7 Celebrity Biceps Every Workout Warrior Wants & How To Build Them
If you've ever watched a blockbuster movie and found yourself envious of a celebrity's sculpted arms, you're not alone. Hollywood's biggest stars aren't just gifted with great genetics—they work relentlessly to achieve those jaw-dropping biceps that leave us all wondering how they do it. From Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's intense lifting routines to Chris Hemsworth's Thor-inspired strength training, these celebs put in the work day in and day out to build massive, defined, impressive biceps. Their training regimens perfectly blend heavy compound movements, isolation exercises, and functional training focusing on strength and aesthetics.
So how did they get there? The answer lies in consistency, progressive overload, and training smart. These stars don't just pick up weights; they've perfected their techniques and pushed their bodies to the limit with various exercises that hit the biceps from every angle.
In this article, we'll break down the muscle-building strategies of seven celebrities with biceps you'll want to have, including insider tips on how they train, what exercises they swear by, and how you can adopt their methods to start building your impressive arms. Plus, we've got an ultimate biceps workout you can try today to start seeing results.
Ready to level up your arm game? Let's dive in!
1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Dwayne Johnson's biceps training is as intense and disciplined as his fitness regimen. To build his signature arms, The Rock combines compound lifts and isolation exercises. Some of his go-to biceps exercises include barbell, EZ-bar, and preacher curls, focusing on strict form and full-range movements.
From a training perspective, I see progressive overload as a key driver of bicep development—gradually increasing weight or volume over time to stimulate muscle growth. The Rock often incorporates drop sets in his bicep workouts, starting with a heavy weight and progressively reducing it after reaching failure to push his muscles further. In my experience as a fitness professional, emphasizing slow, controlled reps is crucial for maximizing tension on the biceps. Dwayne typically aims for 10-12 reps per set (via Muscle and Fitness), a solid range for muscle growth. This combination of heavy lifting and strict form is a defining feature of his biceps training routine.
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2. Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth focuses on compound lifts and isolation exercises to get Thor's biceps, targeting the arms directly. While his training includes a variety of full-body movements, his biceps-focused exercises are crucial for building the muscle size and definition he's known for.
Chris utilizes a mix of biceps exercises, including standing bicep curl variations, which allow for heavier weights and maximal bicep engagement. He also performs seated incline dumbbell curls, which help stretch the bicep and focus on the long head for better muscle definition. Additionally, the actor does concentration curls to isolate the bicep and build a peak. He is known for emphasizing muscle activation, performing each rep slowly to increase time under tension—key for hypertrophy.
With a mix of heavy lifting and focused isolation work, Chris Hemsworth's biceps routine has helped him achieve the massive arms for his superhero role.
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3. Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill's biceps training reflects his dedication to building strength and muscle definition. While his routine combines functional training and bodybuilding techniques, he focuses on direct bicep work to sculpt his arms for his iconic roles.
Henry often incorporates chin-ups and pull-ups into his workouts, as they engage the arms intensely while hitting the back and shoulders. He performs multiple sets of these compound exercises, using them as a foundation for his arm training. In addition to bodyweight exercises, Henry includes dumbbell and barbell curls to isolate the biceps and increase size. He emphasizes controlled, slow reps, particularly during the lowering phase of each curl, to engage the muscle fully.
The actor's approach to biceps training is balanced between compound lifts for overall strength and isolation curls for growth and definition.
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4. Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan's routine is designed to build muscle mass and definition, focusing on strength training and isolation exercises. For his role as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, Jordan's goal was to develop lean muscle, and his arm training was crucial for achieving his shredded biceps.
The actor's biceps workout includes barbell curls, dumbbell curls, and hammer curls. He also utilizes preacher curls to isolate the biceps and work the muscle to fatigue. One of his signature techniques is starting his sessions with compound lifts, like rows or pulldowns, and refining the workout with isolation exercises, ensuring his arms are continuously under tension.
