Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell curls are the quintessential arm exercise for building bicep strength and size. The unilateral nature of dumbbells helps identify and correct muscle imbalances between arms.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Dumbbell Curls
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding dumbbells at your sides
- Keep your elbows close to your torso throughout the movement
- Curl the weights up by flexing your biceps
- Squeeze at the top of the movement for a brief pause
- Lower the dumbbells back down with a controlled tempo
Form Tips
- Keep your upper arms stationary, only forearms should move
- Don't swing the weights or use momentum
- Supinate your wrists as you curl for maximum bicep activation
- Control the negative portion, don't just drop the weight
- Stand tall and avoid leaning back
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Swinging the body to generate momentum
- Moving elbows forward or backward during the curl
- Using too heavy a weight and sacrificing form
- Rushing the eccentric (lowering) portion
- Not achieving full range of motion
Muscles Worked
Benefits of Dumbbell Curls
- Builds bicep size and strength
- Improves grip strength
- Unilateral training corrects imbalances
- Simple movement pattern easy to learn
- Fitnit tracks single-arm and dual-arm curls
Variations
Hammer Curl
beginnerNeutral grip targeting the brachialis
Concentration Curl
beginnerSeated with elbow braced on inner thigh
Incline Curl
intermediateOn incline bench for increased stretch
Preacher Curl
intermediateArms supported on preacher bench
Zottman Curl
intermediateCurl up supinated, lower pronated
Alternatives to Dumbbell Curls
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
Flexor Incline Dumbbell Curls
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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2
Reverse Plate Curls
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps.
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3
Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.
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4
Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachment
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.
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5
Machine Preacher Curls
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a machine.
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6
Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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7
Concentration Curls
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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8
Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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9
Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
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10
Hammer Curls
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do dumbbell curls work?
Dumbbell Curls primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for dumbbell curls?
Dumbbell Curls uses dumbbells.
Dumbbell Curls: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Dumbbell Curls 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 dumbbell curls?
Flexor Incline Dumbbell Curls, Reverse Plate Curls, Barbell Curls Lying Against An Incline train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my dumbbell curls reps automatically?
Yes. Dumbbell Curls is one of the movements Fitnit tracks with on-device pose detection — the phone camera counts reps and scores your form, with no wearable and no manual logging.
Written by the Fitnit team. Photographs from free-exercise-db (public domain).
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