Arms · Dumbbell
Dumbbell High Curl
How to do the dumbbell high 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
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand or sit holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms raised out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing up. Curl the dumbbells toward your head by bending at the elbows while keeping your upper arms fixed and parallel to the floor, then lower under control.
- 1Feel a strong biceps peak contraction with arms out at shoulder height
- 2Keep your upper arms stationary and parallel to the floor
- 3Squeeze hard as the dumbbells come toward your ears
Common mistakes
- Don't let your elbows drop as you curl
- Avoid arching your back or flaring your ribs
- Don't use your shoulders to lift the dumbbells
Muscles worked
The dumbbell high curl mainly works the biceps, with the forearms assisting.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell high 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.