Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
- Hold a barbell with both hands, palms up and a few inches apart.
- Stand with your torso straight and your head up. Your feet should be about shoulder width and your elbows close to your torso. This will be your starting position. Tip: You will keep your upper arms and elbows stationary throughout the movement.
- Curl the bar up in a semicircular motion until the forearms touch your biceps. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and contract your biceps hard for a second at the top. Tip: Avoid bending the back or using swinging motions as you lift the weight. Only the forearms should move.
- Slowly go back down to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Close-Grip Standing 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
Standing Concentration Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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2
Standing Biceps Cable Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
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3
Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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4
Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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5
Reverse Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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6
Standing Dumbbell Reverse Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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7
Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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8
Standing Inner-Biceps Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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9
Standing One-Arm Cable Curl
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
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10
Alternate Hammer Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do close-grip standing barbell curl work?
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for close-grip standing barbell curl?
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl uses barbell.
Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Close-Grip Standing 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 close-grip standing barbell curl?
Standing Concentration Curl, Standing Biceps Cable Curl, Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my close-grip standing barbell curl reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; close-grip standing 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 Close-Grip Standing 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.