Since all forms of barbell curls are pulling exercises that work your biceps, it's a good idea to combine them with pushing exercises that train your triceps, which work in opposition to the biceps. Now that you know how to perform various forms of barbell curls, let's take a look at some ways to incorporate them into your training. Incorporating Barbell Curls Into Your Training If you want bigger biceps, then you might consider adding Barbell Spider Curls to your list of "mandatory" arm exercises. This affords nearly twice the range of motion as the Preacher Curl, discussed above, thus providing more productive repetitions. Performing Barbell Spider Curls is almost identical to performing Preacher Curls, with the exception that with Barbell Spider Curls you use the straight-edged side of the preacher bench, as shown in Figures 15-16.Īs you can see, using the straight-edged side of the preacher bench enables you to move the bar much lower than with Preacher Curls, giving your biceps a deep stretch. As with Preacher Curls, Barbell Spider Curls require a preacher bench and an EZ-bar. Variations of Barbell Curls: Barbell Spider CurlĪ great way to isolate your biceps and have a full range of motion is by performing Barbell Spider Curls. Avoid relaxing your muscles in the initial position (Figure 13) the weight can overextend your elbows, if you're not careful! It's best to work the biceps hard by slowly lifting the weight under control, both upwards and during the descent, as well. Avoid rocking or heaving the weight in an attempt to start the lift. You'll notice that the lift is more difficult in the beginning than towards the end. Now, use your biceps to lift the bar towards your chin, as shown in Figure 14. You can then lower the bar to the initial position shown in Figure 7 and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions. While focusing on your biceps, lift the bar upwards toward your chest until your forearms touch your biceps, as shown in Figure 8. Stand up straight with your head up and keep your elbows motionless at your sides, as shown in Figure 7. When you curl with the EZ-bar, all the same rules apply as when you're performing regular barbell curls. When you perform EZ-Bar Curls, grasp the outer-most bends in the bar with an underhand grip so that your palms are tilted toward one another. The EZ-bar has bends in it that enable your palms to face each other a bit so as to relieve some of the strain that some trainees experience in their wrists. Performing EZ-Bar Curls is just like performing regular barbell curls, except that you use an EZ-bar. If you find that your wrists are a bit uncomfortable during barbell curls, you can try performing EZ-bar Curls. Although a wide-grip is shown in Figures 3-4, you can alternatively use a medium-grip, if you would like. As with regular barbell curls, when you perform Wide-Grip Barbell Curls you should keep your upper-arms at your sides, motionless, and don't lean back or swing the weight. When your forearms touch your biceps, you've reached the final position shown in Figure 4. While keeping your back straight and your head up, focus on your biceps and lift the bar upwards toward your chest. To perform Wide-Grip Barbell Curls, grasp the barbell with as wide of an underhand grip as is comfortable, and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, as shown in Figure 3. Wide-Grip Barbell Curls is a variation of barbell curls that emphasizes the inner portion of your biceps. Variations of Barbell Curls: Wide-Grip Barbell Curls Now that you know how to perform regular barbell curls, let's a look at some of the many variations of barbell curls that you might want to use in your arm training. Doing this will help you to keep the emphasis entirely on your biceps. If you're having trouble with leaning back and/or swinging the weight, you might want to place your back against a wall or other vertical surface and position your feet about 2-3 ft in front on you for balance. Both cheating methods deemphasize your biceps during the lift. Leaning back causes you to cheat by using your back to lift the weight, and swinging the weight causes you to cheat by using momentum to get the bar to the top of the lift. It's crucial that you don't lean backwards or swing the weight during barbell curls.
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