Dumbbell Curl
At a glance
- Equipment
- Pair of dumbbells
- Suggested reps
- 3 sets of 8–12 reps
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Common mistakes
You save the supination for a wrist flick at the very top instead of rotating through the middle of the curl where the biceps actually drive it.
You rock the torso side to side as you alternate, using body sway to launch each dumbbell.
You rush the alternation so one arm drops fast while the other swings up, and neither arm ever controls a negative.
What to focus on
Begin turning the palm as soon as the dumbbell passes your thigh and finish fully palm-up at the top; the twist is part of the biceps job.
Lower each dumbbell as slowly as you lifted it before the other arm starts.
Keep your shoulder pinned down and back so the biceps curls the weight rather than the shoulder lifting it.
Related strength moves
Sources & further reading
- 1.Turning the palm fully up (supinated) maximizes biceps activation versus neutral or palms-down curls — Sports (Basel) (2023), Coratella et al.