Dumbbell Curl
The standard standing dumbbell curl — the most used arm exercise in any program.
How to do it
- Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing forward.
- Set your feet shoulder-width apart, brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
- Curl both dumbbells toward your shoulders by bending at the elbows, keeping your upper arms pinned to your sides.
- Squeeze your biceps hard at the top with the dumbbells at your shoulders, pausing briefly.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to full arm extension over 2–3 seconds.
- Lock in at the bottom with straight arms and open shoulders, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Elbows at your sides, lower to full arm extension — no swinging.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Swinging the torso back to heave the dumbbells up, which takes the biceps out of the work.
- ✕ Letting the elbows drift forward during the curl, turning it into a partial front raise.
- ✕ Shortening the range at the bottom by not fully straightening the arms between reps.
- ✕ Dropping the dumbbells fast and skipping the slow negative, where most of the growth happens.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds biceps size and arm strength with a simple, scalable movement.
- ✓ Trains each arm independently, preventing strength imbalances between sides.
- ✓ Works for any level, with any pair of dumbbells, anywhere.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Step 2
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Curl is the foundational biceps exercise in nearly every program. Standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, the elbows stay pinned to your sides while the forearms curl the dumbbells up to the shoulders. Simple, scalable and effective at any level. It fits arm-day blocks, pull-day finishers, a beginner's first workouts and home and travel programs.
Updated
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