Bicep curls

* Puts on fire-proof suit*

The much maligned bicep curl is about to get a boost of support here. Please listen to what I am saying before you slay away.

I am not talking about alternating bicep curls using 15lb dumbbells and focusing on the peaks of your bi's. I am also not talking about concentration or preacher curls or any other Muscle and Fitness douchebag bodybuilding movment.

I am talking about straight curls using an Olympic bar using moderate to heavy weight ( 6-12 reps). I have found that adding these following pulls or hanging rows is really good for increasing strength. I find a lot of people who have weak pulls are weak through the upper back, serratus, and....the biceps. The biceps are a prime mover for pulls and increasing strength through the biceps does help for movments like pull-ups and hanging rows.

Note, I will not do the curls before pulls, they are added after pulls are done to failure. I have also noticed that adding them, has helped both my clients and myself increase pull-up strength.

 

No one here is against curls as an assistance exercise for the pulls. We are just against basing a routine around them and doing 1000's of variations of them at the expense of compound lifts.

 

I have just found that people are really not very receptive to anything that does not fit into their strictly defined list of acceptable training exercises. Isolated movements can be very useful for increasing the strength of big, compound movements.

 

Yep. We joke about curls but check the logs and 80% of people here do them, and 20% do them and just don't log them.

 

Haven't really checked the logs but it is good to know. My next thread will be in support of partner donkey calf raises...................

 

If you want to get better at pullups, do more pullups. The ONLY valid reason to do bicep work is to keep from tearing your bicep tendon when lifting stones. Advocating curls as a way to improve pullups is like saying that leg extensions will help to improve squats.

 

Your clients suck. I'm sick and tired of snake oil salesmen coming in here and claiming that x, y, and z have helped their inumerable clients make gains. Do any of your clients post here. What commercial gym do you train them out of? Do any of them want to fight me in a stone circle death match?

 

People here have something up their ass about bicep curls, but the thing is they really aren't a bad exercise by any stretch. The only problem comes when people put them ahead of compound exercises that are far more beneficial on the whole.

 

I saw some boheamth curling plates + 25's on an olympic bar the other day at the gym...i felt infantile

 

Exactly why I look forward to his posts everyday

 

Thats like saying masturbating improves your Deadlift.

 

This is the best response ever. B0rt for president!

 

It doesn't?

 

Shhhhhh, lets see if they believe it.

 

Don't chin-ups target the same muscles as bicep curls, as well as your delts, traps, lats, and abs (core stability)?

From an efficiency standpoint, they still seem like a waste to me..

 

This is true.

 

One variation of curls that I've started to dig (after reading about them in a couple DJ articles) is power curls. The only problem is I can't bring myself to do them in the gym because they look a bit too much like the basic ego-curl for my pride to handle, but at home with the slosh pipe or sand bag they're a great addition.

 

Havent done any curls or triceps pressdown shit in over a year and a half Id say. Iwas recently thinking about adding them but I walk a fine line with regard to overtraining and cns fatigue. If I did curls then Id have to sacrifice something else which I will not do.


Im a trainer (nsca) and agree that they are a good exercise for my trainees when used properly.Remember folks, not everyone is an animal like us here in S&P. Ill have them do curls and triceps shit at first and then slowly wean them off to better moves like chins and bench.

As previously stated, I havent done "arms" in over a year and my arms are pretty fucking ripped. Not bodybuilder big, but athletic looking and cut.

With that said, if you consider yourself serious about training then you really shouldnt be doing curls at all. DONT TRY TO JUSTIFY IT. YOU ARE ONLY LYING TO YOURSELF!

 

ahhhhhhhhhh, just lift some heavy Iron. If it's heavy and a compound exercise then good, very good. If it's an Isolation exercise and only very very very very heavy then semi good.

 

I'm glad to hear how much of an animal you are as well as how "big" and "cut" your arms are, but making a blanket statement that curls won't help anyone is stupid. Also, are you implying you did curls and tricep pushdowns a year ago? Surely you couldn't have, because then you wouldn't have been "serious" about training. Also, you are implying that you were considering doing them but decided against it only due to overtraining? Why would such a thought even cross your mind?

Confused? Bi-curious?