How to do Waiter Curls
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Waiter Curls
Workouts with Waiter Curls
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Mimics holding a tray, focusing on the biceps with palms up and elbows tight. This isolation exercise enhances stability and muscle control, leading to improved arm aesthetics and strength, making it ideal for those focusing on bicep shape and functional grip strength.
- Stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Grasp one head of a dumbbell with both hands such that your palms are face up.
- Contract your biceps to raise the dumbbell. Keep your elbows locked at your sides.
- Tense your biceps and hold this position for a moment at the top of the movement.
- Slowly allow the weight to descend back to the starting position while maintaining tension in your biceps.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core engaged for stability, you shoulders back and chest up. Keep your elbows locked in place at your sides and your palms facing the ceiling.
- You should feel this exercise in your biceps.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Waiter Curls standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps15lbs1 Rep Max20lbs
- intermediate8reps17.5lbs22.5lbs
- advanced8reps20lbs25lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Waiter Curls
1. Hammer Curls
99.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,661 TIMESSimilar to other curls, this isolation exercise targets the biceps. Unlike the standard Dumbbell Bicep Curl, this variation rotates your wrist into a more natural position. This rotation also help to emphasize the long head of the bicep. This is a great exercise for adding some variety to your curls as well as developing functional strength and building muscle mass.
2. Cross Body Hammer Curls
95.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,119 TIMESCross Body Hammer Curls are a variation on the more standard Hammer Curl. Like other variations this is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps. Unlike many other Hammer Curl variations, this exercises has you bring the weight across your body instead of straight up and down.
3. Dumbbell Bicep Curl
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 1,076 TIMESThis exercise is one of the most common isolation, biceps exercises out there. Dumbbells help prevent compensating for strength imbalances, as well as allows plenty of freedom in your range of motion. This is a staple exercise in most workouts, and is a great way to build strength and muscle mass in your biceps.
4. Dumbbell Wide Curls
70 mSCORESWAPPED 688 TIMESIsolation exercise targeting the biceps with arms flared outwards. This variation alters the tension on the biceps, stimulating muscle growth in unique ways, and is beneficial for those looking to widen their bicep appearance.
5. Cable Bicep Curl
95 mSCORESWAPPED 660 TIMESSimilar to other curls, this isolation exercise targets the biceps. The use of cables allows you to apply tension to your biceps at a different angle than with free weights. This is especially helpful for applying tension at the top of your range of motion. Because you can maintain more tension on your biceps throughout the movement, this is especially helpful for building muscle mass in your biceps.
- Beginner
- Biceps
- Rope Cable
6. Concentration Curl
91.4 mSCORESWAPPED 647 TIMESConcentration Curl is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps with a high degree of focus. Seated with legs spread, you rest one arm against the same-side thigh and curl a dumbbell from a fully extended arm position to full contraction, keeping the elbow stationary. This position minimizes the involvement of other muscles, ensuring the bicep is fully engaged throughout the movement. Concentration Curls are effective for increasing bicep strength and enhancing muscle definition. They allow for precise form control and can help identify and correct imbalances between arms.
7. Seated Dumbbell Curl
98.1 mSCORESWAPPED 573 TIMESSimilar to other curls, this isolation exercise targets the biceps. The use of dumbbells helps prevent compensating for strength discrepancies between sides, as well as not restricting range of motion. Performing curls from a seated position also helps to prevent cheating by swaying your body to assist in raising the weight.
8. Reverse Dumbbell Curl
81.9 mSCORESWAPPED 420 TIMESTargets the forearms and biceps with a focus on grip strength and arm stability. The reverse grip intensifies the engagement of the forearm muscles, making it an effective exercise for building arm strength and enhancing grip performance.
9. Incline Dumbbell Curl
95.1 mSCORESWAPPED 414 TIMESSimilar to other curls, this isolation exercise targets the biceps. The use of dumbbells helps to prevent compensating for discrepancies in strength between sides, while also giving you more freedom in your range of motion compared to equipment like barbells. By using an incline, you can also keep more tension on your biceps at the bottom of your range of motion which can help develop strength during that portion of the movement, as well as help you build muscle mass.
10. Barbell Curl
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 404 TIMESAs with other curls, this isolation exercise targets the biceps. The use of a barbell adds more stability to this movement, and somewhat restricts your range of motion. This added stability means you can focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. This is a great variation for helping you build strength in your biceps.