Biceps Curl
The standard arm exercise: with your elbows fixed at your sides, you curl a weight from straight arms up toward your shoulders, mainly working your biceps.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
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Why do it
It's the core biceps exercise for every level, and the variant matters more than you'd think. Dumbbells let each arm work on its own and suit home training; a barbell lets you load heaviest; an EZ bar does the same with an angled grip that's easier on the wrists. The cable keeps tension at the bottom, the machine pins your upper arms so you can't swing, and a kettlebell's offset weight adds a grip challenge. Pick one or two you can progress steadily and stick with them.
How to do it (Machine)
Set the seat so your upper arms rest flat on the pad and your elbows line up with the machine's pivot.
Sit back with your feet flat and grip the handles with your palms facing up.
Curl the handles toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms on the pad.
Lower them slowly to full extension without letting the stack drop. The pad holds your arms in place, so there's no way to swing the weight up.
Attach a straight bar to the low pulley and stand facing the machine, feet about shoulder-width apart.
Grip the bar underhand with your arms straight and your elbows at your sides.
Curl the bar up toward your shoulders, moving only your forearms.
Lower it slowly to full extension. Unlike dumbbells, the cable keeps tension on the biceps at the bottom of every rep.
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing forward.
Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders with your elbows fixed at your sides.
Lower them slowly until your arms are straight again.
You can curl both arms together or alternate. Alternating usually lets you handle a bit more weight per arm.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the EZ bar underhand on the angled sections, hands a little narrower than shoulder-width.
Start with the bar at hip level, arms straight and elbows close to your sides.
Curl the bar up toward your chest, moving only your forearms.
Lower it slowly until your arms are straight again. The angled grip is easier on the wrists than a straight bar, which is the main reason to use it.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grip the barbell underhand at about shoulder width.
Let the bar hang in front of your thighs with your arms straight and your elbows at your sides.
Curl the bar up to shoulder height, keeping your elbows in one place.
Lower it slowly until your arms are straight. If your torso starts swinging to get the bar moving, take weight off.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a kettlebell by the handle in one hand, palm facing forward.
Curl the kettlebell up toward your shoulder with your elbow fixed at your side.
Squeeze the biceps at the top; the bell will rest against your forearm.
Lower slowly until your arm is straight, then switch arms. The offset weight pulls on your wrist, so keep it straight.
Common mistakes
Swinging your torso
Rocking your hips and back to start the weight turns the curl into a full-body lift. If you need a swing, the weight is too heavy; stand tall and move only your forearms.
Elbows drifting forward
Bringing your elbows forward at the top lets your front delts lift and takes tension off the biceps. Keep your elbows by your sides from start to finish.
Dropping the weight on the way down
Letting the weight fall gives away half of every rep. Lower it slowly until your arms are straight.
Stopping short of straight arms
Restarting each rep from bent arms makes the set easier but skips the bottom of the range. Straighten your arms fully before the next curl.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
