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The barbell bicep curl.

How to properly perform a barbell curl.

nate_dawg
nate_dawg g Nathan Bishop
453 Post(s)
453 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted

When it comes to the barbell curl a lot of guys let their ego take over and pile lots of weight on the bar and start curling away while allowing there back to swing half the weight up. When they do this they don't realize that the bicep actually isn't under to great of stress. When doing a barbell curl plant your heels to the ground firmly to brace your body and prevent you from swinging your back. When performing each rep be sure not to let your elbows go past your hips because that will take tension off the biceps. Think all the action into the bicep and thats where your power will go. Curl the barbell up as close as you can to your chin and at the very top of the movement squeeze your biceps as hard as you can. Hold the contraction for at least 1-2 seconds, and lower the bar all the way down to the starting position with a slow controlled 2-3 second negative. The negative portion of the rep helps to expand the muscle tissue and to build strength. Doing slow negatives has greatly increased the size and strength of my biceps. A lot of guys will curl the weight to the top and just drop the bar down to starting position. Dont do that! follow all these guidelines to performing a barbell curl and your biceps will start growing. Also dont be that guy who does 50 sets for biceps. If you want them to grow you do need to train with high volume and target them from different angles, but typically 12-16 total sets is plenty to pump the biceps full of blood and destroy each and every muscle fiber. Divide those 12-16 sets between 3-4 different exercises to ensure you're targeting different areas of the biceps. To fully build them you need an exercise to target the inner head, the outer head, the peak, and the brachialis. You can target the inner head with a wide grip barbell curl. You can target the outer head with a close grip barbell curl. You can target the peak well with concetration dumbbell curls or preacher curls. Either or will do fine. You can target the brachialis with a reverse barbell curl or hammer curls with the dumbbells or rope cable atatchment. Now get to the gym and put this info to good use and watch your biceps grow!

SimonStoltz
SimonStoltz g Simon Stoltz
24 Post(s)
24 Post(s) Gender: Female Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: June 6, 2012
Posted

When I do my curls, I stand with my back against a wall do avoid throwing with my back! It´s amazing what some small tricks can do when you tries to correct your form!

Shut Up and Train!
William_Steinset
William_Steinset p William Steinset
1K Post(s)
1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: December 12, 1969
Posted
Posted By: SimonStoltz

When I do my curls, I stand with my back against a wall do avoid throwing with my back! It´s amazing what some small tricks can do when you tries to correct your form!

Well yeah that is one way to do it. Although I would advice you to not do it if you know the exercise in and out there shouldn't be a problem, standing with no support. I remember I used to do it that way, in my personal opinion and experience you will be more rewarded for not supporting your body.

MS Athelete / Super Hermanite / SHF
SimonStoltz
SimonStoltz g Simon Stoltz
24 Post(s)
24 Post(s) Gender: Female Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: June 6, 2012
Posted

Yes, thats true, but I did it because I have´d to check my form. When I got the movement right I started to do them without support, this time with correct form, so yes, I don´t recommend to use support all the time, just as a way to correct your form

Shut Up and Train!
Kevit07
Kevit07 g Kevin Child
99 Post(s)
99 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: May 5, 2013
Posted
Posted By: William_Steinset

Well yeah that is one way to do it. Although I would advice you to not do it if you know the exercise in and out there shouldn't be a problem, standing with no support. I remember I used to do it that way, in my personal opinion and experience you will be more rewarded for not supporting your body.

Normally I'd agree William, but for powerlifters that are going for setting records on the strict curl, they have to put their back against a wall (or at least, all the record-setters I've seen have their backs against the wall). So for someone that wants to beat their state (or even national record which I think it still 225 pounds) record, I'd recommend getting used to it. Everybody has different goals, so one thing that works for one person, might not work for another.

muscular strength
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