Arms · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Bent Over Curl
How to do the dumbbell bent over curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms hanging straight down. Keeping your upper arms still, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders, then lower under control. Brace your core and hold the hinged position throughout.
- 1Your biceps doing all the work as you curl the dumbbells up
- 2Upper arms staying fixed; only your forearms move
- 3A strong squeeze in the biceps at the top of each curl
Common mistakes
- Swinging or using your back to heave the weight up
- Rounding your spine in the hinge; keep it flat
- Letting your upper arms drift forward as you curl
Muscles worked
The dumbbell bent over curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms, lower back, upper abs, lower abs, and hamstrings assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell bent over 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.