Arms · Isolation

Wide Grip Barbell Curl

A bicep curl with a wider-than-shoulder grip to emphasize the short, inner head of the biceps. The wide hand position biases the head that builds the inner sweep of the arm, complementing the close-grip curl's long head focus. Rotating between the two grip widths across training blocks covers the whole muscle with one bar.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Barbell Isolation Pull
wide-grip-barbell-curl-poster
  • Level Beginner
  • Equipment Barbell
  • Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms
  • Movement Isolation Pull

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Wide Grip Barbell Curl

  1. Grip a barbell underhand with your hands a few inches wider than your shoulders.
  2. Stand tall with the bar at your thighs and your elbows at your sides.
  3. Curl the bar up toward your shoulders, keeping the elbows pinned despite the wide grip.
  4. Squeeze the biceps at the top for a beat.
  5. Lower over two to three seconds to fully straight arms.
  6. Keep your wrists straight and your torso quiet throughout.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

arms
Primary muscles
Biceps Forearms

Do This

Form Cues

  • Set the hands wider than shoulder width with the palms up.
  • Keep the elbows pinned to your sides despite the wider grip.
  • Lower to full extension every rep.
  • Wide hands, home elbows. The grip changes but the elbow position never does.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the elbows flare out to accommodate the grip.
  • Swinging the torso to start each rep.
  • Going as heavy as a standard curl. The wider grip is weaker.
  • Widening the grip past comfortable, which strains the wrists and shoulders for no extra bicep benefit.

More to Explore

Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles