Bicep Curl

About the movement

The classic arm builder. Barbell curls load both biceps equally and allow you to use the heaviest weight of any curl variation.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand holding the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, arms fully extended.

2. 2

   Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and curl the bar up to shoulder height.

3. 3

   Squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the rep.

4. 4

   Lower the bar under control until your arms are straight.

Form tips

• •Do not swing your torso to cheat the weight up; keep it strict.
• •Lock your elbows to your sides; flaring elbows turns it into a shoulder exercise.
• •Control the lowering phase; the negative half of the rep builds more muscle.