Barbell Curl
oec:barbell-curl
A foundational free-weight isolation exercise that targets the elbow flexors using a supinated barbell grip.
Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.
Also called: Barbell Biceps Curl, Straight Bar Curl, Barbell Bicep Curl, Biceps Curls With Barbell
How to do it
Setup
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell with a shoulder-width supinated (underhand) grip.
- Allow the bar to rest at your thighs with your arms fully extended and shoulders retracted and depressed.
- Brace your core and keep your elbows tucked close to your torso.
Movement
- Curl the barbell upward by flexing the elbows while keeping your upper arms stationary at your sides.
- Continue lifting until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar reaches upper-chest height.
- Pause briefly at the top to squeeze the biceps.
- Lower the barbell slowly along the same path under control until your elbows are fully extended.
Breathing
Exhale as you curl the bar upward, and inhale as you lower it back down.
Cues
- Pin your elbows to your ribs
- Squeeze the bar hard
- Control the descent
Common faults
- Swinging the torso and using hip momentum to swing the bar up.
- Keep your core braced and maintain an upright torso, reducing load if needed.
- Drifting the elbows forward excessively during the curl, turning it into a front-delt raise.
- Keep the upper arms locked vertically against your sides throughout the movement.
- Cutting the bottom of the range of motion short without full elbow extension.
- Lower the bar all the way down until your triceps gently engage before starting the next rep.
Safety
- Avoid hyperextending the lumbar spine when lifting near failure.
Muscles
Joints
- Elbow: Flexion, Extension
- Wrist: Isometric stabilization
- Shoulder: Isometric stabilization
Details
- Movement
- Elbow flexion isolation
- Modality
- Hypertrophy, Strength
- Mechanics
- isolation
- Force
- pull
- Laterality
- bilateral
- Kinetic chain
- open
- Level
- beginner
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Record
- Repetitions and Load
- Load
- external, total
Related
- substitute for EZ-Bar Curl
- substitute for Dumbbell Curl
- substitute for Dumbbell Biceps Curl
- substitute for Cable Curl
Sources
- wger: Biceps Curls With Barbell, by wger.de (CC-BY-SA-3.0)
This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.