Barbell curl: how to do it
Main muscles: Biceps. Helpers: Brachialis, Forearm flexors. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
10–15
Rest
75 s
Muscle group
Arms
How to do it
- Elbows against the torso, staying there for the whole movement.
- Curl the bar to chest level and squeeze the biceps at the top.
- Lower under control to almost straight arms.
Common mistakes
Swinging with the torso, pushing the elbows forward, resting at the bottom.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Biceps
- Secondary
- Brachialis, Forearm flexors
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Full body, 3 days2 × 10–15
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days3 × 10–15
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 10–15
- 5-day split3 × 10–15
- Lower body focus, 3 days3 × 10–15
Alternatives: similar exercises
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500