Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Dumbbell Bicep Curl is a safe first rung on the ladder and fits late in an arms workout.
How to do Dumbbell Bicep Curl
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position.
- Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Bicep Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
The other half of the week
First plan free
Training is half the prescription
A session tells your biceps to adapt. The week you eat decides whether they can. FitFocus writes that week against your own calorie and macro numbers, in about a minute, for free.
- Included: Seven days solved against your calorie and macro targets
- Included: Diet type and allergies applied before the plan is written
- Included: Built from the same profile as your workout plan, on one account
- Days
- 7
- Meals / day
- 3-6
- Diet types
- 5
- Exclusions
- 6
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Common Dumbbell Bicep Curl Mistakes
Letting the bells drift off the working path
Keep both dumbbells travelling the same line on every rep.
Letting a nearby joint take over as the set gets hard
Stop the set as soon as the working joint stops leading the movement.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Swap Dumbbell Bicep Curl For
Dumbbell Bicep Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Bicep Curl?
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position. Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps. Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Bicep Curl work?
The Dumbbell Bicep Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Bicep Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Bicep Curl good for beginners?
Yes. The Dumbbell Bicep Curl is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Bicep Curl?
Try the Biceps Leg Concentration Curl, Cable Concentration Curl or the Band Alternating Biceps Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Routines that program Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Upper Lower Split
Four sessions a week, each muscle group trained twice. It is the split most intermediate lifters should run: enough frequency to grow, enough rest days to recover, and it survives a missed session better than a six-day plan.
4 days / week
Full Body Workout Plan
Three sessions a week, every major muscle group trained in each one. It is the most efficient structure in existence for the first year of training, and the best option for anyone who cannot guarantee more than three gym days.
3 days / week
