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ArmsBarbellIsolation — elbow flexion

Barbell Curl

Reviewed by Bryan Cortez, MS

Elbows pinned, no swing — if your hips move, the weight's too heavy.

Rep Sweet Spot
8-15
Sets
2-4
sets
RIR
0-2

How to do it

Setup

  • Shoulder-width grip, elbows pinned to the sides, stand tall and braced.

Execution

  • Curl by flexing the elbow only, keep the elbows still, squeeze at the top, control the full stretch down; no swinging.

Common Errors

  • Swinging the hips / using back English
  • Elbows drifting forward off the sides
  • Half reps with no full bottom stretch
  • Wrists collapsing back

No-Fly Zone

under 5 reps (you'll just heave with the lower back and shoulders)

Programming

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If it hurts

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The Evidence

Overloads the biceps heavily. Does NOT bias the long head/stretch the way incline curls do.

SFR — 2.3

Train with the system.

Programs, coaching and the full library — inside the community.

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Divine Wellness USA

What about supplements?

Train hard and hit your protein first — that's most of it. If the fundamentals are handled, two are worth it for building muscle:

Creatine

Monohydrate, 5 g/day. The most studied muscle supplement.

See it on Divine Wellness USA

Clean Whey protein

An easy way to hit your daily protein target.

See it on Divine Wellness USA

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.