How to French Curl

Co-authored by Michele Dolan

Last Updated: August 23, 2024 References

Sometimes called a triceps extension or French press, the French curl is one of the best ways to build your triceps — the oft-forgotten muscles behind your biceps. Your triceps actually account for two-thirds of the muscle in your upper arm, so building larger triceps will definitely make your arms look fuller. French curls can be done standing, sitting, or on a bench, and you need to maintain a specific form to get the most out of this tricep workout.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Assuming the Correct Stance

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For the first time you do this exercise, ask another person nearby to spot you. Getting into the right starting position can be a little tricky, so it’s best to have someone there to help you if you’ve never done this before.^{[1]
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For safety reasons, start out with a weight that you know won’t be too heavy for you. If you can’t lift the weight above your head, choose something lighter.^{[2]
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Stand or lie back on a bench set at an incline you feel comfortable with. This exercise can be done standing or seated on a bench. Lying on a bench puts less pressure on your back, so this can be good if you’re prone to back pain.
- If you’re standing, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back as straight as possible.
- If you’re using a bench, keep your back straight while leaning against the bench and contract your core. Your feet should be flat against the floor.^{[3]
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Hold the barbell above your head with a narrow, overhand grip. Keep your core tight as you lift the barbell.^{[4]
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Research source} Fully extend your arms. Extend your thumbs along the length of the bar. If your thumbs can touch, this is the right width.
- Your hands should be about 8 to 12 in (20 to 30 cm) apart, so it’s a pretty close grip.^{[5]
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- If you’re struggling to get into position, ask a friend to hand you the bar from behind. This can be especially helpful if you’re using pretty heavy weights.^{[6]
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- If you’re using an EZ curl bar, place your hands along the angled grooves of the bar. For this exercise, the curl bar tends to be easier to grip than a regular barbell.^{[7]
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  Research source} This is because it lets you hold your wrists at a more natural angle.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Lifting the Weight

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Lower the bar slowly behind your head with your elbows tucked in. Keep your elbows tightly tucked in against your head and lower the bar to the lowest point possible behind your head. You will feel a nice stretch in your triceps as you lower the bar.
- Don’t let your elbows flare out to the sides, because this can make the exercise less effective.^{[8]
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  Research source} Keep your elbows facing forward to the best of your ability.
- If you’re on a bench and your lower back lifts slightly as you lower the weight, this is a sign you either need to engage your core. If your core is contracted, it may that you're lifting too much weight. Drop weight until you can keep your lower back flush with the bench.
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Push the bar back up over the back of your head, straightening your arms. Extend your arms and return to your starting position, but don’t lock out your elbows. This can damage your joints.^{[9]
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- Always lift slowly and smoothly, staying in control. This means not swinging the bar upward or letting the weight drop too quickly.^{[10]
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- Focus on keeping your body as still as possible — only your forearms should be moving!^{[11]
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Breathe deeply into your diaphragm, which is located around your stomach. Don’t breathe with just your chest muscles, because these aren’t the primary muscles associated with breathing.^{[12]
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Exhale through your mouth as you lift the bar. Breathe out as you’re working against gravity.^{[13]
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- Never, ever hold your breath while you’re lifting! This can actually raise your blood pressure.^{[14]
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Repeat this lift for 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps. To build muscle, start with a lighter weight warm-up set of 10-15 reps. Then, go for 3-5 fully weighted sets of 6-10 reps each.^{[15]
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Research source} However, if you don’t feel like you’re capable of that just yet or you want to do more reps, it’s perfectly fine! Just focus on maintaining your form and do the amount that you feel comfortable with.
- You can also try other upper body and arm exercises like tricep curls, lat pulldowns, push-ups, and bench presses.
- Reader Poll: We asked 284 wikiHow readers and only 10% said that the best exercise for building arm strength is a bench press. [Take Poll] So if your main goal is building up your arms, focus on one of the other exercises first.