The Dumbbell Concentration Curl is a beginner-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the biceps. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesBiceps
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet planted wide and a dumbbell in one hand.
Lean forward slightly and brace the back of your working arm against the inside of your thigh.
Let the dumbbell hang at full arm extension with the palm facing the opposite leg.
Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder by bending only at the elbow, keeping the upper arm pinned.
Squeeze the biceps hard at the top with the dumbbell close to your shoulder for a one-second hold.
Lower the dumbbell slowly to full extension over 2 to 3 seconds, then repeat before switching arms.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Isolates the biceps with zero body english.
Builds peak shape and end-range biceps detail.
Trains a strict curl pattern that carries over to all other curl variations.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Lifting the elbow off the thigh mid-rep, which lets the shoulder swing and steals work from the biceps.
Using too heavy a dumbbell so the body sways forward and back to lift it.
Cutting the range short by stopping before the arm fully extends at the bottom of each rep.
Dropping the weight quickly on the way down, skipping the slow descent where most growth happens.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Concentration Curl, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
