your palms facing forward.

Slowly start to walk forward and let your elbows come back due to the resistance of the band. Once you start to feel a stretch in the fronts of your biceps, pause for ten seconds before releasing.

Variation of Hand Position For Resistance Band Bicep Exercises

Related: Do You Have Bad Bicep Genetics?

The two most common hand positions for band bicep exercises are with your palms facing up and your palms facing in. 

When your palms are facing up, the short head of the bicep is primarily worked. This is the head that builds the width of your bicep.

The long head of the bicep is challenged when your palms are facing in during an exercise. The long head creates the length of the bicep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you build biceps with resistance bands?  

You can certainly build your biceps with resistance bands because they challenge the muscle fibers of your biceps throughout an exercise. 

As long as you are consistent with your routine and make sure that there is enough resistance being provided with the bands, you should see improvement in your physique and strength.

Are resistance bands good for bicep curls?

Resistance bands are great for bicep curls because they can easily be maneuvered throughout the motion required.

Final Tips

We hope that you enjoyed our compilation of the best resistance band bicep exercises and stretches. 

By continuously training your biceps and ensuring that you use progressive overload, you should see a visible difference in no time! 

Be sure to take before and after pictures to serve as an extra dose of motivation along your journey.

Start by choosing either the beginner or advanced workout to try, and let us know what you think about it in the comments below. 

Also, don’t forget to share this article with anyone else you know who wants to build their biceps and transform their physique!