Exercise Tutorial: Barbell Curl
Table of Contents
What Is a Barbell Curl
The Barbell Curl is an upper body exercise that specifically targets the Biceps and additional muscles of the arm to increase muscular size and strength. Keep reading to learn everything about the Barbell Curl, including different ways you can perform this exercise.
How to Do a Barbell Curl
To complete the Barbell Curl, you will need a barbell. Follow these steps to learn how to perform the Barbell Curl.
Begin with your feet hip-width apart and have a shoulder-width grip on the barbell. Your palms should be facing away from you in this underhand grip.
Brace the core and keep your torso tall. Begin to engage the Biceps to curl the bar up towards the shoulders. The movement should only be coming from the elbows.
Once the bar has reached shoulder height, slowly lower the bar back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
You have now learned how to perform the Barbell Curl!
Barbell Curl Form
There are a few points to keep in mind when performing the Barbell Curl. These cues will help you to get the most out of the exercise and perform the movement as safely as possible. When performing the Barbell Curl, be sure to,
Keep the shoulders, and the shoulder blades down and back
Do not swing the body to help perform the Barbell Curl
Keep the elbows tight to the body as you perform the Barbell Curl
Squeeze the bar as you perform the movement to ensure continual engagement of the Biceps
Barbell Curl Muscles Worked
The biceps brachii are the primary muscle that the Barbell Curl targets. Additional muscles that are targeted in the Barbell Curl include,
Barbell Curl Benefits
The benefits of the Barbell Curl are what has made this exercise so popular! You can see some serious increases in muscle size and strength from performing the Barbell Curl. Additional benefits of consistently performing the Barbell Curl include,
Increased grip strength
Injury prevention
The Barbell Curl helps with building optimal strength when it comes to your lifts.
Why Is the Barbell Curl Useful
The Barbell Curl is useful for everyone to help increase upper body strength and mass. Additionally, the Barbell Curl is especially useful for Powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters to help resist strains and injury to the Biceps, as well as general increased pulling strength which will transfer to other movements. Another great thing about the Barbell Curl is that it is an easy movement to learn and perform.
Barbell Curl Variations
There are many variations of the Barbell Curl. Here are a few of them below that you can try!
Reverse Barbell Curl
The Reverse Barbell Curl is a variation of the Barbell Curl that simply uses an overhand grip instead of an underhand grip. So, your palms will be facing away from you instead of towards you. This variation will result in more engagement of the muscles of the forearm, specifically the Brachialis. Performing the Reverse Curl with an EZ Bar can help to reduce pressure on the wrists.
Barbell Wrist Curl
The Barbell Wrist Curl will engage the muscles of the hand and forearm. To perform the Barbell Wrist Curl, have a seat on the edge of a bench with the barbell in your hand using an underhand grip. Place your forearms on your thigh with the wrist hanging above the knee. Curl the bar up towards you by flexing the wrist. Hold this position for one count, and then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position. Movement should only be coming from the wrist.
Seated Barbell Curl
The Seated Barbell Curl involves the same sequence of movement as the standing Barbell Curl, just from a seated position. Sit at the edge of a bench and perform the Barbell Curl as usual.
Wide Grip Barbell Curl
A Wide Grip Barbell Curl allows the user to lift more weight than they normally could in the conventional Barbell Curl. As well, the Wide Grip Barbell Curl engages the short head of the Biceps more compared to the narrow grip which targets the long head. Overall, most people choose to use a narrow grip when performing the Barbell Curl to build the peak of the Biceps.
Barbell Curl Vs Dumbbell Curl
Both the Barbell Curl and the Dumbbell Curl are great exercises for increasing strength in the Biceps and forearms. However, there are some differences depending on which piece of equipment you choose to use. If you are just starting to lift weight, we suggest performing the Dumbbell Curl as you may not be able to lift the Barbell yet (though this does depend on which type of barbell you are using).
Using Dumbbells is a great way to reduce and improve upon any muscular imbalances in the body as you are lifting each weight in isolation. Using a Barbell can potential make muscular imbalances worse as you are using the muscles in both arms to lift the weight.
As well, the use of Dumbbells can allow for a greater range of motion, a more natural position of the wrist and engagement of more stabilizers than the Barbell would. However, the use of the Barbell also has many advantages including that it is better for powerlifters and lifting heavier loads. Progression and setup can also be easier with the use of a Barbell. Overall, whether you decide to perform the Barbell Curl, or the Dumbbell Curl, you will receive amazing benefits and overall increased strength.
