Arms · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Close Grip Curl
How to do the dumbbell close grip curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward and the dumbbells held close together near the center of your body. Curl the weights up toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, then lower under control. The narrow position emphasizes the outer head of the biceps.
- 1Biceps contracting hard through the full curl
- 2Elbows fixed at your sides as the only hinge
- 3Controlled stretch at the bottom of each rep
Common mistakes
- Swinging the torso to throw the weight up
- Letting your elbows drift forward or out
- Cutting the rep short before full extension
Muscles worked
The dumbbell close grip curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell close grip 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.