Dumbbell exercise

Concentration Curl (Dumbbell) form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The concentration curl is a seated single-arm dumbbell curl performed with the working elbow braced against the inner thigh, isolating the biceps brachii with minimal help from the shoulder or torso. Lifters use it late in an arm session to maximize the mind-muscle connection and peak contraction, making it a staple for biceps hypertrophy and correcting left-right strength imbalances.

Concentration Curl (Dumbbell) illustration

How to do Concentration Curl (Dumbbell)

  1. 1Sit on a bench with your feet wide, hold a dumbbell in one hand, and brace the back of that upper arm against your inner thigh.
  2. 2Let the arm hang fully extended with your palm facing away from your leg.
  3. 3Exhale as you curl the dumbbell toward your shoulder, keeping the upper arm pinned against your thigh throughout.
  4. 4Do not swing your torso or let the elbow drift off the leg to cheat the weight up.
  5. 5Squeeze the biceps hard at the top, then inhale as you lower slowly to full extension before the next rep.

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Track Concentration Curl (Dumbbell) in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.