How to Do Strict Curls for Bigger Biceps

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Building bigger and stronger biceps is usually on a gym rookie’s first checklist, and that means doing curls, curls, and then some more curls. Even though training has seen many advancements over the years, sometimes old-school is still the best school. That’s why if you want sleeve-stretching arms and to get stronger, you should add the strict curl to your routine.

Often called “the fourth powerlift,” the strict curl was once featured as a side attraction at some powerlifting meets and fitness events. This classic barbell curl variation requires you to lean against a wall, take a barbell or EZ bar, curl it up without any downward motion, then wait for a down command to return the weight to its starting position.

Whether in competition or training, regularly adding this classic lift delivers results. Want bigger, stronger biceps? Here’s why this move belongs in your upper-body routine.

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Strict Curl vs. Barbell Curl

If you’re new to lifting, there’s a good chance you don’t know the differences between the strict curl and other barbell curl variations. Standard barbell or EZ-Bar curls allow you to perform them anywhere, and as you approach failure, you may be able to generate a little momentum.

The strict curl, on the other hand, requires you to be back against a wall while you’re doing the entire set. As you perform the curl, your head, the back of your shoulders, and your glutes must be stagnant the entire time. Once you approach failure, you won’t be able to generate that same extra force due to the restriction of the wall. Therefore, you’ll reach failure sooner and can’t extend the set without reducing the weight.

Getty Images/ Take A Pix Media

How to Do a Strict Curl

Stand with your back against a wall or a flat surface with feet shoulder-width apart, to start.
Grip the barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides at all times.
Slowly curl the bar straight up toward your shoulders, focusing solely on your biceps. Avoid moving your shoulders, back, or hips.
Pause at the top before lowering the bar under control back to the starting position.

Why the Strict Curl Is So Effective

If you’ve watched workout videos on YouTube, you’ve probably heard of C.T. Fletcher. A motivational powerhouse, Fletcher is also a three-time world bench press champion and three-time world strict curl champion, once holding the world record with a 225-pound lift. His son, Samson, is continuing the legacy with a top lift of over 180 pounds (and counting).

The strict curl offers isolation in a way that no other curl variation can, not even a preacher curl. Because your body is flush up against the wall, you can’t use momentum to recruit more muscle groups aside from your biceps. This is what makes the movement so effective for muscle growth and difficult to perform.

“A strict curl isn’t supposed to be a comfortable lift,” C.T. says. “It’s supposed to be the rawest and most legitimate test of pure unadulterated biceps strength.”

Mistakes to Avoid

Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. So, heed this advice if you’re going to make the strict curl a part of your biceps-building plan.

Don't Skip the Warm Up

Whether you’re starting with strict curls or plan to do them later in a session, make sure you do at least a couple of very light sets to prepare for them. Your biceps aren't going to grow if you suffer a tear from curling with cold muscles. Taking the extra couple of minutes to warm up will save you a couple of months of rehab.

Don't Go Too Heavy

Because the strict curl is often looked at as a powerlift, it can be performed with heavy weights, but that doesn’t mean you should push yourself right away. If you’re new to the movement, don’t use any weight that you can’t do for at least five reps. Once you feel really comfortable with the exercise, you can then try to go heavier with a spotter there to help as needed.

Don't Use Only One Grip Type

You may have a normal grip you use when you’re doing traditional barbell curls, but switching the grip up for this move will help you make the workout more interesting and also target the biceps in different ways. A closer grip targets the outer head of the biceps, while a wide grip can help you get the inside portion.

Getty Images/Jerod Harris

Programming the Strict Curl

Your training goals will determine how you program the strict curl into your routine. If you’re training for strength and to build bigger arms, then you want the strict curl to be in the workout early. If you want to isolate the biceps and exhaust them, then later in the workout, with less weight and higher reps, is the proper solution.

This exercise could also be a great accessory for other pulling movements. If that is your objective, then add them in around the midpoint of the workout after your main pulling exercises are done. Again, don’t go too heavy with it. Quality over quantity matters here.

Strict Curl Variations

Seated Strict Curl

The seated barbell curl is used to help improve strength in the upper half of the curl and to overload the biceps, thanks to the weight starting on the legs while seated and not having to do the first half of the exercise.

If you want to make this a seated strict curl, then simply sit on a bench with the backpad completely vertical so your back and head can rest against it while you’re curling. Pause at the bottom of the curl before touching the thighs to maintain tension throughout the course of the set.

Strict Dumbbell Curl

This is the simple dumbbell version of the same exercise. The advantage of this is that you can focus on each arm on its own without the support of the other. You can either curl with both arms at the same time, alternate arms with each rep, or complete all reps on one side before the other.

A Strict Curl “Drop Set”

This is how you can do a drop set without changing weight and still keep the set going. Start by doing a set of strict curls to failure. Once you can’t do any more reps, step out from the wall, take a couple of deep breaths, then try to do one or two more. Once you can no longer do this, then you can start doing cheat curls by using momentum to get the weight up, followed by slow negatives. When you have to swing too much, you should finish the set.