Dumbbell curl
The biceps curl. Simple and direct, and done strictly it is still the best arm builder there is.
The movement
Arms long
01 Arms long
Elbows pinned to your sides, palms facing forward.
02 Curl
Finish at the shoulder without letting the elbow drift forward.
How to do it
Setup
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing forward.
- Pin your elbows to your sides, where they stay for the whole set.
Execution
- Curl the weights toward your shoulders by bending only your elbows.
- Squeeze at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
- Lower all the way to straight arms on a slow count.
Form cues
- Elbows stay at your ribs; your upper arms do not swing.
- Lower all the way to straight before the next rep.
Common mistakes
- Rocking your hips to swing the weights up.
- Half reps that never reach straight arms.
- Rushing the way down, which is where half the growth comes from.
Worth knowing
- Hanging at the bottom with straight arms and heavy weights strains the elbow. Keep a little tension there rather than resting.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The curl gets dismissed more than it deserves. Direct biceps work adds arm size that rowing and chin-ups start but never finish, and done strictly it is a precise exercise. One joint, one muscle, nowhere to hide.
Being strict is the entire technique. Elbows pinned, torso still, a full range from a straight arm to a hard squeeze, and a descent you could stop at any point. The swinging half-rep version trains your hips and your elbow tendons, in that order.
Change grips across the week. Palms up and palms facing each other spread the work between the biceps and the muscle sitting underneath it. Keep sets in the 8–15 range, add reps before you add weight, and make the last rep look like the first.