The concentration curl is a seated, braced isolation exercise. With the elbow pressed into the inner thigh, the body cannot swing, so the biceps peak does nearly all the work and you can feel the muscle contracting hard at the top.
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3
Sets
12
Reps
Dumbbell
Equipment
4.80
Cal/min
🎯 Muscles Worked
🎯
Primary
Biceps
📋 How To Perform Concentration Curl
1
Sit on a bench, legs spread, elbow braced against the inside of your thigh.
2
Let the dumbbell hang fully extended toward the floor.
3
Curl up slowly, focusing on squeezing the bicep peak.
4
Pause briefly at the top, then lower with control.
5
Keep your upper arm completely still — only the forearm moves.
💡 Benefits of Concentration Curl
Isolates the biceps by bracing the arm against the inner thigh, which removes swing and makes cheating very hard. That makes it excellent for improving the mind-muscle connection and for finishing off the arms with a strong peak contraction.
📈 Sets, Reps & Programming
Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm with a light to moderate dumbbell. Sit on a bench, rest the elbow against the inner thigh, curl up with a brief squeeze at the top, and lower under control for a count of three.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting the upper arm move away from the thigh
Leaning back to lift instead of curling
Using too much weight and losing the slow lowering phase
✅ Pro Tips
Rotate the little finger slightly upward at the top for a harder peak squeeze
Use a weight light enough for a full pause at the top of every rep
🛡️ Safety Notes
Low risk. Sit with a straight back so you do not round your lower spine while leaning toward the arm.
🔁 Progressions & Regressions
Make it harderswitch to spider curl for stricter isolation under load.
Make it easieruse a lighter dumbbell and reduce the pause time.
