How Much Weight Should You Curl?

If you’re doing bicep curls to build bigger arms, then you’re better off using the ideal weight for the best results.

However, weight standards vary among individuals of different fitness levels.

Generally speaking, a good curl is one that challenges the user for the assigned rep range.

Also, I’ll reveal how much weight the average person should be able to lift, what is generally considered a good standard and tips from 4 fitness experts to improve a below average bicep curl.

The biceps curl weight standards are based on my personal training experience of 4 years.

Key Takeaways Bicep Curl Weight for the Average PersonBicep Curl-Specific Weight StandardsFactors Affecting Your Ideal Bicep Curl WeightDifference Between Dumbbell, Barbell, and Cable Weights Are Light or Heavy Bicep Curls Better?4 reasons to avoid heavy bicep curlsOther weight standards for bicep curl musclesConclusion

The average male novice should be able to bicep curl around 20% of his bodyweight for 1 rep.

The average novice woman should be able to biceps curl about 10% of her body weight for 1 rep.

Bicep curl weight standards vary by body weight, rep range, experience, gender, and equipment.

The ideal weight for bicep curls is one that is light enough to allow you to lift with good form, but heavy enough to fatigue the biceps on each set.

Lift in a moderate to high rep range of 10 to 15 reps per set for optimal arm growth.

Bicep Curl Weight for the Average Person

What weight should the average person be to do bicep curls with a dumbbell?

The average male novice with 6 months of biceps curl training should be able to lift approximately 20% of body weight in a single repetition.

By contrast, women should be able to lift 10% of their body weight.

Lighter weights should be used for higher rep ranges.

So if you are a newbie and can meet the above standards, then you can be sure that you are lifting a fair amount of weight.

However, these are just generalized average biceps curl weight standards for men and women.

And there really is no “one size fits all” when it comes to the ideal weight to lift.

Everyone is different, and the amount of weight to lift largely depends on her training level and rep range (how many consecutive reps she’s lifting).

Specific Weight Standards for Bicep Curls

The chart below shows how much weight she should be to dumbbell curl for 10 reps (a good rep range for her arms), based on her training level and body weight.

Bicep Curl Weight Standards:

BodyweightBeginner10-Rep Bicep Curl (1 month of training)Beginner10-Rep Biceps Curl (6 months of training)Intermediate10-Rep Bicep Curl (2 years of training)120 lbs6 lbs14 lbs27 lbs140 lbs7 lbs17 lbs31 lbs160 lbs10 lbs20 lbs35 lbs180 lb12 lb23 lb38 lb200 lb13 lb25 lb42 lb220 lb16 lb28 lb45 lb240 lb17 lb30 lb48 lb260 lb19 lb33 lb51 lb280 lb21 lb35 lb54 lb300 lb22 lb37 lb56 lbAverage:14 lb26 lb43 lbMale Standards (females should lift ~50% of listed weights).

Weights are per dumbbell.

If you’re currently wondering what your ideal bicep curl weight is, then the standards above are a good place to start.

If so, and you’re meeting or exceeding these standards, then you know you’re lifting a good, respectable weight for building arm muscles.

Note: the above standards are for a 10 rep range.

For more details on how to choose the right training volume to blast your biceps, you can check out my guide on how to lift the right number of sets and reps for your arms.

Factors Affecting Your Ideal Weight for Bicep Curls

Here are the 6 main factors that determine the ideal weight you should lift for your biceps curl:

Body weight.

Heavier people generally have more muscle mass and can curl heavier weights.

Experienced lifters can generally curl heavier weights that represent a higher percentage of their own body weight, compared to beginners.

Working in high rep ranges means lifting lighter weights (and vice versa).

Men have more muscle mass compared to women and therefore can curl heavier weights.

The harder variations do not allow you to lift as much weight.

You can check out my other post to find out how to choose the ideal number of biceps exercises to include in your program to build bigger arms.

Compound pulling movements, such as dumbbell rows and chin-ups, invariably work the biceps as well (follow the links for the respective weight standards).

People who regularly do these exercises can expect to have an above-average biceps curl, compared to someone who doesn’t do compound pulls.

Additionally, your preferred bicep curl equipment also affects how much weight you lift (see below).

Difference between dumbbell weight, barbell and cable curl

Bicep curls are most commonly performed with dumbbells, barbells, and cable machines.

Generally speaking, most people can dumbbell curl about 45% of the weight they could lift with a barbell or cable machine.

This is because dumbbells are inherently less stable and therefore allow you to lift less weight.

