The dumbbell curl is an isolation weight-training exercise, meaning it requires movement only around one joint. Lifters use the exercise to develop strength and size in the upper-body muscles. Use an appropriately weighted dumbbell while completing the exercise, which would be a weight that would cause your muscles to be fatigued while still maintaining proper technique.
Technique
To complete the dumbbell curl, sit or stand while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Allow your arms to hang down by your sides with your palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows into your torso, raise your hands by bending your elbows and bring the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. Control the weights back down to the starting position. The dumbbell curl can also be completed while alternating arms.
Joints Involved
The single joint involved in the dumbbell curl is the elbow. According to IDEA Health and Fitness Association, the elbow is a hinge joint that is created by the humerus bone, which is the bone in your upper arm, and your two forearm bones, the radius and ulna. The elbow joint performs flexion and extension.
Muscles Recruited
According to ExRx, the muscles that create movement around the elbow joint include the biceps brachii, the brachialis and the brachioradialis. The biceps brachii muscle is the primary mover of elbow flexion. It originates up at your scapula and then running down the front of your upper arm until it inserts at the radius bone. The brachialis muscle, which becomes more heavily recruited during isometric contractions or when you hold a position of elbow flexion, is significantly smaller than the biceps brachii. It originates at the front of your humerus bone and inserts at your ulna bone. The brachioradialis also assists in elbow flexion. It inserts at the lateral condyle of the humerus bone and then inserts at the radius bone. It’s most effective when performing elbow flexion while your palms are in a midposition between supination or pronation, which would be if you were to complete dumbbell curls with your palms facing each other.
Considerations
Although they do not undergo any movement, it’s important to note the involvement of the wrist joint and shoulder joint during the dumbbell curl. Muscles surrounding both joints isometrically contract to stabilize the joints and hold them in a static position. The wrist flexors, located at the front of your forearm, contract to prevent your wrist joint from collapsing and extending. Your anterior deltoid, trapezius and levator scapulae contract to stabilize your shoulder joint.
Member Comments