• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Bodybuilding News » Jeff Nippard Ranks Best and Worst Biceps Exercises 

Jeff Nippard Ranks Best and Worst Biceps Exercises 

Nippard crowned Bayesian cable curls king of biceps exercises; preacher curls a close second!

Written by Matt Magnante
Last updated on October 31st, 2024

Though the biceps are small muscles that flex the arm, when well-developed, they command a visual prominence comparable to much larger muscles, which requires proper training. 

On Oct. 19, 2024, exercise scientist Jeff Nippard ranked biceps exercises from most to least effective in a tier list from “S” for a Super movement to “F” for Fail. 

Nippard’s 3 Criteria for Biceps Gains

Nippard ranked exercises based on the following criteria:

  • Stretch and Tension: Best exercises are most challenging in the stretch with even resistance. 
  • Fluidity and comfort: How well you can feel the muscles working without pain or discomfort. 
  • Simple Progression: Adding weight should be easy and accessible, not limiting tension.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNO4OtYoCYk&ab_channel=JeffNippard

[Related: Jeff Nippard Assaulted by Fitness Influencer Mike Van Wyck]

Worst Exercises — Scott, Drag, Spider, and Waiter Curls

These are exercises to avoid via Nippard’s ranking criteria.

The Scott curl, named eponymously after the first Mr. Olympia champ Larry Scott, is what Nippard calls a worse version of preacher curls. 

By placing your arms vertically, you’re removing all the tension in the stretched position.

While drag curls offer a better stretch, they limit motion, and Nippard would rather do traditional curls.

Nippard’s vote for the worst biceps exercise is waiter curls, which use a weight plate to limit resistance and crank the wrists while being awkward awkwardness.

To hyperextend your wrists and take the forearms out, do it with [two] dumbbells but with more freedom.

B-Tier (Good)

  • Straight Barbell Curl 
  • Flat Bench Curl 
  • Chin-Up

What makes the beloved barbell curl good but not great or super? Two flaws: uneven tension and suboptimal stretch. While curling on a flat bench provides better bottom tension, it’s hard to progress. It could be considered a C-tier technique, but accessibility bumps it to “B.” 

You’ll still grow your biceps as long as you push hard.

The chin-up was rated the best back exercise for the biceps since it doubles as a bodyweight curl. However, the back may take over, making it less optimal than isolation exercises.

A-Tier (Great)

Nippard likes these exercises, but they fall short of the Super tier due to a lack of peak stretch or tentative ranking.

  • Standing EZ Bar Curl
  • Dumbbell Curl
  • 21’s — performed top to bottom
  • Incline Curl
  • Lying Curl
  • Standing Cable Curl 
  • Modified Bayesian Curl
  • Barbell Cheat Curl
  • Barbell Strict Curl
  • Hammer Curl
  • Inverse Zottman Curl

Standing EZ, or curved bar curls, ranked higher than straight bar curls for the more comfortable grip angle. However, as Nippard emphasized, preacher curls are better. On that topic, swap incline curls for the superior stretched tension of curls lying on a flat bench.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeff Nippard (@jeffnippard)

Nippard considers hammer curls the best for building biceps height, or “peaks,” emphasizing the brachialis muscle — beneath and alongside the outer biceps, similar in size — which pushes the biceps up. Ideally, do them on a preacher bench.

At the bottom of A-Tier are Inverse Zottmans and cheat curls, which offer similar benefits. 

Using a little momentum [or curling with a hammer grip] to help get the weight [up], you can curl up more load, then resist and control the load on the very anabolic negative phase.

“Super” Curls 

The “S-tier” is Nippard’s cream of biceps exercises, with minimal to no flaws.

  • 45-degree Preacher Curl
  • Face Away Bayesian Curl 

This category includes all 45-degree free-weight and machine preacher curls.

“Angling your upper arm pulls more tension into your [lower] biceps in the stretched position. [This] seems more important than the total stretch,” referencing a 2023 study showing that preacher curls target biceps growth better than incline curls. (1)

If Nippard had to choose his favorite, though, it’s the face-away Bayesian cable curl. “It’s amazing,” he claims.

“By placing your arms back behind your torso [while using cables], you get maximum stretch on the biceps, and you still get that nice even tension,” he said. 

More Bodybuilding Content

  • Chris Bumstead To Compete in Men’s Open Bodybuilding Division at 2024 Prague Pro
  • Jay Cutler Explains How Pro Bodybuilders Do the Dumbbell Bench Press
  • The Number-One Key to Improving Your Arm Training

References

  1. Zabaleta-Korta A, Fernández-Peña E, Torres-Unda J, Francés M, Zubillaga A, Santos-Concejero J. Regional Hypertrophy: The Effect of Exercises at Long and Short Muscle Lengths in Recreationally Trained Women. J Hum Kinet. 2023 Jul 15;87:259-270. doi: 10.5114/jhk/163561. PMID: 37559762; PMCID: PMC10407320.

Featured Image: @jeffnippard on Instagram

About Matt Magnante

Matthew Magnante is a seasoned writer and content editor who has authored hundreds of articles in various categories including bodybuilding, strength sports, CrossFit, general health and fitness, and MMA. His childhood fascination with the 80s and 90s bodybuilding legends fueled his passion for living and breathing weight training, nutrition, and everything in between. Matt was involved in martial arts for most of his youth and is a huge UFC fan. Having beaten the worst of anxiety and chronic stress using natural techniques, he’s also learning just as much about the mind and loves to help others improve their well-being and overall health.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap