Dumbbell Lunge Curl

How to do the Dumbbell Lunge Curl

1. 1Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward.
2. 2Take a step forward with your right foot, lowering your body into a lunge position. Your right knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and your left knee should be hovering just above the ground.
3. 3As you lunge forward, simultaneously curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. 4Pause for a moment at the bottom of the lunge, then push through your right heel to return to the starting position, lowering the dumbbells back down to your sides.
5. 5Repeat the lunge and bicep curl on the opposite side, stepping forward with your left foot.
6. 6Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Lower for three seconds and stop just short of locking out the elbow to keep the muscle under tension.

Muscles worked

Common mistakes

• Elbows drifting forward — as the elbows come up the front delt starts to lift the weight; pin the elbows to your sides and let only the forearm move.
• Swinging from the hips — a small rock backward on each rep means the weight is too heavy; drop it and curl from a dead stop.
• Cutting the bottom short — stopping with the elbow bent shortens the range where the biceps are stretched; lower until the arm is nearly straight.
• Wrists curling at the top — flexing the wrist toward you brings the forearm flexors in; keep the wrist neutral or slightly extended.

Where it fits in a workout

Curls go at the end of a pull session or arm day, after the rows and pulldowns that also load the biceps. Superset them with a triceps pushdown or extension.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

When to talk to someone

• Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
• Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
• Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

More exercises

• All arms exercises
• All biceps exercises
• All dumbbell exercises
• Dumbbell biceps exercises
• Alternating Banded Biceps Curl
• Seated Banded Biceps Curl
• Banded Concentration Curl
• Single Arm Banded High Curl
• Seated Close Grip Barbell Concentration Curl
• Standing Barbell Concentration Curl

Sources

1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.