Guillotine Curl

The guillotine curl is a standingbarbell isolation exercisethat raises the bar toward chin height instead of the collarbone. Pushing the elbows forward and out in front of the torso shortens the moment arm at the top and keeps tension onthe bicepsthrough a longer stretch at the bottom, biasing the long head over the short head. That forward elbow path also removes the shoulder from the lockout you get on a standard curl. Lifters use it as a finishing biceps exercise after compound pulling work, loaded lighter than a strict curl.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: biceps brachii, long head
• Secondary: brachialis, brachioradialis
• Tertiary: anterior deltoid (forearm)

Starting Position

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, holding a barbell with a shoulder width underhand grip. Let the bar hang at arms length in front of your thighs, palms forward. Draw your ribs down and brace your core so your lower back stays neutral. Drive your elbows slightly forward of your torso rather than pinning them to your sides. Tension should already sit in your biceps before the bar moves.

Execution Steps

1. Brace your core and fix your upper arms at the forward angle you set in the starting position.
2. Curl the bar up by flexing your elbows, keeping your wrists straight and your elbows drifting slightly further forward as the bar rises.
3. Bring the bar toward your chin, letting your elbows point forward rather than down at your sides.
4. Pause at the top for a full second and squeeze your biceps hard without shrugging your shoulders.
5. Lower the bar under control, tracking the same forward elbow path back down through the full range.
6. Reset at arms length with your elbows returned to the slightly forward position before the next rep.

Form Cues

• Lead with your elbows: let them travel forward through the whole rep instead of staying fixed at your ribs.
• Keep your wrists locked: a flexing wrist bleeds tension away from the biceps and onto the forearm.
• Squeeze at the top for a full second before you lower the bar.
• Feel the stretch at the bottom rather than rushing straight into the next rep.
• Keep your ribcage down through the lift so your lower back doesn't take the load.

Common Mistakes

• Loading too heavy: turns the curl into a body swing that shifts work onto your hip flexors and lower back, so drop the weight until your torso stays still.
• Leaning back at the top: hyperextends the lumbar spine under load and can strain the lower back over repeated sets, so keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
• Flaring the elbows out to the sides: shifts tension to the front deltoid instead of the biceps, so keep your elbows tracking forward, not sideways.
• Dropping the bar on the eccentric: skips the stretched position where the long head does most of its work, so lower for a full two count.
• Curling with a wide or narrow grip out of habit: changes which head of the biceps gets emphasis, so keep your hands at shoulder width unless you're deliberately shifting the target.

Variations

• Seated guillotine curl: removes body English by taking the hips out, good for lifters who swing the weight standing.
• Cable guillotine curl: keeps constant tension through the range instead of the barbell's dead spot at the bottom.
• E-Z bar guillotine curl: the angled grip reduces wrist strain at the top.
• Single-arm dumbbell guillotine curl: trains one side at a time and exposes strength differences between arms.
• Resistance band guillotine curl: swaps the bar for a band anchored underfoot when a barbell isn't available.

Tips for Progression

• Add 5 pounds once you complete all sets at the top of your rep range with a controlled squeeze.
• Add one rep per set before you add load if the last two reps lose the forward elbow position.
• Add one working set every few weeks once the current volume stops leaving your biceps sore.
• Slow the eccentric to a three count once the standard tempo stops challenging the stretch.

Training Notes

Program the guillotine curl as an accessory movement late in an upper body or arm session, after your pressing and pulling work is done. Train it once or twice a week for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 45 to 75 seconds between sets. It pairs well with a triceps isolation exercise as a superset to close out an arm day.