Barbell Curl

Equipment

Gym Equipment Needed

Muscle Group

Bicep

Setup

Select a barbell (straight bar or EZ bar if wrists prefer it) and load a weight you can curl with strict control. Stand tall with feet about hip-width apart. Keep the area clear and use collars. If you tend to swing, reduce the weight and focus on clean reps.

Starting Position

Hold the bar with an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang fully extended with the bar resting in front of your thighs. Set your shoulders down and back, chest up, and core braced. Keep elbows close to your sides and wrists neutral (bar sitting low in the palm, not bent back).

Execution

Inhale and brace. Curl the bar upward by bending at the elbows, keeping your upper arms mostly still. As the bar rises, maintain a tall posture and avoid leaning back. Continue until the bar reaches upper-ab/chest height and your biceps are fully contracted. Pause briefly and squeeze at the top. Exhale and lower the bar under control back to full extension, keeping tension on the biceps. Repeat for the desired reps with smooth tempo.

Tips on doing this exercise

Keep your elbows pinned to your sides—only the forearms should move.

Control the lowering phase (2–3 seconds down) for better muscle tension.

Stop 1–2 reps before form breaks—clean reps beat heavy cheating.

If wrists feel uncomfortable, switch to an EZ bar and keep wrists neutral.

Think “curl and squeeze,” not “lift heavy.”

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Common Mistakes

Swinging the torso or using hip drive to move the weight
Letting elbows drift forward, turning it into a shoulder/front-delt movement
Bending wrists back excessively, causing wrist/forearm strain
Cutting the range short or dropping the bar quickly on the way down
Shrugging shoulders up or losing posture as fatigue sets in

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Recommended Ranges

Strength focus: 3–5 sets of 4–6 reps (heavier, strict form)

Hypertrophy focus: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps (moderate load, full range)

Pump/endurance: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps (lighter, slow eccentric)
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.

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