For the barbell curl, it’s harder at the bottom and gets progressively easier as you reach the top of the ROM. And because of this the strength curve is much different when compared to the barbell curl. PRO: Once in the starting position there’s constant tension on the biceps throughout the entire range of motion. Now that we know the pros and cons of the barbell, let’s compare it to the cable version and see, if given the option, which one is best suited for MORE GAINS! New lifters using their legs, hips, lower back, and shoulders to lift weight that they’re not ready for. Now, you CAN do the same thing with cables but when the weight gets REALLY heavy it starts to get a bit awkward due to the fixed position of the cable.ĬON: Because you can cheat easier with a barbell, this will give beginners who don’t know better EVERY opportunity to cheat curl and possibly injure themselves. With a barbell, if you need to, you can use a bit of momentum to force out some super heavy reps. Especially when compared to dumbbell or cable exercises. PRO: You can overload with MUCH heavier weights than any other biceps exercise. It’s the kind you want to FIX…or else it will just get worse.

This isn’t the kind of pain you want to AVOID. The solution would be to work on your mobility and maybe even try to stretch your wrists between sets (hands together going up and down). Forearm supination is one of the three functions of your biceps and skipping it is just as terrible as doing half reps on the bench.ĬON: Forcing your arms into supination can be hard on your wrists, especially if you have poor wrist mobility. And if I am being honest, this is why I get so angry when I see “trainers” demonstrating half hammer to biceps curls.

PRO: Holding the barbell Forces your arms into supination at the bottom, or STICKING POINT, which activates your biceps to a MUCH greater degree. In fact, it’s probably the FIRST biceps exercise that was ever invented, most likely around the same time we started styling our hair! Therefore, it’s a very difficult exercise to TOP in terms of potential gains so let’s first compile a list of pros and cons of the movement! I want you to think of the barbell biceps curl as the grand-daddy of all bicep exercises. So, now that you know a bit more about the biceps, let’s talk about the exercises beginning with the BARBELL BICEPS CURL. Therefore, it really matters which exercises you decide to incorporate in your workouts, especially considering that each one of us has different goals, different weak areas and lagging body parts we may need to focus on. On the other hand, you have your overhead cable curl which will position your elbows in front of your head (so there will be shoulder flexion) and thus, it will emphasize the CONTRACTION of your biceps. And that’s because the incline dumbbell curl will position your elbows behind your torso (so there will be shoulder extension) and thus it will emphasize the STRETCH of your biceps throughout the range of motion. What I mean is that an incline dumbbell curl might look the same as an overhead cable curl but in fact, they are fundamentally opposite. Yes, any exercise you choose will incorporate some sort of elbow flexion but it’s actually the position of your elbows in space that will determine which head of the biceps is emphasized the most, as well as which part of the range of motion you’re getting stronger at and not too many people think of this. So this means that NOT ALL arm curls are identical in terms of muscle size and strength. However, those of you who have been watching my videos for some time also know that the long head of the biceps (or the outside head) actually crosses the SHOULDER joint and controls shoulder flexion to a degree.

First off, the biceps is a two-headed muscle (bi-cep) that mainly controls elbow flexion and forearm supination.

Cable curl