Kettlebell Curl
Because a kettlebell hangs below and behind the hand, the offset load tugs the wrist and forces you to fight for full supination, which lights up the biceps and demands more from the forearm than a balanced dumbbell. It is a refreshing change of stimulus and a handy option when kettlebells are the only weights around. Keep the reps strict and the wrist firm.
- Equipment
- Kettlebells
- Body part
- Biceps
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
- Browse by movement
- Elbow Flexion
- Target
- Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
- Secondary
- Brachioradialis
How to do it
- 1
Stand holding a kettlebell in each hand by the handle, palms facing forward.
- 2
Let the bells hang at your sides with elbows tucked and core braced.
- 3
Curl the kettlebells toward your shoulders while keeping the wrists supinated.
- 4
Squeeze at the top and resist the bell's pull to twist your wrist.
- 5
Lower under control to full extension.
- 6
Exhale as you curl, inhale as you lower.
Tips
- Grip firmly and keep the wrist from rolling, since the offset weight fights your supination.
- Keep the elbows pinned so the shoulders do not swing the bells up.
- Choose a load you can control cleanly; the awkward balance punishes momentum.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Taking the handle in the middle of your palm, which leaves the bell hanging behind your wrist and cranking it back all set. Grip nearer the corner of the handle so the bell tracks closer to the line of your forearm.
- Finishing each rep in a rack position, with the bell resting against your forearm and shoulder. That parks the weight on your frame; stop short of it so the biceps still holds the load.
- Moving up a bell because the current one feels easy. Kettlebells step in four-kilo gaps, which is an enormous jump on a curl, so add reps or a slower lowering until the gap closes.
- Curling both bells at once and letting them collide in front of your chest at the top. Keep each one in line with its own shoulder, or work one arm at a time.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the kettlebell curl should a beginner do?
- Pick the bell first: the heaviest one you can hold in full supination the whole way up. Three sets of 10 to 12 with it is a solid start. Because sizes usually step in four-kilo jumps, progress with reps and tempo instead: work from 10 up to 15 reps, then add a three-second lowering, and only then take the next bell and drop back to 10. Two sessions a week alongside your other arm work is plenty.
- What can I use instead of a kettlebell for curls?
- Dumbbells are the obvious swap and easier to balance, though you lose the fight for supination that makes this version interesting. If you want the offset feel, a full water jug or a paint can held by the handle behaves almost exactly like a kettlebell, with the mass hanging below and behind your hand. A backpack curled by one strap does the same thing.
- Why curl with a kettlebell instead of a dumbbell?
- The load hangs below and behind your hand, so your forearm has to resist the bell twisting your wrist out of supination for the whole set. You get biceps work plus grip and wrist stability in one movement, and it is a useful change of feel if your elbows are tired of a bar. It is a poor choice for heavy or very high-rep work, because the grip and wrist give out well before the biceps does. If kettlebells are the only weights around, it is a perfectly good curl.
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