Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

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

  1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell with a shoulder-width supinated (underhand) grip.
  2. Allow the bar to rest at your thighs with your arms fully extended and shoulders retracted and depressed.
  3. Brace your core and keep your elbows tucked close to your torso.

Movement

  1. Curl the barbell upward by flexing the elbows while keeping your upper arms stationary at your sides.
  2. Continue lifting until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar reaches upper-chest height.
  3. Pause briefly at the top to squeeze the biceps.
  4. 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

  • Biceps brachii prime mover
  • Brachialis synergist
  • Brachioradialis synergist
  • Wrist and finger flexors stabilizer
  • Front deltoid stabilizer

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

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-curl.json