Exercise movement reviewed by:Marie Braga, PT, DPT, CSCS

How Iridium Programs This

Iridium maintains a separate 1RM estimate for this variation, recognizing that the strict pause and drag path require significantly lighter loads than standard curls. The AI tracks your RPE trends to dictate progressive overload, ensuring you increase intensity through tension rather than by cheating with momentum. These sets contribute directly to your biceps' weekly volume landmarks to ensure you stay within your recoverable limits.

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

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.