If you’re looking to take your biceps training to the next level, it’s time to go beyond standard curls. The barbell telle curl is a forgotten gem of old-school bodybuilding that delivers intense isolation, constant tension, and serious muscle burn. Popularized by legendary trainers like Vince Gironda, barbell telle curls maximize bicep engagement by keeping the muscle under tension for longer periods of time. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about telle curls, from benefits and proper form to common mistakes, so you can add this powerful exercise to your training routine and start seeing better results.
What Muscles Do Barbell Telle Curls Work?
Barbell telle curls, or telle barbell biceps curls, are a variation of the dumbbell bicep curl popularized by bodybuilder Larry Scott and coach Vince Gironda. They’re known for their strict form and constant tension.
Primary Muscles Worked:
- Biceps Brachii: The biceps brachii are located on the front part of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. It flexes the elbow and supinates the forearm, helping you turn doorknobs or lift things toward your shoulder.
- Brachialis: This muscle is located in your upper arm, underneath the biceps. It contributes to arm thickness.
- Brachioradialis: This muscle is located in your forearm. It’s involved in elbow flexion, especially with a neutral grip.
Secondary Muscles Worked:
- Core muscles: These muscles are located in the torso between the chest and the hips, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae. The core muscles help move the torso and maintain proper posture and balance during the barbell telle curl.
Benefits of Barbell Telle Curls
Here are the benefits of barbell telle curls:
- Muscle Isolation: Barbell telle curls isolate the biceps with minimal involvement from the shoulders or momentum. This exercise especially targets the long head of the biceps, enhancing peak development.
- Constant Tension for Hypertrophy: The movement emphasizes continuous tension, especially in the higher half of the curl. This sustained tension is ideal for stimulating muscle growth.
- Improved Mind-Muscle Connection: The strict, controlled nature of barbell telle curl enhances neuromuscular control. They allow you to enhance that connection between your brain and your biceps, keeping you more engaged, which can improve performance in other biceps exercises.
- Reduced Risk of Injury: Since you are keeping the biceps under tension for longer periods and your tempo is slower, you can use lighter weights, reducing stress on joints and tendons. This also lowers your risk of swinging or overloading your elbows and shoulders.
- Great Finisher Exercise: The barbell telle curl is a great finishing move, allowing you to fatigue your biceps at the end of a workout due to their intense burn and high rep potential.
How to Do Barbell Telle Curls
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do barbell telle curl correctly:
- Grab a straight barbell or EZ curl bar with a shoulder-width underhand grip.
- Stand upright with your back straight, shoulders back, core tight, arms fully extended, and the bar resting against your thighs.
- Perform a curl, bringing the bar up toward your shoulders. Focus on isolating the biceps and avoid using your back or shoulders to assist.
- With the bar resting by your shoulders, hinge at your hips by pushing them back, leaning your torso forward while keeping your back flat, similar to the good morning exercise.
- Bring your torso back up and lower the bar to the starting position.
- Try 3 sets of 12–15 reps.
Barbell Telle Curls Mistakes
Here are the common mistakes to avoid when doing barbell telle curl so you get the best results without wasting effort or risking injury:
- Rounding the Back: Rounding the spine can cause strains. Make sure to keep your back straight.
- Too Much Hip Hinge: Leaning too far forward emphasizes the lower back more than the biceps. Bend at a 45° angle, maintaining a flat back, and engage your core.
- Using Momentum or Swinging: Jerking the bar up or swinging the body to complete the curl doesn’t isolate the arms. Instead, perform a slow and controlled movement, focusing on biceps contraction, not speed or weight.
- Flaring Out the Elbows: Letting your elbows drift away from the body or outward during the curl engages more muscles instead of isolating the biceps. Keep your elbows close to your sides, pointing downward throughout the movement.
- Lifting Too Heavy: If the weight you choose is too heavy, you may end up performing the exercise with poor form or excessive body movement. Prioritize proper form over load and lighten the barbell if needed.
- Not Keeping Wrists Neutral: Bending your wrists backward or forward excessively stresses those joints. Keep your wrists straight and aligned with your forearms.
- Neglecting Full Range of Motion: Cutting the curl short, either by not lowering the bar fully or not curling all the way up, shortens the range of motion. Start from full extension and curl until the bar is near shoulder height.
Barbell Telle Curls Video Tutorial
Bicep Exercises
Complete your bicep workout with the following exercises:
Conclusion
Barbell telle curls may look simple, but their impact on bicep development is great. By focusing on controlling the movement, maintaining constant tension, and performing a full range of motion, this exercise helps you isolate the biceps more effectively than traditional curls. Whether you’re looking to spark new growth, improve your mind-muscle connection, or finish your arm workout with a serious pump, Telle Curls are a smart, efficient addition to your routine. Focus on form, stay consistent, and you’ll get more defined arms that reflect your effort.
To a Fitter Healthier You,
The Fitness Wellness Mentor
About the Author
Adriana Albritton has a Master’s in Forensic Psychology, certifications in personal training, nutrition, and detoxification, and is the founder of FitnAll Coaching and blog. She is the author of 28 Days to a New Life: A Holistic Program to Get Fit, Delay Aging, and Enhance Your Mindset, and a coauthor of The Better Business Book Volumes II and III. With a background in mental health, Adriana brings a holistic, science-backed approach to wellness. She combines mindset coaching, fitness, and nutrition to help people stay lean, energized, healthy, and centered. As part of Health Six FIT, she’s also helping reshape healthcare through AI-driven, integrative wellness education.
