The 9 Best Short Head Bicep Dumbbell Exercises

Do you want to fill out your shirt sleeves with thicker, broader biceps? The classic bicep curl is among the most popular upper body exercises, but bicep training doesn’t stop there. Your biceps brachii comprises two distinct muscle heads, the short head, and the long head. The long head creates height, or the ‘peak’ of the bicep, while the short bicep head gives the muscle its breadth and thickness. You can’t wholly isolate either of the muscle’s two heads, but you can make some tweaks to emphasize the short head of your bicep muscle.

Many popular bicep exercises focus on building a higher muscle peak while neglecting the short bicep head. Check our definitive list of the most effective short head bicep exercises. Read on for some simple but effective exercises for building bigger biceps using dumbbells. 

1. Dumbbell Preacher Curls
2. Lying Bicep Curls 
3. Dumbbell Spider Curls 
4. Dumbbell Concentration Curls
5. Zottman Curls
6. Dumbbell Reverse Curls
7. Wide Grip Dumbbell Curls 
8. Upper Range of Motion Dumbbell Curls 
9. Incline Supinating Curls 

1. Dumbbell Preacher Curls

Benefits of Dumbbell Preacher Curls

The preacher curl is among the best short head bicep exercises because it leverages two of the main functions of the inner bicep: elbow flexion and forearm supination. Preacher curls are a fantastic short head bicep exercise as it forces your elbows to remain fixed in front of your body. Preacher curls brace your triceps against an angled pad, keep your arms supinated, and eliminate any swinging or momentum. You can do preacher curls with a straight barbell, EZ bar, or a pair of dumbbells. Keeping your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width further emphasizes your short head biceps.

How to Perform Dumbbell Preacher Curls

1. Position yourself at a preacher curl station with your upper arms pressed against the preacher pad. Keep them stationary throughout the exercise.
2. Tuck your chin and brace your abdominals to keep your torso stationary and your spine neutral.
3. Grab a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip. Your palms should face outward throughout the exercise.
4. Let the dumbbells hang in your arms with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Keep your arms straight but don’t lock out your elbows.
5. Squeeze your inner biceps to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
6. Pause when your forearms are vertical and almost touching your biceps. Squeeze your short bicep head at the point of peak contraction.
7. Slowly lower the dumbbells to their starting position. Fully extend your arms but do not lock out your elbows to avoid a hyperextension injury.
8. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps.

To address muscular imbalances and isolate one short bicep head at a time, you can do this exercise unilaterally (training one arm at a time). If doing this unilateral variation, always start with your weaker or less dominant arm and match the reps on your stronger arm. Here’s a helpful video demonstrating the single-arm preacher curl with dumbbells and an incline bench, in case you can’t access a preacher pad. 

2. Lying Bicep Curls

Benefits of Lying Bicep Curls

This bicep curl variation requires you to lie flat on a bench or the ground to eliminate any assistance from your legs or torso. Lying flat as you perform bicep curls keeps the torso neutral and stationary. This position allows you to focus on the correct muscles without generating any momentum or creating spinal compression from sitting or standing. Lying bicep curls increase your range of motion, especially if lying on an elevated bench, allowing your arms to extend further and get a bigger loaded stretch at the bottom of the lift. 

How to Perform Lying Bicep Curls

1. Lie face up on a flat bench or the ground. Firmly plant your feet for added stability. 
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip close to your chest. Slowly extend your arms and lower the dumbbells toward the ground. Your hands should be in front of your shoulders, with your arms creating a diagonal line down and out from your torso.
3. Without moving your upper arms or shoulders, squeeze your biceps to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
4. Pause when the dumbbells are near your shoulders or your biceps and forearms make contact. Squeeze your biceps for 1-2 seconds at the point of peak contraction.
5. Slowly extend your elbows and straighten your arms to return the dumbbells to their starting position.
6. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps.

For a visual aid, here’s a helpful video from fitlopedia. 

3. Dumbbell Spider Curls

Benefits of Dumbbell Spider Curls

Spider curls target the short bicep head as they force your elbows in front of your body, allowing your elbows to move freely. It is hard to cheat when performing spider curls, as your shoulders and spine are pressed against the bench, and momentum is eliminated. Spider curls involve an extended range of motion and give the inner bicep head a great loaded stretch stimulus, yielding better hypertrophy results. 

