Arms · Curl
Dumbbell Curl
The Dumbbell Curl mainly trains your biceps. Also working: forearms.
Free weights
Dumbbells
Stable
How to do it
- Stand tall, dumbbells beside your thighs, thumbs forward
- Curl and turn your pinkies up and out
- Squeeze at the top, elbows stay against your ribs
- Lower slowly and rotate back
Coach’s tip
That turning motion is the biceps’ second job: and the cable barely trains it. A good change of pace when the cables are set up for another exercise.
Setup
Grip
Dumbbells, rotate outward as you curl
Load
Free weights
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (curl). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Dumbbell Curl work?
Mainly the biceps. The forearms help.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Curl?
For the same movement: Cable Biceps Curl, Rope Hammer Curl and Cable Bar Curl. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Dumbbell Curl in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.