The table below gives you an idea of ​​how different types of equipment affect your bicep curl weight standard:

Curling Equipment Male Novice Biceps Curl Weight 200 lbs with 6 months of training Dumbbell 36 lbs (per dumbbell) Barbell 80 lbs Cable Machine 75 lbs Note: Weight standards are for 1 rep max (maximum weight liftable for a single repetition).

Why it’s better to choose a moderate weight that isn’t too heavy when doing bicep curls.

As you know, biceps curls at a low rep range (say 5 reps) allow you to lift more weight compared to biceps curls at a high rep range (say 15 reps).

So which is better, lifting heavy weights for low reps or light weights for high reps?

As a general rule of thumb, lifting weights in a moderately high rep range of 8 to 12 reps is best for bicep growth.

Lighter weights allow you to maintain good form and this maximizes bicep activation.

Conversely, heavier weights can compromise form and decrease biceps activation.

The conventional weightlifting consensus tells us that lifting heavier weights = more muscle growth.

And one of the most common mistakes is choosing the wrong rep range and weight.

All 4 experts unanimously agree that most bicep curls should be performed with lighter weights in a moderate to high rep range.

You still need to lift a weight that challenges you for the allotted rep range.

Here are 4 of the most cited reasons why you shouldn’t do biceps curls with weights that are too heavy:

How to do bicep curls with moderate weights in a controlled manner to maximize bicep activation.

Like all weightlifting exercises, the biceps curl consists of an upward (concentric) movement and a downward (eccentric) movement.

Jeff Nippard explains that both the concentric and eccentric phases should be performed in a slow and controlled manner.

Additionally, he advises you to squeeze your biceps at the top of the concentric phase and lower the weight slowly to work your biceps to the max in the eccentric phase.

In fact, a 2017 study showed that the eccentric phase is more beneficial for hypertrophy (muscle growth) compared to the concentric phase.

This form of controlled bicep training simply cannot be achieved if your weights are too heavy.

Instead, keep your bicep curls at moderate weights and focus on controlling your concentric and eccentric contractions.

If you are looking to buy dumbbells to build bigger arms at home, you can check out my other post that explains how to choose the ideal dumbbell weight to build arm muscle.

What a trap lift looks like for a biceps curl with a weight that is too heavy.

Good weightlifting form refers to adopting practices to safely and exclusively activate the target muscles.

Jeremy Ethier explains that using a dumbbell that is too heavy encourages you to recruit neighboring muscles to aid the bicep curl movement (also called “cheating”).

The trap lift in a biceps curl can inadvertently recruit the front deltoids (shoulders) and trapezius (upper back), which reduces biceps activation.

One telltale sign that you’re lifting too much weight in the bicep curl is if your shoulders roll forward and up as you lift a dumbbell.

Both are examples of sacrificing form for heavy weights and should be avoided.

Instead, you should perform lighter weight bicep curls with good form to maximize bicep engagement.

3) Heavy hitters promote deception.

Using lighter weights allows for full range of motion and greater bicep compression, resulting in more muscle growth.

Jeremy Ethier points out that “cheating lifts” are a common consequence of curling a heavy weight that your biceps can’t handle.

This, in turn, reduces the range of motion of the bicep curl and prevents you from achieving a good “bicep squeeze.”

This has been shown in a 2012 study that found that partial range of motion (meaning the dumbbell does not travel all the way up and down during a trap lift) reduced biceps growth by 9%.

Additionally, another 2018 study found that those who lifted heavier weights but were unable to fully squeeze their biceps saw 5.5% less bicep growth compared to those who achieved a good bicep squeeze with lighter weights.

Therefore, you should use a light to moderate weight for bicep curls, one that will challenge you but also allow for good lifting form.

4) Heavy bicep curls don’t develop a mind-muscle connection.

Jeff Cavalier stresses the importance of performing lighter bicep curls to maximize the mind-muscle connection.

By using a lighter weight, you can actively feel your biceps contract as you curl.

Jeff also points out that once you’ve gotten a solid foundation of bicep strength, you can start adding more weight.

For more details on how to add weight to your biceps curl, you can check out my other post on Progressive Dumbbell Overload.

Other Weight Standards for the Bicep Curl Muscles

Here are the weight standards for other exercises that affect similar muscle groups:

Dumbbell Row: Compound back movement that works the biceps as secondary movers.

The ideal weight for biceps curls is one that allows you to lift with good form and challenges you for the allotted rep range.

Moderate to high rep ranges of 8 to 15 reps are ideal for building bigger biceps.

For most newbies, 10- to 20-pound dumbbells are a good starting weight to lift this rep range.

However, keep in mind that weight standards can vary considerably depending on your body weight, rep range, gender, and experience.

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