Arms · Dumbbell
Concentration Curl
How to do the concentration curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on a bench, resting one elbow on the inside of your thigh. Curl a dumbbell towards your shoulder, squeezing your bicep. Lower with control.
- 1Feel your biceps isolating the movement as you curl with your elbow braced against your thigh
- 2Squeeze at the top of the curl and control the lowering phase
- 3Maintain a neutral wrist to focus tension on your biceps
Common mistakes
- Avoid swinging or using your shoulder; keep your upper arm stationary
- Don't drop the weight quickly; control it down
- Avoid overextending your elbow; stop just shy of full extension
Muscles worked
The concentration curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsMinor
Concentration Curl strength standards
See how your concentration curl ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM17.5 lb
Silvere1RM32.5 lb
Golde1RM57.5 lb
Platinume1RM82.5 lb
Diamonde1RM100 lb
Champione1RM112.5 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 concentration 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 April 2026.