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Biceps curl
The most-done exercise in the gym and one with the least technique to it, which is exactly the problem: because it's easy, people use more weight than they should and the movement ends up coming from the back and shoulders.
What it works
- Biceps brachii, the front of the arm
- Brachialis and brachioradialis, underneath and to the side, which fill out the arm from the sides
- Forearms, holding the grip throughout the set
How to do it
- 1Stand tall and firm
Feet hip-width apart, knees slightly soft, abs tight. Barbell or dumbbells hanging with your arms straight.
- 2Elbows tucked to your sides
Your elbows are the hinge and they don't travel. If they drift forward as you curl, your shoulders start helping and your biceps work less.
- 3Curl up while turning your wrist
With dumbbells, curl up bringing your pinky toward your shoulder: that final turn is part of the biceps' job. With a barbell, just curl up without letting your wrist bend back.
- 4Squeeze at the top
A moment at the top, without resting the weight on your shoulder. If you can rest at the top, you've gone too far.
- 5Lower slowly and straighten
Lowering is the harder half and the one almost everyone lets drop. Two or three seconds, and straighten your elbow fully at the bottom.
The mistakes you see most
- Swinging. Using your back for momentum is how you lift a weight you shouldn't. Stand with your back against a wall for a couple of sets and you'll see what weight we're really talking about.
- Half reps. Stopping halfway at the top and halfway at the bottom. The biceps also grows in the stretched position, so straighten fully at the bottom.
- Elbows moving forward. When your elbow travels forward, your shoulder joins in. If it always happens to you, try the preacher bench, which won't let it.
- Bending your wrist. Your wrist stays straight and firm. Bent back, the weight goes to your forearm and it gets uncomfortable.
Variations
- Hammer. With your palms facing each other. More brachialis and forearm, and it usually allows a bit more weight.
- Incline bench. Sitting on a bench at forty-five degrees, arms hanging behind you. The biceps starts more stretched and you feel it a lot more.
- Preacher. With your arm resting on the angled pad. Impossible to swing, and the bottom of the range is where it works hardest.
- Cable. The tension is constant from bottom to top, with no easy spots. A good option for the last sets.
Frequently asked questions
Barbell or dumbbells?
A barbell lets you move a bit more weight; dumbbells let each arm work on its own and your wrists rotate. Alternating them is usually the most sensible approach, and if your wrists bother you, an EZ bar helps.
How many sets a week?
Your biceps already work in every back pull. A few direct sets a week are usually enough; rows and pull-ups give you the rest of the volume.
My elbow hurts
It usually comes from straightening suddenly with a lot of weight or from the straight-bar grip. Try an EZ bar or hammer curls, and lower the weight: your elbow warns you early and stays angry for weeks.
Is it worth squeezing at the top for a few seconds?
Squeezing for a moment is fine to feel the muscle, but it doesn't replace doing the full range or adding weight over time, which is what really changes your arm.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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