Compound exercises that involve multiple joints and move multiple muscle groups at once, such as the squat and deadlift, may be the most efficient for building overall strength. But isolation exercises – movements that target one muscle at a time – can be a defining point in a strength program, especially if you want to develop your arms. In this sense, bicep exercises are a great isolation exercise that you can include in your routine, although you must know how to do them well. Here’s how to properly and safely do bicep curls.
How to do the perfect bicep curl
These are the movements you must follow to do a bicep curl correctly:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and hang your arm across your thighs, palms facing forward.
- Keeping your elbows in position and your upper arms in place, move the weights up, as close to your shoulders as possible.
- Pause and then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position again.
How much weight should I use to do a bicep curl?
When doing a bicep curl (or any weight lifting movement), choose the maximum weight that you can lift, but that allows you to complete all of your reps and sets. in the right way. We know this is simple advice, but we are all different, and the best weight for you is probably different from the ideal weight of your training partner.
However, if you are new and have just started strength training including this exercise, start with lighter weights to make sure you are doing the movement correctly. Then you can increase the weight as you gain more strength and become more confident in your movement pattern.
How to make the bicep curl easier or more complicated
There are a few adjustments you can apply when doing this classic move to make the movement easier or more difficult. You will continue to work the same muscles, only in different ways and / or intensities.
Make it easier :
- Use lighter weights.
- Perform an alternating weight pushup, lifting one weight at a time.
Make it harder :
- Use heavier weights.
- Slow down your lifting pace.
- Do a one-arm isometric curl. Assume the same starting position as with the normal bicep curl and raise the weight with your left hand until the elbow is bent at 90 degrees. Hold that position while doing reps with your right arm. Once you complete all of your reps with your right arm, keep it at a 90 degree angle and perform the same number of reps with your left arm.
Bicep curl variations
Aside from the classic dumbbell bicep curl, there are many variations that you can incorporate into your routine in addition to the ones mentioned above, some of which are: seated bicep curl, resistance band bicep curl, barbell bicep curl, and push-up curl. hammer. Each variation will work your muscles in slightly different ways. In your training program you can include a couple of variations and, when you notice that your results stagnate, change them for different variations.
Benefits of doing bicep curls
Strong biceps not only look good, but they can also be of great help in your daily life as they help you perform different activities more efficiently.
Your arms are the main tools for physically interacting with the outside world. Just think about how often you have to engage their arm muscles (picking up a child, opening a heavy door, moving furniture, carrying shopping bags, etc.). All of these tasks are much easier to do with strong biceps developed with bicep curls.
