biceps
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Seated and bent forward, you brace one elbow against the inside of your thigh and curl a dumbbell. Isolates the biceps completely.
beginnerdumbbellsflat bench
BEFORE YOU START1
- Sit on the end of a bench with your feet wide apart.
HOW TO DO IT
Get into position
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and lean forward from the hips.
- Rest the back of your right upper arm against the inside of your right thigh.
- Let the arm hang straight with your palm facing your left leg.
Check: Your elbow is braced against your inner thigh, your arm hangs straight, and your free hand rests on your other knee.
Curl up
- Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder without moving your upper arm.
- Squeeze for a second at the top.
Check: The dumbbell is near your shoulder and your upper arm is still braced against your thigh.
Lower slowly
- Lower the dumbbell slowly until your arm is straight.
Check: Your arm is straight again with the elbow still against your thigh.
That is one rep. Do all the reps on one arm, then switch.
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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