Arms · Barbell
Barbell Alternate Biceps Curl
How to do the barbell alternate biceps curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall holding a barbell with an underhand, shoulder-width grip and your arms hanging straight. Curl one side of the bar up toward that shoulder while the other stays low, lower it, then curl the other side, alternating the emphasis from rep to rep while keeping both elbows pinned.
- 1Your biceps squeezing as each side curls up
- 2Your elbows staying pinned to your sides throughout
- 3Steady tension on the way down, no dropping
Common mistakes
- Swinging your back or hips to move the bar
- Letting your elbows drift forward
- Bending your wrists back under the load
Muscles worked
The barbell alternate biceps curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell alternate 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.