General lifters will benefit from the two reasons mentioned above. Even if they don’t need the size of a bodybuilder or strength of a strongman, everyday gym-goers can still strive for more mass and strength. It’ll help with their general gym performance, confidence, and biceps mobility. Barbell Curl Sets, Reps, and Weight Recommendations It’s hard to have alternatives for 21s because it’s hard to replicate the ‘deep burn’ that 21s create. 4 x 4s are one of those rare exercises that do. Olympic Weightlifting: While weightlifters don’t want to pull with the arms during snatches and clean & jerks isn’t something we want in most lifts, stronger arms, in general, can increase pulling and grip strength. Having strong arms can also help during the pull under phase as well. Form Tip: Think about having your hands finish slightly in front of the body like you are giving inconspicuous low hanging high fives. 4 Benefits of the Barbell Curl Drop Sets are another way to maximize that end-of-workout pump that is so awesome leaving the gym with. Grab a bar and add a few small plates on each side. For example, two ten-pound plates on each side (adjust as needed).

Biceps make up just half the arm. Here are some more complete arm training tips in your quest for some serious pythons. Below are four benefits of the barbell curl that strength, power, and fitness athletes can benefit from. 1. Improved Grip Strength Here’s what you need to know about doing the barbell curl — a tried-and-true size and strength builder for the biceps: The barbell curl is a single-joint accessory/hypertrophy exercise that can be highly effective at targeting the arms, specifically the muscles below. Biceps The biceps are responsible for elbow flexion as well as supporting the grip muscles in pulls and loaded carries. Weak and underdeveloped biceps can cause grip issues, strain to the biceps, and in some cases muscle tears. A stronger biceps is a more resilient biceps. Hey, not every benefit has to do with filling out your shirt. 3. Increased Upper Body MassYou know this, of course, but here’s some biceps knowledge you may not be privy to. Your biceps has one function, and that’s to flex your elbow (meaning bring your lower arm towards your face). Think about that for a second, and you’ll realize that your biceps are good for a lot more than just curling weights. First off, why on Earth would you want an alternative to 21s? It’s the best possible curl exercise. The hammer curl is a curl variation that targets the biceps and the forearms at a slightly different angle, adding another dimension to your arm training and development. Often, this is done with dumbbells, so that the wrists can be turned curled in a neutral position. Preacher Curl Another mistake is not keeping the elbows fixed and in at the sides. You should not let your elbows come forward when moving the weight up.

Want bigger arms? Then you need to leave your ego at the door and focus on the contraction. This means lowering the weight on the bar and performing the barbell curl slowly and with intention. A goo rule of thumb is to use a weight that you can perform for two more reps than your target reps. Below are three barbell curl alternatives that can be done to vary programming, challenge lifters, and more. Hammer Curl If you don’t have a bar, you can still do 21s. If you have dumbbells, just do DB 21s. You may not be able to use a partner as a guide in the same way as with a bar, but don’t let that stop you. Do 7 reps halfway up, seven halfway down, seven full reps and enjoy that beautiful pump. 4 x 4s

Now curl the bar up to your partner’s palm, lightly tapping it each rep. This should equate to about half a full rep. Form Tip: Actively flex your biceps throughout the entire movement, especially at the top. Step 5 — Control the Bar on the Way Down Powerlifting: Like strongman athletes, strong biceps can impact pulling strength and performance, especially helping to resist bicep strains and tears. The eccentric curl is a way to overload the biceps and creates massive amounts of tension on the tissues. Eccentric training and the eccentric aspect of muscle contraction (lengthening under load) has been shown to result in high amounts of DOMs and muscle growth. To do this, curl the weight up (you can have a partner help you) and slowly lower the load under control, and on a tempo (such as three to five seconds down). Drag Curl

Aim to do five to eight sets of eight to 15 repetitions. Again, perform a couple of warm-up sets until the movement feels fluid and you’re ready to crush your working sets. Barbell Curl Variations https://youtube.com/watch?v=X4qkHHlFouQ Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: 5 Mass Building Bicep Exercises | What's Your Favorite? (https://youtube.com/watch?v=X4qkHHlFouQ) Besides looking good — because a pair of meaty arms are aesthetic — bigger biceps serve some practical functions, too. The biceps muscle is a key player in most pulling exercises. Anytime your pull a heavy deadlift, your biceps are involved. The same is true for pull-ups, barbell rows, and more. Strengthening the biceps will carry over to those moves as well as help protect them from injury. Strength and power athletes can use the barbell curl, primarily to improve arm and grip strength, enhance eccentric loading potentials (injury prevention from strains and tears) during heavy deadlift and pulling training. Here’s more about how stronger biceps can help in specific strength sports: Do four to six sets of four to eight repetitions. Remember to start with lighter weight and perform one to two warm-up sets before increasing the weight on the bar and going for broke. Compared to the muscle-building sets below, the volume here is lower. But that’s because lifting heavier weights is fatiguing to both your muscles and nervous system. Put simply: it’s harder! To Build MuscleTechnically yes, but we don’t suggest that. All curls involve moving your lower arm up and down, so we can see why you think you only need one exercise. That said, there’s an advantage to using dumbbells, bands, and cables. Also, changing your hand position and arm angles are ways to keep your training fresh while changing the “feel” of an exercise. Curls are simple, so I can sip my workout right? Your biceps are the mechanism that move the curling bar, and your forearms are what support it. The forearms aren’t a primary player in the biceps curl, but they’re just as important. Also, as your curl heavier weights over time, you should notice an increase in both forearm size and grip strength. Who Should Perform Barbell Curls? The work doesn’t end when you get the bar up — that’s just half the exercise. Lowering the barbell slowly (like to a count of two to three seconds) will tax more muscle fibers. Your muscle is still under a load, so there’s still an opportunity to breakdown muscle tissue in the biceps and build more mass. Don’t relax. Lower that bar slowly. Below are two primary training goals and programming recommendations when programming barbell curls into training programs. To Gain Strength Also, the barbell curl can be loaded up with relatively more weight than other curling exercises. That means you can load the muscle faster and progress for longer without hitting a plateau. 4. They’re Accessible