Band Curl
A standing biceps curl using a resistance band — same movement pattern as a dumbbell curl, with progressive tension through the rep.
- Works
- Biceps
- Equipment
- Band
How to
- 1Stand on the middle of the band with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one handle in each hand at your sides.
- 2Keep your elbows tucked into your ribs and your palms facing forward at the bottom of the rep.
- 3Curl both hands up toward your shoulders by squeezing the biceps, keeping the elbows pinned in place.
- 4Pause briefly at the top with the biceps fully contracted, feeling the band's tension at peak resistance.
- 5Lower your hands back down with control over a 2 to 3 second eccentric, fighting the band on the way down.
- 6Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, focusing on the squeeze at the top rather than the speed of the movement.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows drift forward as you curl, which turns the movement into a half-rep front raise.
- Standing on too narrow a section of the band, which makes the tension uneven between the two arms.
- Rushing the eccentric and letting the band snap your hands back down — you lose half the time-under-tension.
- Leaning back to swing the weight up, which shifts work from the biceps to momentum and the lower back.