How to Do Barbell Curls for Massive Biceps

The barbell curl is a quintessential biceps mass builder.

It’s been a staple in bodybuilding routines for many years as a result of it’s one of many easiest and only methods to progressively overload your biceps, making it perfect for gaining arm dimension and power.

On this professional information, you’ll discover ways to do the barbell curl with correct kind, perceive what makes it so efficient, uncover the most effective options and variations, and extra. 

Mastering Barbell Curl Type

To grasp standing barbell biceps curl kind, break up the train into three steps: arrange, curl, and descend.

1. Arrange

Place a barbell on the ground and cargo it with plates. Seize the bar together with your palms dealing with away from you slightly wider than shoulder-width aside. 

Arise straight, take a deep breath, and brace your core. 

2. Curl

With out leaning backward, curl the bar towards your chest till your forearms are roughly perpendicular to the ground.

3. Descend

Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place.

Right here’s how correct barbell curl kind ought to look once you put all of it collectively:

Barbell Curl Advantages

Splendid for Biceps Development

Analysis reveals that combining compound pulling workout routines involving the biceps with focused biceps workout routines like barbell arm curls maximizes biceps development. 

This strategy is efficient as a result of it permits you to practice your biceps at totally different angles and thru various ranges of movement, which produces extra balanced and full development than solely utilizing compound workout routines.

It additionally ensures you practice your “bis” with sufficient quantity (units) to stimulate development with out different muscle mass changing into a limiting issue.

Splendid for Gaining Energy

To construct power and dimension, you will need to step by step enhance the burden you raise—a course of known as “progressive overload.”

To do that persistently with out plateauing or risking harm, it’s normally greatest to extend the weights you raise in small increments.

Since dumbbells sometimes enhance in fastened, 5-pound jumps, progressing isn’t all the time sensible—typically these jumps are too giant for isolation workout routines like barbell curls. 

Nonetheless, barbells provide extra flexibility, permitting you so as to add as little as 2.5 kilos per aspect. This makes common development extra manageable and helps you make extra sustainable power and mass positive factors.

Straightforward to Be taught

The barbell curl has only a few transferring components, so it’s simple to study, even for these new to weightlifting. 

What Do Barbell Curls Work?

The primary muscle mass labored by barbell curls are the biceps brachii (“biceps”), the two-headed muscle on the entrance of the higher arm between the shoulder and elbow.

It additionally works your brachialis and forearms to a lesser extent.

Right here’s how the biceps look in your physique:

The Finest Barbell Curl Variations & Alternate options

1. EZ-Bar Curl

EZ-bar curls and straight bar curls are equally efficient for constructing biceps mass. The distinction is that the EZ-bar has a curved deal with, which may take pressure off your wrists and elbows and make curling extra snug. 

2. Cable Biceps Curl

Through the use of a cable, the cable biceps curl maintains fixed stress in your biceps all through your entire vary of movement, which trains your biceps in a different way from free-weight workout routines and should allow you to construct larger arms. 

3. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

The alternating dumbbell curl trains both sides of your physique independently, so it’s helpful for locating and fixing muscle imbalances and making certain you acquire symmetrical biceps mass. 

The best way to Program the Barbell Curl

The place you place the barbell curl in your exercises is dependent upon your coaching break up.

For those who don’t do a devoted “arm day,” carry out the barbell curl towards the tip of pull or higher physique exercise when you’ve completed all your compound weightlifting for the day. For instance, right here’s how I like to recommend programming the barbell curl in my 4-day Greater Leaner Stronger pull exercise:

Deadlift: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-4 min relaxation
Cable Row: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-4 min relaxation
Chin-up: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-4 min relaxation
Barbell Curl: 3 units of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation

Alternatively, if you wish to embody the barbell curl in an arm exercise, it’s normally greatest to carry out it close to the start of your coaching session. Right here’s the way it may look:

Frequent Barbell Curl Errors

Utilizing Momentum

Counting on momentum to “hump” the burden up reduces the work your biceps do and, thus, how a lot muscle you acquire. To stop your self from utilizing momentum within the barbell curl, preserve your torso, hips, and knees nonetheless throughout every rep.

Letting the Weight Fall

Analysis reveals that controlling the eccentric portion (“reducing” part) of any biceps curl is a extremely efficient technique to enhance muscle development. As a basic rule, it is best to take the identical time to raise the burden as you do to decrease it to the beginning place—round one or two seconds for every is an efficient goal.

Shortening the Vary of Movement

To squeeze out extra reps or raise heavier weights, many individuals shorten the barbell curl’s vary of movement. Nonetheless, once you solely full the highest or backside two-thirds of every rep, you cut back the effectiveness of the train. 

To maximise biceps positive factors, decrease the burden till your elbows are absolutely prolonged and raise it till they’re fully bent on each rep. When you may’t keep this manner, it’s time to finish your set.

FAQ #1: What do barbell curls and dips have in widespread?

Not that a lot, really. Barbell curls are an isolation train for the biceps, whereas dips are a compound train that trains your pecs, shoulders, and triceps.

About the one factor they’ve in widespread is that they’re each efficient, muscle-building workout routines that deserve a spot in a well-designed power coaching routine. 

FAQ #2: Is the barbell curl the most effective biceps train?

The barbell curl is an excellent biceps train as a result of it permits you to raise heavy weights safely and progress repeatedly. However it’s onerous to name it the “greatest” biceps train as a result of every particular person is exclusive—what’s optimum for you won’t be for another person. 

As a substitute of in search of the “good” biceps train, a greater possibility is to incorporate a lot of biceps workout routines in your exercises that practice your biceps in several methods. That’s the actual ticket to maximizing biceps development.

FAQ #3: What’s the distinction between the EZ-bar curl and barbell curl?

The first distinction between the EZ-bar curl and barbell curl is the form of the bar: the EZ-bar has a zigzag form, whereas a barbell is straight. 

The sensible significance of that is that some individuals discover curling an EZ-bar extra snug as a result of it relieves pressure on their wrists and elbows. For others, the distinction is negligible.

To see which works greatest for you, attempt each workout routines. If there’s one you favor, keep it up. Or, if each really feel fantastic, a great possibility is to alternate between them each 8-to-10 weeks of coaching.

That is how I personally like to prepare my coaching, and it’s just like the tactic I advocate in my health books for women and men, Greater Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger. 

(And for those who’d like much more particular recommendation about what workout routines to incorporate in your coaching program to succeed in your well being and health targets, take the Legion Energy Coaching Quiz, and in lower than a minute, you’ll know the right power coaching program for you. Click on right here to test it out.)