Dumbbell Curl
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position.
- 2Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- 3Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- 4Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
About Dumbbell Curl
The dumbbell curl is a fundamental isolation exercise for the biceps, done with a dumbbell in each hand. It lets you train each arm independently, which fixes imbalances, and allows full wrist supination — turning the palm up at the top of the lift — for a maximal biceps contraction. Keep the elbows fixed by your sides and avoid swinging the torso to throw the weight up. It is an essential staple of arm training, as useful for the beginner as the advanced lifter, and adaptable as alternating, simultaneous, standing or seated.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleCorrects strength imbalances between the two arms
- check_circleAllows full supination for a stronger contraction
- check_circleScales to any load and any experience level
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbRotate the palms upward as you raise the dumbbell
- lightbulbKeep the elbows fixed along your torso
- lightbulbAlternate arms or curl both together depending on your goal
- lightbulbControl the descent to full extension
warningCommon mistakes
- warningSwinging the body to throw the dumbbells up
- warningLetting the elbows drift forward instead of staying fixed
- warningFailing to fully rotate the wrist into supination
- warningCutting the descent short by dropping the weight
helpFrequently asked questions
Should I do dumbbell curls alternating or together?expand_more
Alternating aids focus and allows heavier loads; simultaneous is more time-efficient; use both depending on your goals.
Standing or seated for dumbbell curls?expand_more
Seated reduces momentum and isolates the biceps better; standing lets you load slightly heavier.
Should I rotate the wrist (supinate) on the way up?expand_more
Yes: starting palm-in then turning the palm up at the top recruits the biceps more, since one of its jobs is supination. It is an advantage over a neutral lift.
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