Exercises for the Biceps Brachii Long Head

Biceps Brachii Long Head: 200+ exercises in the FitRay library, each with the muscles it works, step-by-step instructions, the equipment it needs and its own common mistakes.

What the long head of the biceps does

The biceps has two heads. The long head runs on the outer side of the front of the arm, and its tendon passes over the top of the upper arm into the shoulder joint. Like the short head, it bends the elbow and turns the palm up; because it crosses the shoulder, it is stretched most when the arm is behind the body.

How to train it

Any curl trains it, but curls with the arm behind the body (incline curls, Bayesian cable curls) load it at full stretch, and drag curls keep the elbows back. A slightly narrower grip also shifts some work towards the long head.

Five to start with

  1. 1
    IntermediateIncline Dumbbell Curl

    Lying back puts the arm behind the body and stretches the long head.

  2. 2
    IntermediateBayesian Cable Curl

    Facing away from the cable trains the long head hardest at full stretch.

  3. 3
    IntermediateDrag Curl

    Dragging the bar up the body keeps the elbows back and the work on the long head.

  4. 4
    BeginnerBarbell Curl

    The heavy basic curl, easy to load and track.

  5. 5
    BeginnerHammer Curl

    A neutral grip adds the brachialis and brachioradialis to the work.

All 200+ exercises that work the long head of the biceps