Barbell Curl
The original bicep builder — a two-handed standing curl that loads both arms hard and trains pure elbow-flexion strength.
How to do it
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the bar with an underhand shoulder-width grip and your arms fully extended.
- Pin your elbows to your sides and brace your core to stop your torso from swinging back.
- Curl the bar up by bending only at the elbows, keeping your upper arms locked in place.
- Squeeze your biceps hard at the top with the bar in front of your shoulders.
- Lower the bar slowly over 2–3 seconds, resisting it all the way back to full extension.
- Pause at the bottom with your arms fully straight, then repeat for clean, controlled reps.
Key technique cue
Elbows pinned to your sides, torso still — don't swing the bar with your lower back.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Swinging the torso to heave the bar up, which shifts the work from the biceps to the lower back.
- ✕ Letting the elbows drift forward at the top, turning the curl into a partial front raise.
- ✕ Cutting the range short and not fully straightening the arms at the bottom of each rep.
- ✕ Gripping the bar too wide, which takes tension off the biceps and loads the wrists.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds biceps size and strength with heavier loads than dumbbells allow.
- ✓ Trains both arms together for balanced, symmetrical growth.
- ✓ Reinforces strict elbow-flexion mechanics that carry over to every curl.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Step 2
About the exercise
The barbell curl is the most iconic biceps exercise in the gym. Standing with an underhand, shoulder-width grip, the lifter curls the bar from full extension to the shoulders using only the biceps, with the elbows pinned to the sides. It allows heavier loading than dumbbells and keeps tension even on both arms through the full range. It's a mandatory foundation of arm day. Together with hammer curls and dumbbell curls, it makes up a clear set of curl variations.
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