How To Perform Barbell Curls Properly
The straight bar curl is one of the first muscle building exercises that most people are introduced to when they first start working out in a gym
. While I can think of probably at least 5 free weight compound exercises that will increase the overall size and musculature of your arms quicker than simply performing barbell curls, a lot of people think that they need to be performing hard core bicep workouts that include set after set of isolation style bicep curls in order to make their arms grow.
If you're looking for a bicep specific exercise that will allow you to build muscle mass and improve the size of your arms, there is no better movement to work into your arm workout than heavy barbell curls. While I usually like to promote compound exercises for packing on muscle mass, I don't really consider the barbell curl to be a compound movement. It is in my opinion, as close as youre going to get to a compound movement that targets your biceps.
In addition to incorporating the muscles in your biceps, the straight bar curl also involves a few other muscles in your chest, shoulders and back, as well as numerous stabilizer muscles. While most of these additional muscle groups really don't have too much involvement in making the weight move through the course of this exercise, simply getting a few of the bigger muscle groups in your upper body to work together at the same time will produce a more anabolic environment in your biceps and will definitely lead to bigger arms over time.
The main benefit to performing barbell curls is that you can train with a very heavy weight, which in turn stimulates new muscle growth with each and every. Even with decent form, you will be able to target your biceps with a much heavier weight than you would with any other bicep exercise. Training with heavy weights through a complete range of motion is the best way to encourage new muscle growth and increase your muscular strength - so stick with what works here and focus on hitting your biceps hard!
I always make it a point to include heavy straight bar curls into each of my bicep workouts so that I can make sure and encourage new growth every time I work my biceps. If you want to get the most out of this exercise, create your arm workout so that you're performing heavy straight bar curls before you jump into any isolation exercises. This will allow you to make sure that you're hammering your arms with heavy enough weight to make them grow before you incorporate any lighter weight isolation movements. I will typically perform anywhere from 2 - 4 sets of basic curls followed by 2 - 3 sets of some other isolation style movement in order to complete my bicep workout.
How To Perform The Straight Bar Curl
If you really want to build bigger arms, you need to learn how to perform the basic curl with correct form and technique. If you compromise on your form you will eventually wind up hurting yourself and you may not be able to lift at all. So make it a point to learn how to train with correct weight training form.
In order to perform the straight bar curl:
1.) Space your feet out about shoulder width
2.) Bend at the knees and grasp the bar with an underhand grip
3.) Stand upright with the barbell hanging in front of you
4.) Hold your back straight with your shoulders back
5.) Curl the barbell up to the top of your shoulders
6.) Pause for a second and then lower the weight (under control) back down to the starting position
If you're serious about building bigger biceps and you want to do it quickly and naturally, then the simple straight bar curl should be a staple in your everyday bicep workouts. While there is certainly nothing fancy about performing straight bar curls, over time you will be able to pack on some serious muscle mass on your arms.
by: Nick Andrade
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