Barbell Curl

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Stand holding a barbell with an underhand shoulder-width grip, arms fully extended.

2. 2

   Curl the bar up by flexing your elbows only. Your upper arms stay pinned to your sides.

3. 3

   Squeeze at the top, then lower the bar under a controlled 2-3 second eccentric to full arm extension.

4. 4

   Keep your torso still throughout. If you are swaying, the weight 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.

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