Exercise · Arms

Machine biceps curl at the gym

The machine biceps curl is a guided exercise that mainly works your biceps, with help from your forearms. It’s a solid choice if you want more control and less balance to think about. Great for beginners and for anyone who wants to isolate their arms near the end of a workout.

Biceps
Forearms

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The essentials

Keep the backs of your arms flat on the pad.
Curl without lifting your elbows, lower slowly.

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary: Biceps
Secondary: Forearms

How to do it

Adjust the seat so your elbows line up with the machine’s pivot and the backs of your arms lie flat on the pad.
Grab the handles with your palms facing up, feet planted on the floor, and your back resting against the pad.
Start with your arms almost straight without fully locking your elbows, shoulders relaxed, eyes forward.
Curl the bar or handles up by bending your elbows without lifting them off the pad and without swinging with your back.
Bring the weight up until your biceps are well contracted, pause briefly, then lower slowly under control for about 2 to 3 seconds.
Return close to the starting position without letting the weight stack slam or bounce, then start the next rep with the same control.

Common mistakes

Letting the elbows lift off the pad
Instead : Move the seat or your torso so the backs of your arms sit flat on the cushion and think about “pressing” your arms into the pad the whole time.
Lifting too fast and dropping the weight down
Instead : Use a weight you can control and aim for about 1 second up, 2 to 3 seconds down, without letting the stack crash.
Swinging with your back
Instead : Keep your lower back and shoulders on the backrest, lightly brace your abs, and reduce the weight if your torso starts to move to help you.
Locking out hard at the bottom
Instead : Keep a slight bend at the bottom of the movement so you don’t lose tension on your biceps or slam into your elbow joints.

Coach tips

Breathe steadily: exhale as you lift the weight, inhale as you lower it under control.
If your machine allows it, take a moment to adjust the backrest and arm pad angle so your elbows aren’t pulled forward or backward.
To really feel your biceps, think “bend the elbow” instead of “pull with the hands,” and grip the handles just firmly enough to stay in control.
People often use 3 to 4 sets of a moderate rep range on this exercise, with a weight that lets them keep the same form from start to finish.

Variations

If your gym has a machine with horizontal arm pads, you can use it to slightly change the angle while still getting a guided curl for your biceps.
You can add a 1–2 second pause at the top of each rep to increase time under tension without necessarily adding more weight.
You can use a slightly narrower or wider hand position, depending on how the handles are shaped, to find the elbow position that feels best for you.

Sets and reps

On the biceps curl machine, you’ll often see 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, with a load that challenges the biceps while staying controlled. Many people use it after a more general upper body exercise or as focused arm work.

Equipment

Alternatives for the same muscles

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Common questions

Which muscles does the machine biceps curl work?

The machine biceps curl mainly works your biceps, with help from your forearms. The guided path lets you better isolate your arms and limit how much the rest of your body helps.

How high should I set the seat on the biceps curl machine?

Sit down and check where your elbows land: they should line up with the machine’s pivot, with the backs of your arms flat on the pad. If your elbows slide forward or float, raise or lower the seat until they stay planted.

I feel my shoulders more than my biceps, is that normal?

It often happens when the shoulders hike up or the elbows move forward. Lower the weight, keep your shoulders down, press the backs of your arms into the pad, and focus on bending at the elbow instead of pulling with your hands.

What can I do instead of the machine biceps curl?

You can use dumbbell curl, concentration curl, dumbbell hammer curl, incline dumbbell curl, or dumbbell preacher curl. The assisted chin-up in supination can also work your biceps in a more global movement.