Dumbbell concentration curl
A seated, braced bicep curl. The strictest isolation available because momentum is completely removed.
The movement
2 stages
Arm extended
01 Arm extended
Sit with legs apart, bracing your elbow against the inside of your thigh.
02 Curl
Curl the weight up without letting your elbow slide or your torso sway.
How to do it
Setup
- Sit on the edge of a bench with your legs spread wide.
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand and brace the back of that elbow against the inside of your thigh.
- Let the arm hang straight down.
Execution
- Curl the weight up toward your shoulder, keeping your elbow glued to your thigh.
- Squeeze at the top of the movement.
- Lower slowly under control until the arm is completely straight.
BreathingExhale as you curl the weight up, inhale on the way down.
Getting it right
Form cues
- Do not lean back or sway your torso as you lift.
- The elbow stays planted against the leg the entire time.
- Straighten the arm fully at the bottom of every rep.
Common mistakes
- Slipping the elbow off the leg to cheat the weight up.
- Using a weight so heavy you have to heave your shoulder back to finish the rep.
- Cutting the bottom of the range short.
Worth knowing
- If you cannot complete a rep, simply lower the dumbbell to the floor.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The concentration curl removes the rest of the body from the movement entirely. By bracing the elbow against the leg while seated, you eliminate the hip swing and shoulder heave that commonly cheat standing curls. This makes it an incredibly effective isolation exercise for the biceps.
Because it is so strict, you will lift significantly less weight than you do standing. That is the point. The lighter weight is doing more direct work on the target muscle.
It is common to see people rest the point of their elbow on top of the kneecap. That creates a pivot point they can rock back on. Press the flat back of the triceps against the fleshy inside of the thigh instead, which creates a stable, unmoving base.