What is the difference between drag curls and regular barbell curls?

Drag curls require you to pull your elbows back and drag the bar up your torso, while regular curls keep your elbows in a fixed position with the bar moving in an arc away from your body. This change in mechanics shifts more emphasis to the long head of the biceps and reduces front deltoid involvement.

Why can I lift less weight on drag curls than regular curls?

The drag curl's mechanics create a less favorable leverage position by keeping the bar close to your body and moving your elbows back, which increases the challenge on your biceps. This stricter form eliminates momentum and assistance from other muscles, requiring you to use 20 to 30 percent less weight than standard curls.

Should the barbell touch my body the entire time during drag curls?

Yes, maintaining light contact between the barbell and your torso throughout the movement is essential to proper drag curl form. This contact ensures you are keeping the correct bar path and elbow position that makes the exercise effective for targeting the biceps.

Drag Curl (Barbell)

The drag curl is a barbell biceps exercise where you pull the bar upward along the front of your torso while drawing your elbows back, keeping constant contact with your body. It suits lifters seeking to emphasize the long head of the biceps and reduce front deltoid involvement.

Muscle group: Biceps
Primary muscles: biceps
Equipment: Barbell

How to do the Drag Curl (Barbell)

Stand holding a barbell with an underhand grip at arm's length against your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart.
Pull your elbows back behind your torso as you curl the bar upward, dragging it along your shirt in constant contact with your body.
Continue curling until the bar reaches chest height and your forearms are fully contracted.
Lower the bar along the same path, maintaining contact with your torso and keeping your elbows back throughout the descent.
Return to the starting position with the bar at your thighs and repeat for the prescribed reps.

Form tips

Focus on pulling your elbows back and up rather than forward to keep the bar path vertical along your body.
Keep your chest up and shoulders pulled back throughout the movement to maintain proper torso contact.
Use a controlled tempo and lighter weight than standard curls, as the leverages make this variation more challenging.

Common mistakes

Letting the bar drift away from the body reduces tension on the biceps and turns the movement into a standard curl.
Allowing elbows to move forward shifts emphasis to the front deltoids and defeats the purpose of the drag curl.
Using too much weight forces you to swing or lose torso contact, compromising the strict form this exercise requires.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy, perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps with moderate weight and controlled tempo, while strength work is less common with this isolation variation.

Track the Drag Curl (Barbell) in Gym Track

Log every set in seconds, see your last session's weight and reps as you train, and get a new PR flagged automatically. Free on iPhone and Android.

Get the app

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between drag curls and regular barbell curls?: Drag curls require you to pull your elbows back and drag the bar up your torso, while regular curls keep your elbows in a fixed position with the bar moving in an arc away from your body. This change in mechanics shifts more emphasis to the long head of the biceps and reduces front deltoid involvement.
Why can I lift less weight on drag curls than regular curls?: The drag curl's mechanics create a less favorable leverage position by keeping the bar close to your body and moving your elbows back, which increases the challenge on your biceps. This stricter form eliminates momentum and assistance from other muscles, requiring you to use 20 to 30 percent less weight than standard curls.
Should the barbell touch my body the entire time during drag curls?: Yes, maintaining light contact between the barbell and your torso throughout the movement is essential to proper drag curl form. This contact ensures you are keeping the correct bar path and elbow position that makes the exercise effective for targeting the biceps.

More bicep exercises

All bicep exercises →