Wide Grip Barbell Curl

Grab the bar a little wider, like you are hugging a big honey jar. Keep your elbows tucked, curl the bar up with steady paws, then lower it slowly. This wide-grip curl helps your inner biceps feel the burn, so you can build bear-worthy arm peaks without swinging around the forest.

Instructions

1. Stand tall with feet about hip-width apart and hold a barbell with a wide overhand-supinated grip (palms up), wider than shoulder width.
2. Set your shoulders down and back, brace your core, and keep your chest up.
3. Start with arms fully extended, wrists neutral, and elbows close to your sides.
4. Curl the bar upward by bending the elbows, keeping your upper arms mostly still.
5. Squeeze the biceps at the top without letting the elbows drift forward excessively.
6. Lower the bar under control to full extension and repeat for reps.

Benefits

• Builds biceps size with emphasis on the short head due to wider grip position
• Improves elbow flexor strength for pulling movements
• Trains forearm and grip endurance through barbell control
• Simple to load progressively and track strength over time

Key Points

• Use a wide supinated grip to bias the biceps short head.
• Keep elbows pinned near your sides and avoid swinging.
• Control the eccentric and reach full extension without relaxing tension.
• Keep wrists neutral to reduce strain and improve force transfer.
• Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the elbows or wrists.

Common Mistakes

• Using body swing or hip drive to move the weight
• Letting elbows flare out or drift far forward
• Bending wrists back (wrist extension) during the curl
• Cutting range of motion short at the bottom
• Going too heavy and turning it into a partial-rep shrug curl