Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Barbell Curl
- 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.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Barbell Curl
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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2
Reverse Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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3
Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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4
Alternate Hammer Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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5
Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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6
Cable Preacher Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
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7
Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using an E-Z curl bar.
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8
Cross Body Hammer Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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9
Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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10
Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do barbell curl work?
Barbell Curl primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for barbell curl?
Barbell Curl uses barbell.
Barbell Curl: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Barbell Curl is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of barbell curl?
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl, Reverse Barbell Curl, Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curl train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my barbell curl reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; barbell curl can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Barbell Curl with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.