Seated dumbbell curl

Seated you cannot cheat with the hips, so the biceps does exactly what the number says. With a vertical backrest the arm sits slightly behind the torso and the biceps starts more stretched.

• Isolation
• Dumbbell
• Beginner

How to do it

• Back supported and feet planted
• Let the arms hang vertically before you start
• Curl without letting the elbow travel forward
• Extend fully on every rep

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 10–15 reps · 0–2 RIR

Tempo: 2 s on the way down, squeeze 1 s at the peak and stay in control, no swinging

Common mistakes

• Swinging the torso to start the rep
• Bringing the elbow forward and turning it into a front raise
• Cutting the extension at the bottom

Muscles worked

Primary

• Biceps

Secondary

• Forearm

Alternatives

• Biceps Curl (barbell/dumbbell)
• Incline Dumbbell Curl
• Concentration Curl