Barbell Curl

Biceps
Forearms

Equipment: Barbell

New to this

Your first barbell curl

What weight should I start with on the barbell curl?

The bar plus 5 lb per side is a fine start. Do 3 sets of 10 and see how the last two reps feel.

Curls are one of the few places where chasing weight actively works against you. A weight you can lift for 10 controlled reps builds more arm than a weight you have to heave for 5.

If the straight bar bothers your wrists, use the EZ bar instead. That's a wrist anatomy thing, not a technique problem.

What usually goes wrong on the barbell curl?

You swing your torso back to start each rep. Stand with your back against a wall for a set. Whatever weight you can lift that way is your actual working weight.

Your elbows drift forward as you curl. Keep them pinned at your sides. Your elbows should be the only thing that doesn't move.

You stop halfway down. Lower until your arms are almost straight every rep. The bottom half is where most of the growth happens.

If the barbells are all taken

Every curl variation trains the same muscle. Dumbbells let each arm work independently, which is useful if one side is clearly stronger.

How to do it

Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at a shoulder-width grip. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and the elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out.
Tip: Only the forearms should move.
Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.
Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.