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
See it in motion
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
Kovo programs the barbell bicep curl for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the concentration curl
- How to do the dumbbell bicep curl
- How to do the ez bar bicep curl
- How to do the ez bar preacher curl
- How to do the dumbbell hammer curl
Last reviewed April 2026.