Dumbbell Curl

oec:dumbbell-curl

A standing free-weight isolation movement that trains the elbow flexors, emphasizing the biceps brachii through combined forearm supination and elbow flexion.

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: Dumbbell Biceps Curl, Dumbbell Bicep Curl, Standing Dumbbell Curl, DB Curl

How to do it

Setup

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly unlocked.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms fully extended down by your sides and palms facing inward toward your thighs.

Movement

Pin your upper arms firmly beside your torso.
Flex your elbows to curl the weights upward, rotating your forearms into a fully supinated (palms-up) position as the dumbbells pass your thighs.
Continue lifting until your biceps reach a peak contraction near shoulder height, without letting the elbows drift forward.
Squeeze your biceps at the top for a moment.
Lower the dumbbells in a controlled motion, gradually rotating your forearms back to neutral as you return to full elbow extension.

Breathing

Exhale while curling the weights upward, and inhale as you lower them under control.

Cues

Glue your elbows to your sides
Turn your pinkies up at the top
Control the descent all the way to straight arms

Common faults

Swinging the torso and using hip momentum to heave the dumbbells upward.: Brace your core and glutes to keep the torso stationary; reduce load if necessary.
Drifting the elbows forward during the curl, turning it into shoulder flexion.: Keep your elbows pinned directly underneath your shoulders throughout the repetition.
Cutting the bottom of the repetition short and failing to reach full elbow extension.: Lower the weight until your arms are completely straight to ensure full range of motion.

Safety

Avoid hyper-extending the lower back while initiating the movement

Muscles

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

Joints

Elbow: Flexion, Extension
Forearm: Supination, Pronation
Shoulder: Isometric stabilization
Wrist: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement: Elbow flexion isolation
Modality: Hypertrophy, Strength
Mechanics: isolation
Force: pull
Laterality: bilateral
Kinetic chain: open
Level: beginner
Equipment: Dumbbell
Record: Repetitions and Load
Load: external, per implement

substitute for Barbell Curl
substitute for EZ-Bar Curl
substitute for Cable Curl
substitute for Cable Biceps Curl
part of Dumbbell Curl to Overhead Press

Sources

wger: Dumbbell Curl, by amaesc (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

dumbbell-curl.json