Dumbbell Curl

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Stand or sit holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms fully extended and palms facing forward (or neutral for hammer curls).

2. 2

   Curl the weight up by flexing at the elbow only — your upper arm should stay pinned to your side.

3. 3

   Squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the movement, then lower under a controlled 2-3 second eccentric.

4. 4

   Avoid swinging, leaning back, or using momentum. If you need to cheat the weight up, it is too heavy.

Common Mistakes

• Swinging the body to generate momentum. Pin your elbows to your sides and use only your biceps.

• Not fully extending the arm at the bottom, which reduces the stretch and shortchanges the range of motion.

• Going too heavy and compensating with front delt activation. Isolation exercises work best with strict form and moderate loads.

Pro Tips

• Supinate your wrist (turn your pinky toward the ceiling) at the top of the curl. The biceps are powerful supinators, and this squeeze maximizes contraction.

• Use a 3-second eccentric (lowering) on every rep. The biceps grow exceptionally well from slow eccentrics.

Related Exercises