Arms · Barbell
Barbell Bicep Curl
How to do the barbell bicep 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 with feet shoulder-width apart, hold barbell with underhand grip. Keeping upper arms stationary, curl bar to shoulder level. Lower bar back down with control.
- 1Feel your biceps flexing as you curl the barbell toward your chest
- 2Keep your elbows tucked and shoulders down
- 3Squeeze at the top and control the lowering phase
Common mistakes
- Avoid swinging your body or using your back
- Don't let your wrists break; keep them neutral
- Avoid flaring your elbows outward; keep them close
Muscles worked
The barbell bicep curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Barbell Bicep Curl strength standards
See how your barbell bicep curl ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM42.5 lb
Silvere1RM75 lb
Golde1RM112.5 lb
Platinume1RM155 lb
Diamonde1RM180 lb
Champione1RM200 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the barbell bicep 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 cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
- How to do the cable reverse curl
Last reviewed April 2026.