Biceps Curl
Curling weight from a long arm to the shoulder — direct arm strength; hammer grip (palms in) hits the forearms too.
Also called: curl, dumbbell curl, hammer curl, dumbbell biceps curl
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
Stand tall, weights at your sides, elbows tucked close to the ribs.
How to do the Biceps Curl
- Curl the weight up without the elbow drifting forward.
- Squeeze at the top, then lower SLOWLY to a fully straight arm.
- Torso stays still — no rocking.
- Full range beats heavy half-reps.
Biceps Curl muscles worked
The Biceps Curl works the biceps and forearms.
Common Biceps Curl mistakes
- Swinging the body to start the rep.
- Cutting the lowering short of a straight arm.
- Elbows sliding forward, turning it into a front raise.
Scale it
Easier: Lighter weight, alternate arms.
Harder: Slow 3-second lowering, or pause halfway down.
Pairs well with
Reverse Curl
A curl with palms facing down — shifts the work to the forearms and brachialis for elbow resilience and grip.
Bent-Over Row
Pulling weight to the torso from a hip hinge — upper-back and lat strength that balances all the pressing and hunching in daily life.
Inverted Row
A horizontal bodyweight pull under a bar or table edge — the pulling twin of the push-up and the on-ramp to pull-ups.
Lat Pulldown
The cable version of the pull-up — same back-building pull, fully adjustable load.