Dumbbell Curl

How to perform the Dumbbell Curl

1. Stand or sit tall with the dumbbells at your sides, elbows pinned just in front of the torso, and shoulders pulled down and back.
2. Curl the load up by flexing at the elbow only — the upper arm stays roughly stationary throughout the rep.
3. Bring the load to a fully contracted position without swinging the elbows forward to "complete" the rep with shoulder flexion.
4. Squeeze the biceps at the top briefly, then lower under control on a 2–3 second eccentric.
5. Stop short of fully extending the elbow into a passive hang at the bottom if maintaining tension is the goal — but a full stretch is fine for stretch-biased work.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Swinging the elbows forward to "finish" the rep with shoulder flexion instead of pure elbow flexion.
• •Using a partial range of motion that never reaches a stretch at the bottom.
• •Rocking the torso back to throw the load up, especially as fatigue builds.
• •Letting the wrists bend backward under load instead of keeping them stacked over the forearm.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.