Bicep Concentration Curls is one of the best methods to isolate & develop biceps, especially the long head. According to the American Council on Exercise, the Dumbbell Concentration Curls workout yields more biceps muscle growth as compared to other types of compound exercises.
The best part with concentration curls is that this exercise prevents you from cheating and makes you execute each rep in perfect form.
In this post you will find how to do dumbbell concentration curls for beginners & seniors – its correct form, proper movement, dos, don’ts, tips & video. You can watch a VIDEO demonstrating the exercise at the end of this article.
How To Do Dumbbell Concentration Curls: Tips & Step-By-Step Instructions With Video
Start Position
Sit down at the end of a flat bench. Spread your legs with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place one dumbbell in front of you between your legs. Pick the dumbbell up with your left hand. Lean forward and position the back of your left upper arm, with your elbow resting against the middle of inside of your left thigh. Turn the palm of your hand until it is facing forward away from the thigh. Extend your arm fully downwards with the dumbbell above the floor. Do not lock the elbow. Keep the other arm (right hand) free behind your back or resting on your right thigh. This is your start position.
Movement
(i) While contracting the biceps, slowly curl the dumbbell forward up in a smooth arc.
(ii) Continue curling the dumbbell upwards until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level. Pause at the fully contracted position for about a second and squeeze your bicep as hard as possible.
(iii) Slowly bring the dumbbell back to the start position in a controlled movement. This completes one rep. Repeat for the desired number of reps with the left arm. Then switch and repeat the movement with the right arm for same number of reps.
Dumbbell Concentration Curls Form Tips – Dos And Don’ts
(i) Position the back of your upper arm with the elbow resting against the middle of inside of the same side leg’s thigh.
(ii) All through the exercise keep your body & the upper arm stationary. Move your forearm only. This will ensure that maximum stress remains on the bicep.
(iii) Position the palm facing forward away from the thigh.
(iv) Extend your arm fully downwards with the dumbbell above the floor. Do not lock the elbow. Keep the other arm free behind your back.
(v) Curl the dumbbell upwards, without lifting the elbow off your thigh. Continue until the dumbbell reaches the point of full contraction. Realistically, this happens when the dumbbell gets to about shoulder height.
(vi) At the top of each rep make sure that the small finger of your arm is higher than your thumb. This will ensure good bicep contraction & better results.
(vii) Lower the dumbbell slowly under full muscular control. Lowering should ideally take twice the amount of time than the raising of the dumbbell.
(viii) Do not lock your elbow at bottom of the movement in order to keep your bicep under constant tension. Stop at one or two inches short of the full contraction position.
(ix) Remember to do the exercise in slow, controlled movement. Do not use momentum or swing your arm at any time.
(x) As the concentration curls is an isolation type exercise, so use relatively lighter weight, and focus on the correct form and proper technique to maximize bicep muscle growth.
Watch this Demo Video to learn how to do biceps concentration curls workout for beginners & seniors:
