How many sets and reps of the smith machine drag curl should you do when you are new to the exercise?

The fixed bar path makes it tempting to add weight quickly; keep it honest with 3 sets of 10 reps at a load where you can still feel the elbows driving back on every rep before you add more.

What can replace the smith machine drag curl if you don't have a smith machine?

The barbell drag curl or the cable drag curl both train the same elbows-back pattern without needing a guided rail.

What is the smith machine drag curl good for, and when should you choose another version?

It suits lifters who struggle to keep a free bar's path tight to the body on a regular drag curl. It's a poor choice if you don't have a smith machine, or if a fixed path bothers your wrists; the cable version gives the same emphasis with more freedom.

Intermediate

Smith Machine Drag Curl

The Smith machine's guided bar forces a vertical path, which makes the drag-curl motion of pulling the elbows back and hugging the bar to the torso easy to groove. That shoulder-extension position emphasizes the long head for a better biceps peak while eliminating balance demands. It suits lifters who struggle to keep the bar path tight on free drag curls.

Equipment: Smith Machine
Body part: Biceps
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Biceps Brachii Long Head
Browse by movement: Elbow Flexion

How to do it

1
Stand close to the Smith bar and grip it shoulder-width with palms up.
2
Unrack the bar and let it rest against your thighs with elbows tucked.
3
Curl the bar straight up your torso, dragging it along your body.
4
Pull your elbows back behind you as the bar rises toward your chest.
5
Squeeze at the top, then lower the bar down the same close path.
6
Keep the bar in contact with your body the entire rep.

Tips

Let the machine guide the vertical path while you focus on driving the elbows back.
The working range is short, so use a controlled tempo and full squeeze.
Do not lean back to help; keep your torso stacked over your hips.

Variations

Common mistakes

Because the rail keeps the bar moving in a straight line no matter what, it's easy to stop actively driving the elbows back and let the machine do work that's supposed to come from the shoulders.
Standing too far from the rail forces an awkward backward lean just to reach the bar, changing the whole body angle for every rep.
The hips shift forward under the fixed bar path instead of staying stacked, so the lower back extends to make up range the machine's rail won't give on its own.
Re-hooking the bar onto the safety catches with a sudden jerk between sets, instead of lowering it there under control, is an easy way to bang the bar or tweak the wrists.
Once the fixed path feels safe, loading heavier than the free-weight version invites the same rushed, elbows-forgotten reps at a weight that's harder to bail out of.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the smith machine drag curl should you do when you are new to the exercise?: The fixed bar path makes it tempting to add weight quickly; keep it honest with 3 sets of 10 reps at a load where you can still feel the elbows driving back on every rep before you add more.
What can replace the smith machine drag curl if you don't have a smith machine?: The barbell drag curl or the cable drag curl both train the same elbows-back pattern without needing a guided rail.
What is the smith machine drag curl good for, and when should you choose another version?: It suits lifters who struggle to keep a free bar's path tight to the body on a regular drag curl. It's a poor choice if you don't have a smith machine, or if a fixed path bothers your wrists; the cable version gives the same emphasis with more freedom.

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