biceps
Alternating Dumbbell Curl
Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, you curl one arm at a time, turning your palm up as it rises.
beginnerdumbbells
BEFORE YOU START1
- Pick a pair of dumbbells you can curl without swinging.
HOW TO DO IT
Get into position
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your palms facing your legs.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Pin your elbows to your sides and keep them there for the whole set.
Check: You are standing tall, elbows at your sides, with the weight hanging at arm's length against your thighs.
Curl up
- Curl one dumbbell up, turning your palm to face up as it passes your hip.
- Squeeze your biceps for a second at the top.
Check: One dumbbell is at your shoulder with the palm facing you, the other hangs still, and your trunk is upright.
Lower slowly
- Lower that dumbbell slowly while the other arm begins its curl.
Check: The arm is straight again with the elbow still at your side.
Alternate arms until you have done all the reps on each side.
Breathe out as you curl up in about 1 second; squeeze; breathe in as you lower over 2 to 3 seconds.
MUSCLES WORKED
biceps
Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.
COMMON MISTAKES2
- Swinging the body or the elbows forward to lift the weight. Momentum and the shoulders do the work instead of the biceps. Fix: Keep your elbows pinned at your sides and your trunk still; use less weight.
- Dropping the weight back down. Fix: Lower over 2 to 3 seconds; the lowering half builds the muscle too.
SAFETY1
- Keep your wrists straight; do not let them bend back under the weight.
RELATED EXERCISES
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