Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Biceps

Concentration Curl

DumbbellIsolationEasy to learnOne side at a time
Front
Back
Primary

Works

Biceps

You need

Dumbbells, Bench

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Top
Main muscles
  1. 1Elbow braced on your inner thigh
  2. 2Curl toward your shoulder
  3. 3Lower all the way

Most common mistake

Using the leg to bump the weight up.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for biceps
  • Keeps the work on the target muscle
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Cross-Body Hammer Curlvs Barbell Curlvs Rope Hammer Curl
A
For biceps
#10 of 19
See the full list →
Research
71
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 71
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchFair
ProgressionGood
Low costExcellent

Bracing the arm on the thigh stops any cheating, but the bottom is light and dumbbells jump in big steps.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SBayesian Cable CurlCable
  • SMachine Preacher CurlMachine
  • ACable CurlCable
  • SIncline Dumbbell CurlDumbbell

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280