Biceps · Dumbbell

Reverse-Grip Concentration Curl

Concentration curl with a twist your forearms will feel.

Reverse-Grip Concentration Curl exercise demonstration
BicepsDumbbell

How to do it

  1. Sit on a bench, brace your working elbow against your inner thigh.
  2. Hold the dumbbell with an underhand grip, palm facing away from you.
  3. Curl the weight up while keeping your upper arm still.
  4. Squeeze, then lower under control to a full stretch.

The one cue that matters

Only the forearm moves. If your shoulder swings, the weight is too heavy.

Muscles worked

Bracing your elbow against your inner thigh removes every trace of swing, so flipping the grip leaves the biceps curling from a locked position with the hand turned away, an angle that changes the demand through the whole arc. One arm works at a time, making it easy to find and fix a strength gap between sides. It earns its place as a strict finishing curl that feels completely different from its palm-up sibling, with the forearm working overtime to hold the grip.

FAQ

How is this different from a regular concentration curl?

Only the grip changes, but it changes everything. Turning the palm away puts the biceps at a disadvantage and pulls the forearm muscles heavily into the movement, so expect to lift meaningfully less.

Why is the weight so light on these?

The braced elbow removes momentum and the reversed grip removes leverage, leaving nothing but the working muscles. Light weight with a full stretch and squeeze is the entire point.

What should my wrist be doing during the rep?

Staying locked in line with your forearm. If the wrist bends to sneak the weight up, drop the load, a bent wrist shifts stress somewhere it does not belong.

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