Exercise guide · Biceps & Forearms

Barbell Biceps Curl

Standing barbell curls build biceps strength with a fixed bar path under shoulder-width grip. Keep your upper arms at your sides and curl the bar up without swinging your hips or leaning back.

Targets: Biceps
Equipment: Barbell
Type: Isolation

Step by step

How to do the Barbell Biceps Curl

Load a barbell with weight you can curl with strict form for your target reps.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and grip the bar underhand at about shoulder width.
Start with arms fully extended, bar resting against your thighs, shoulders back, and core braced.
Curl the bar up by bending your elbows until your forearms approach vertical and you feel a biceps squeeze.
Lower the bar slowly to the start, keeping elbows pinned at your sides through each rep.

Form cues

Elbows stay fixed at your sides
Smooth, steady tempo—no hip swing
Full extension at the bottom, no hard lockout
Wrists stay neutral, not bent back

Common mistakes

Swinging the torso or leaning back to cheat the weight up
Elbows drifting forward as the bar rises
Cutting range short at the top or bottom
Grip too wide or too narrow for your wrists

Muscles worked

Primary

Biceps

Secondary

None significant

Safety: Start lighter until you can control the bar without lower-back strain. Use an EZ-bar if straight-bar curls bother your wrists.

Alternatives

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