Drag Pause Curl (Dumbbell)
The Dumbbell Drag Pause Curl is a bicep isolation exercise where the weights are dragged up the sides of the torso with a distinct pause at the top. This movement eliminates shoulder involvement to strictly target the bicep peak and long head.
Since this exercise relies heavily on a strict isometric contraction, the AI analyzes your RPE and performance data to ensure you are selecting a weight that allows for a genuine pause without momentum. By tracking your recovery metrics like HRV and sleep quality, the app can adjust volume to prevent tendon strain, ensuring you achieve maximum bicep stimulation while minimizing the risk of overuse injuries common with high-tension isolation work.
Form Cues
- Pull your elbows back behind your torso as you initiate the curl.
- Drag the dumbbells vertically up along the sides of your body.
- Hold the contraction for a definitive 1-2 second count at the top.
- Keep your chest up and shoulders packed down throughout the movement.
- Squeeze the biceps intentionally before controlling the descent.
- Don't let your elbows drift forward in front of your ribcage.
- Don't swing the weights or use hip momentum to start the movement.
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears as you lift.
- Don't rush the pause at the peak of the contraction.
- Don't allow the dumbbells to drift away from your body.
Common Mistakes
- Allowing elbows to travel forward
- Using excessive momentum to lift
- Skipping the isometric pause
- Shrugging the shoulders
- Curling the wrists excessively
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the long head of the biceps brachii by removing shoulder flexion, which places the muscle in a mechanically advantageous position for peak contraction. It also heavily recruits the brachialis and brachioradialis in the forearms to maintain the drag path against gravity.
Primary
Secondary
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