Arms · Bodyweight
Bar Biceps Curl
How to do the bar biceps curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand upright holding a straight bar with an underhand grip, hands about shoulder-width and palms up. Curl the bar toward your shoulders by bending at the elbows, keeping your upper arms pinned to your sides, then lower under control.
- 1Your biceps doing the work as you curl the bar toward your shoulders
- 2Your elbows staying pinned to your sides through the whole rep
- 3A squeeze at the top, then a slow lower as the biceps lengthen under tension
Common mistakes
- Do not swing the bar or lean back to heave the weight up
- Do not let your elbows drift forward or flare out to the sides
- Do not use your shoulders or back; keep the movement at the elbows
Muscles worked
The bar biceps curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the bar biceps curl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the resistance band bicep curl
- How to do the resistance band hammer curl
- How to do the barbell bicep curl
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
Last reviewed June 2026.