Michael focuses on the full range of motion in every rep, ensuring that the peak and lower portion of the biceps are fully activated. His training routine emphasizes explosive movements and power, translating into more significant, more defined biceps.
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5. Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa's biceps training is functional and varied, supporting strength and size. While his approach is less about direct isolation and more about functional strength, he incorporates exercises that hit the arms hard.
Jason frequently performs bodyweight exercises like pushups, bear crawls, and pull-ups, all of which engage the biceps. His focus on climbing and other upper-body movements ensures his arms get plenty of work. The actor relies on dumbbell curls to target the biceps directly. These exercises allow him to lift heavy and progressively overload the biceps for growth. In addition to traditional curls, he often uses functional movements such as kettlebell swings, which provide indirect arm engagement while developing overall muscle size.
Jason's training is centered around strength and endurance, which helps sculpt his arms with a focus on size and definition.
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6. Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman's biceps training for his role as Wolverine is intense. The actor combines progressive overload techniques with high-volume work. His approach is built around heavy compound lifts, but he also focuses on specific exercises to sculpt his biceps.
His biceps workout includes classic movements like incline dumbbell curls and zottman bicep curls, emphasizing strict form and full range of motion. Hugh also incorporates cross-body curls and pronated curls to target the bicep peak and build overall arm size. He often utilizes supersets, combining bicep exercises with compound lifts like deadlifts or bench presses to push his muscles further.
Hugh Jackman's training includes higher rep ranges, typically 10-12 reps per set, to create muscle hypertrophy and increase muscle endurance. His disciplined approach to biceps training has helped him maintain massive, defined arms for his iconic Wolverine look.
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7. Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg's commitment to fitness is reflected in his intense biceps training routine. He combines heavy weightlifting with high-intensity exercises to build muscle and definition. Mark's favorite exercises for his biceps include barbell curls, dumbbell curls, and chin-ups.
The actor's biceps workouts often involve supersets, combining isolation exercises like bicep curls with compound movements such as deadlifts or bench presses. He focuses on controlled, slow reps to ensure maximum muscle engagement and time under tension. Mark also incorporates machine and preacher curls to isolate and exhaust the biceps. His emphasis on progressive overload and a high volume of sets and reps has helped him develop powerful and defined arms. His workout routine, clean diet, and recovery plan have been instrumental in sculpting his physique, including his impressive biceps.
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The Ultimate Biceps Workout
This ultimate biceps workout is designed to pack on thickness and definition, hitting your arms from all angles. Using a combination of dumbbells, a barbell, a pull-up bar, and a cable machine (or resistance bands), you'll target every part of your biceps for maximum growth.
Follow this 45 to 60-minute routine with strict form and controlled movements, and watch your arms grow more substantial and defined with each set.
What You Need: Dumbbells, a barbell, a pull-up bar, and a cable machine (or resistance bands) are used in this 45 to 60-minute workout, which is designed to build thick, defined biceps.
The Routine:
- Chin-Ups: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Preacher Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps
Directions: This workout hits your biceps from multiple angles, ensuring peak development and overall thickness. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between sets, focusing on strict form and controlled negatives.
How to Do It:
1. Chin-Ups
- Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Start in a full hang with arms extended.
- Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
- Lower yourself down slowly to the starting position.
2. Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldowns
- Sit at a lat pulldown machine and grab the bar with an underhand grip.
- Pull the bar down to your chest while keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Slowly release back to the starting position.
3. Barbell Curls
- Stand tall and grip a barbell with a shoulder-width underhand grip.
- Curl the bar up, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top, then slowly lower the weight.
4. Hammer Curls
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing inward).
- Curl the dumbbells up while keeping your elbows stationary.
- Slowly lower them back down.
5. Preacher Curls
- Sit at a preacher curl station and place your arms on the pad.
- Grab the bar or dumbbell with an underhand grip.
- Curl the weight up while keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Lower slowly and fully extend your arms.
