Concentration Curl

Setup

1. 01Sit on a bench with the feet wide and a dumbbell between the legs.
2. 02Grip the dumbbell underhand and brace the back of the upper arm against the inner thigh.
3. 03Lean forward slightly with the free hand on the other knee.
4. 04Let the working arm hang to a full extension.

Execution

1. 01Curl the dumbbell up toward the shoulder without moving the upper arm.
2. 02Squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
3. 03Lower slowly back to full elbow extension.
4. 04Complete all reps, then switch arms.

Checkpoints

• -The upper arm stays braced against the thigh for the whole set.
• -The palm stays supinated; the wrist does not curl in at the top.
• -Each rep starts from a dead hang at full extension.

Common mistakes

• -Rocking the torso to swing the dumbbell up.
• -Letting the elbow slide off the thigh.
• -Shortening the bottom range to keep tension easy.
• -Choosing a load that forces the shoulder to assist.