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Exercise library · Biceps

Barbell curl

Curl for the biceps with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Grip the bar shoulder-width

  1. Starting position

    Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold the bar by your thighs with palms forward and hands shoulder-width apart.

  2. The movement

    Bend your elbows and lift the bar toward your shoulders, then lower it with control until your arms are straight.

Most common mistake

Don't swing your body or push your elbows forward, keep your upper arms still by your sides.

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Muscle group
Biceps
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The barbell curl mainly trains your biceps, which bend your elbow and turn your palm upwards. Underneath the biceps lies the brachialis, which also bends the elbow and works in every curl, and the brachioradialis in your forearm helps out. The forearm flexors hold the grip. A narrower or wider grip is sometimes said to shift the emphasis between the two heads of the biceps, but the difference is small. Choose the grip that feels good in your wrists and elbows.

Common mistakes

  • Bending your wrists. Curling them in at the top, or letting them bend back at the bottom, moves the work to your forearms. Keep your wrists straight, in line with your forearms.
  • Rolling your shoulders forward. When you hunch over, your front delts join in the lift. Stand tall with your chest up and shoulders back, and keep that posture for the whole set.
  • Sticking with a grip that does not suit you. Some people feel a straight bar in their wrists or elbows. Try a slightly different grip width or switch to an EZ bar. If it hurts, stop the exercise and have a doctor or physiotherapist look at it.

Variations and alternatives

  • EZ bar curls put your wrists in a more natural position with the angled bar.
  • Dumbbell curls let each arm work on its own, so your stronger side cannot help the weaker one.
  • Preacher curls rest your upper arms on a pad, which makes it hard to cheat with your body.
  • Hammer curls are done with your palms facing each other and put more of the work on the brachialis and forearm.

Sets and reps

The barbell curl is best suited to building muscle, and most people do it for 8 to 12 reps over three or four sets. You can drop to 6 to 8 reps with a heavier weight, but really heavy sets of 3 to 6 reps rarely add anything in an isolation exercise like this. 12 to 20 reps works well as the last arm exercise of the session. The guide to sets and reps has more on this.

With a barbell you can add weight in small steps using the smallest plates. Even 2.5 kg is a big jump for the biceps, so add reps first and raise the weight once you reach the top of your range on every set, as in the guide to progressive overload.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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