How to Perform Dumbbell Spider Curls

1. Lie face down on an incline bench set to a 60-degree incline with your stomach pressing into the bench and your upper chest and head above the top edge of the bench. Dig your feet into the ground to anchor and stabilize your torso.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip and your arms hanging over the top of the bench. Point your elbows toward the ground throughout the exercise.
3. Starting with your arms fully extended, squeeze your biceps to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Curl the weight as high as possible without moving your elbows or upper arms. Keep your chin tucked and your upper spine stationary while you curl.
4. Squeeze at the top of the lift to contract your inner biceps as hard as possible. 
5. Slowly extend your arms and lower the dumbbells to their starting position without moving your upper arms.
6. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps. 

Check out this helpful video from Renaissance Periodization demonstrating the proper set-up and technique for dumbbell spider curls. 

4. Dumbbell Concentration Curls

Benefits of Dumbbell Concentration Curls

This old-school bodybuilder exercise is called a concentration curl because it allows you to focus on contracting the biceps brachii one arm at a time. As long as you remember to start on your weaker arm and then match the work on the opposite side, concentration curls improve muscular imbalances. Concentration curls combine elbow flexion with supination, making them among the best short head biceps exercises. Slow down your eccentric motion and focus on fully supinating at the top of each rep. Enjoy the burn and pump in your arms after a few intense sets.

How to Perform Dumbbell Concentration Curls

1. Sit upright on a flat bench with your legs apart and your feet firmly planted wider than hip-width. Your legs should be wide enough to lean forward and curl one arm at a time without bumping into your opposite thigh.
2. Grab a dumbbell in your working arm, hinge forward, and anchor your elbow against the inside of your leg. Prop your non-working arm against your knee to keep it still and out of the way.
3. Let your working arm hang freely between your legs. Your arm should be straight but not locked out.
4. Lean forward so you can look at the arm you are working on. Maintain eye contact throughout to improve mind-to-muscle connection.
5. Squeeze your working bicep as hard as possible to curl the weight up and toward your shoulder. Rotate your wrist at the top of the rep so the dumbbell points at your face.
6. Slowly release by extending your elbow. Do not rush the eccentric portion of this exercise. Doing so means you miss out on significant time under tension and may also risk injuring your elbow through hyperextension.
7. Perform an even number of reps per arm and do as many sets per side as desired.

Check out this helpful video for a demonstration. 

5. Zottman Curls

Benefits of Zottman Curls

The Zottman curl is the namesake of American strongman George Zottman who was renowned for his impressive biceps. Zottman curls are a great compound biceps exercise and work both the inner and outer head of the bicep muscles. This exercise engages your brachialis and forearm flexors. Zottman curls engage more of the short head bicep on the concentric phase and target the long bicep head during the eccentric phase of the lift.

How to Perform Zottman Curls

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing outward. Stand up tall or sit on a bench to eliminate any assistance from your legs.
2. Keep your spine straight and brace your abdominals. Tuck your chin slightly and look straight ahead.
3. Keeping your elbows stationary, squeeze your biceps to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders while keeping your palms facing out.
4. When the dumbbells graze your shoulders, pause and rotate your wrists, so your palms are now facing down. Keep squeezing the dumbbells hard with your hands to keep your wrists activated.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbells toward the ground while maintaining your pronated grip.
6. When your arms are fully extended, rotate your palms to return to a supinated grip.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 for the desired number of reps. Reset the dumbbells at the end of each set.

This video from Bodybuilding.com provides a helpful demonstration of how to perform a Zottman curl.

6. Dumbbell Reverse Curls

Benefits of Dumbbell Reverse Curls

Though often considered a brachioradialis exercise, dumbbell reverse curls engage the short head of your biceps. Reverse curls use a pronated (palms down) grip and engage your forearms and the short head biceps. You may need to use lighter weights for this exercise than a traditional bicep curl, but it will still give your arms a great workout. 

