Zottman Curl
Muscles worked: Biceps, Forearms.
How to do it
- Stand up with your torso upright and a dumbbell in each hand being held at arms length.
- Make sure the palms of the hands are facing each other.
- While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the weights while contracting the biceps as you breathe out.
- Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps.
- Now during the contracted position, rotate your wrist until you now have a pronated (palms facing down) grip with the thumb at a higher position than the pinky.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Curl palms-up, rotate at the top
- Lower slow with palms down
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 8 to 12 rep range, progressing in 1 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Chin-Up - back, biceps
- Barbell Curl - biceps
- Dumbbell Curl - biceps
- Hammer Curl - biceps, forearms
Track the zottman curl properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreFree download, iPhone. Currently on the New Zealand App Store, wider rollout to follow.
Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.