Types of Barbell Curls

Big biceps, the hallmark of bodybuilding and other strength sports such as football and weightlifting, can be yours if you practice barbell curls. This lift can be used to develop muscle strength, size and power, and performing a variety of barbell curls helps prevent you from hitting a training plateau.

  1. Standard Barbell Biceps Curl

    • The standard barbell biceps curl is something of an exercise classic. Performed by everyone from bodybuilders to group exercise class participants, it is the biceps exercise to which all other curl are compared. To perform this exercise, grasp a barbell with a shoulder-width, underhand grip. With your knees slightly bent, chest up and abs held tight, bend your arms and curl the weight up to shoulder height. Lower the bar and repeat. Inhale as you raise the weight and exhale as you lower it to maximize intra-abdominal pressure and spinal stability.

    Variations

    • In bodybuilding, exercise variety is considered to be important for muscle growth. Employing an overhand instead of an underhand grip creates what is called a reverse curl, which places additional emphasis on your forearm muscles; keeping the barbell very close to your body is called a drag curl. Resting your upper arms on a specially designed incline bench, called a preacher bench, isolates your biceps and prevents you from recruiting your back or legs to raise the weight. With the exception of preacher curls, all variations of barbell curls are performed standing.

    Advanced Barbell Curl Exercises

    • Power curls and one-handed barbell curls are advanced exercises that should only be attempted once you have established a basic level of fitness and strength. These exercise variations are used by strongman competitors and other strength athletes to take their development to a higher level. The power curl is an underhand power clean where you use your legs and back to lift a heavier than normal weight and then lower it slowly under control. The one-handed curl challenges and develops wrist strength, balance, coordination and core strength. Simply grasp the barbell in the middle and curl it up to your shoulder using one hand only.

    EZ Barbell Curls

    • The EZ barbell is a variation of the standard barbell. The cambered bar allows you to rotate your hands slightly, which takes stress off your wrists. Some exercisers find this bar more comfortable to use than a standard straight bar. Regular curls, preacher curls, drag curls, reverse curls and power curls can all be performed using an EZ bar. While an EZ bar takes pressure off the wrists, it also places your biceps in a less than optimal position. This means that curling exercises performed with an EZ bar are less effective than those performed with a straight bar.