How to Perform Dumbbell Reverse Curls

1. Stand tall and hold two dumbbells with a pronated grip (palms face your thighs). Brace your core and tuck your chin to keep a neutral upper spine.
2. Keep your elbows tucked into your torso to prevent your upper arms from moving. Squeeze your quads and glutes to keep your legs from assisting the curl.
3. Keeping your forearms aligned with your wrists, squeeze your biceps to curl the dumbbells as high as possible. Try to graze your front delts with the dumbbells.
4. Pause for 1-2 seconds, then slowly extend your arms to return the dumbbells to their starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps.

Check out this video from My PT Hub for a demonstration.

7. Wide Grip Dumbbell Curls

Benefits of Wide Grip Dumbbell Curls

A wider grip with your hands outside your shoulders is a helpful modification to effectively target your inner short head bicep. The wide grip dumbbell curl is also known as an inner bicep curl because the wider grip and external shoulder rotation isolates the short bicep’s short head. 

How to Perform Wide Grip Dumbbell Curls

1. Hold two dumbbells with a supinated grip. Stand up tall with a shoulder-width stance and brace your abdominals, glutes, and quads.
2. Let the dumbbells hang by your sides and retract your scapula. Externally rotate your arms so that your short head bicep rests against your rib cage.
3. Breathe in and curl the weight up and towards your front deltoids. Keep your shoulders and elbows locked in place to isolate the biceps brachii.
4. When your hands almost reach your shoulders, rotate your scapula further to supinate the wrist as much as possible. Squeeze your biceps for 1-2 seconds.
5. Slowly reverse the movement to return the dumbbells to your sides.
6. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps. 

For a visual demonstration, here’s a video from My PT Hub.

8. Upper Range of Motion Dumbbell Curls

Benefits of Upper Range of Motion Dumbbell Curls

This dumbbell curl variation targets your short head bicep by limiting the range of motion to the top half of the lift. This method originates from the 21-rep method, which involves doing seven reps in the bottom half of the range of motion, seven reps in the top half of ROM, and seven full-range reps. This curl variation focuses on the top half of the rep to emphasize the short bicep head. Partial reps in this way increase the muscle group’s tension and allow you to lift heavier weights to achieve an excellent bicep pump.

How to Perform Upper Range of Motion Dumbbell Curls

1. Sit or stand with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Your hands should be supinated like in a traditional dumbbell curl.
2. Brace your abdominals and anchor your elbows against your ribcage. Hold the dumbbells by your chest with your elbows bent as if you had just completed a full bicep curl.
3. Slowly lower your hands toward the floor and stop halfway when your elbows are at 90 degrees and your forearms are parallel to the floor.
4. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then squeeze your biceps as hard as possible to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the desired number of reps. Perform as many sets as desired.

Some lifters dislike partial reps, arguing that a full range of motion is always better. However, this video from Athlean-X explains how partial reps benefit metabolic training and promote hypertrophy. Skip to 2:15 for a demonstration of the upper range of motion dumbbell curl. 

9. Incline Supinating Curls

Benefits of Incline Supinating Curls

This curl variation is among the best overall biceps exercises, recruiting both the long and short head of the biceps brachii. To maximize short head bicep activation, exaggerate the supination throughout each rep and slow down the eccentric portion of the movement.

How to Perform Incline Supinating Curls

1. Lie on a bench set to 45-60 degrees incline and plant your feet firmly at shoulder-width. Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip and allow your arms to hang toward the floor.
2. Squeeze your biceps to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders without moving your elbows. Contract your biceps as hard as possible at the top of the rep while maintaining supination.
3. Slowly release the dumbbells to their starting position, extending your arms fully but without locking out your elbows.
4. Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps.

Here’s Scott Herman Fitness with a demonstration.

Other Muscle Groups Exercises

If you enjoyed this post, check out our other collections of the best exercises for each muscle group below.

About Emma Lennon

Emma is a Health Science graduate, qualified personal trainer, and writer. She has over ten years of experience in the health, community development, and communications sectors. She is passionate about making reputable information about health, fitness, and resistance training accessible to all.

Emma loves building her own functional strength and fitness outside of work with various training styles, from weightlifting to calisthenics, yoga, and dancing. She advocates for the powerful potential of exercise to improve physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.