Barbell Curl

The barbell curl is the reference biceps exercise: both arms flex against one bar, so the load is heavier than either arm could handle alone and the strength difference between sides cannot hide. It trains the biceps brachii and brachialis through elbow flexion, with no meaningful contribution from anything else when it is done honestly.

Targets
Biceps Brachii
Also works
Brachialis, Brachioradialis
Equipment
Barbell
Level
Intermediate
Start with
4 × 6-8, 90s rest

How to do it

  1. Stand with feet about hip width, holding the bar with an underhand grip at roughly shoulder width, arms hanging straight.
  2. Brace your midsection and pin your upper arms against your sides.
  3. Curl the bar up by bending the elbows only, keeping the upper arms still, until the bar is near the front of your shoulders.
  4. Pause briefly at the top where the biceps are working hardest.
  5. Lower the bar all the way back to straight arms under control, taking longer on the way down than on the way up.

Form cues

  • Keep your elbows pinned to your ribs — if they travel forward, the front deltoid has taken over.
  • Stop the bar before it reaches your collarbone; past that point the forearm is vertical and the biceps is resting.
  • Finish every rep at full arm extension. Half reps at the top feel harder and build less.

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the torso to start the rep. Leaning back and heaving turns a biceps exercise into a lower-back exercise; if you need the swing, the bar is too heavy.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward at the top, which hands the last third of the rep to the shoulder.
  • Dropping the bar back down. The lowering half is where most of the growth stimulus sits, and releasing it wastes half of every rep.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your biceps brachii is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

Get the app

More biceps movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.