The humble bicep curl is your simplest lift, and an essential ingredient in your quest for titanic arms. For most, the dumbbell curl is where it all begins, and where the passion grows – we’ve all been there as a child, standing in front of our parent’s mirror, curling a bag from the weekly big shopping.
How to Do a Classic Bicep Curl, Effectively
First and foremost let’s learn how to do a simple bicep curl. Because there’s more to it – if you are serious about building bigger biceps – than you think.
- Stand by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging by your sides.
- Ensure your elbows are close to your torso and your palms facing forward.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale as you curl the weights up to shoulder level while contracting your biceps.
Use a thumb-less grip. “Placing your thumb on the same side of the bar as your fingers increases peak contraction in the biceps at the top point of the movement. Hold the weight at shoulder height for a brief pause, then inhale as you slowly lower back to the start position.
3 Top Tips to Get More from Your Bicep Curls
Breathe: Make sure you breathe out as you curl all the way to the top. Squeeze your biceps, then inhale as you lower over a count of three. This will help control speed, ensure you are fully working the bicep and improve focus.
Twist: One of the biceps’ primary functions is to supinate, or rotate, the forearm. To bring maximum muscle into play, embrace the twist. Start with the dumbbells at your sides, then turn your wrist to face the ceiling as you curl up.
Precision: Using lighter weights and isolating your biceps are smart ways to get extra work in without damaging your body. A bench prevents swinging. Kneeling in front of it, grab a light bar on the opposite side. Rest your upper arms on the bench and isolate your biceps, slowly curling towards your forehead. Squeeze, lower and repeat to failure.
3 Most Common Bicep Curl Mistakes
Avoid these common pitfalls to ensure you’re gunning to grow and not just putting on a show.
Swinging: Using momentum might allow more weight to be lifted, but takes the focus away from the biceps. Keep your torso upright, braced and still.
Dropping: Never drop the weight quickly from the top of the rep. If you don’t control the eccentric phase, you won’t get the most out of the move. Maintain tension throughout.
Dragging: Many will push their elbows back and drag the barbell up the body. It’s a movement that isn’t without merit, but it’s better to screw your elbows to your torso and picture them as hinges, following a controlled arc.
