Biceps Concentration Curl

Biceps Concentration Curl

In this lesson you will learn how to do a biceps concentration curl. The concentration curl (dumbbell or biceps concentration curl) isolates your biceps, which means that you curl up the dumbbell with the strength of your biceps only. No other muscle helps moving the weight. Besides, you train one arm at a time. Find more biceps exercises at weight training and bodybuilding.

Execution

  • Sit on the edge of a bench and separate your legs a little. Lean forward slightly and rest the lower part of your triceps (elbow) on the inside of your thigh (knee). In order to make this more comfortable, you can elevate your heel. When you do concentration curls, the upper arm has to remain vertical throughout the entire exercise. The other arm rests on the other leg. Start with your elbow fully extended and inhale before the first repetition.
  • Curl up the dumbbell towards your shoulder and exhale slowly. Only the forearm moves and the rest of your body remains motionless. What's very important here is that you keep your upper arm vertical and don't move your shoulders. Concentration curls are usually done without twisting the weight. However, you can also start with the thumb pointing to the bench and twist the dumbbell as you curl it up. At the highest point your biceps should be fully contracted. Don't relax your wrist when you curl up the dumbbell. Forearm and hand remain straight.
  • Then extend your arm again and inhale. The down motion is supposed to be slightly slower than the up motion. Don't let the weight fall. Some people like to fully extend the elbow, others prefer to keep the arm slightly bent. As long as you don't let the weight fall into your joint, there is no problem with straightening the arm. If you have elbow problems or use a very heavy dumbbell, don't fully extend your arm.

Advice

  • I recommend you do 2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions per arm.
  • There are two types of concentration curls. The dumbbell concentration curl and the cable concentration curl. The advantage of the cable concentration curl is that the biceps is trained from a different angle.
  • If you want to do negative repetitions, you can can help yourself with the other arm.