How to do the Dumbbell Curl
Step by step
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight down, palms facing forward.
- Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.
- Bend at the elbows and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
- Lower slowly back to straight arms before the next rep.
The thing people get wrong
Keep your elbows pinned at your sides and do not swing your back - let the biceps do the work.
Coaching cue
Lower all the way to straight arms before starting the next rep.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Curl one arm at a time so you can focus on control.
- Harder: Take three seconds to lower the weight on every rep.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Biceps
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.