Dumbbell Curl

Setup

Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length, palms facing forward or neutral to start, elbows at the sides.

Execution

1. 1Keep the upper arm stationary, elbow pinned to the side
2. 2Curl the dumbbell up while supinating the wrist if starting neutral
3. 3Squeeze the biceps at the top
4. 4Lower under control back to full extension

Key cues

• Elbow stays still, only the forearm moves
• Rotate the palm up if starting from a neutral grip
• No swinging the shoulder to help the lift
• Full stretch at the bottom every rep

Common faults

• Swinging the dumbbells using shoulder momentum
• Letting the elbow drift forward away from the torso
• Curling both arms unevenly when alternating
• Rushing the eccentric portion of the lift

Tweaks

• Alternate arms instead of curling both simultaneously
• Seated version to remove any lower body momentum
• Add a 1-2 second squeeze at the top

Muscles

Notes

The most commonly performed accessory biceps exercise across nearly all strength programs due to its simplicity and equipment minimalism.

Sources

• Dumbbell Curl - ExRx.net (Biceps exercises library)
• The PERFECT Bicep Workout - Athlean-X

Attribution: ExRx.net / Classical Bodybuilding Canon