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Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS · Updated: May 30, 2017 · Original: Sep 19, 2012
Let’s face it, the legs have the squat, the shoulders have the overhead press and the biceps, of course, have the barbell
curl. No other exercise is better known for adding size and thickness to your upper arms than holding a loaded barbell
and busting out grueling hardcore sets.
However, even the best exercise can be improved and enhanced and that’s our focus this month; to take an already
phenomenal exercise — the standing barbell curl — and show you ways to make it even better.
If you’re stuck in a rut, despite the fact that you’ve conquered the curl, the writing on the wall is clear: It’s time to make a
change for the better. It’s that very reason why we’ve assembled four exercises with all of the essential elements of the
curl but with striking differences that’ll stress and target your musculature and your form dramatically.
After reading about the bene ts of each, we’ve designed a four-week training scheme to help you incorporate each into
your routine. Your biceps should be a signature bodypart for you. If they’re not, it’s time for a change.
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05/09/2019 4 Exercises Better than the Barbell Curl - Muscle & Performance
For some of you, the idea of using chains for any bodypart, let alone biceps, is a bit extreme. But frankly, to spark new
growth, that’s exactly what you need to start thinking outside the box. For many a bodybuilder with phenomenal
bodyparts, chains were a rare nd. How could something so basic be so bene cial? Well, the physics of chains brings
new meaning to curls. Here’s why: At the start of the standard curl, when your arms are hanging down, the brachialis
(deep muscle underneath the biceps) and brachioradialis (large forearm muscle on the thumb side) do most of the work
lifting the weight until the elbow angle reaches about 90 degrees. The biceps don’t do much of the lifting until just
before this point and throughout the rest of the range of motion. When you load a bar with free weights, you’re limited
to what the brachialis and brachioradialis can lift through the rst half of the curl, which is often a lot less than what the
biceps can lift from the halfway point and higher. (This is why you can curl more on seated barbell curls mentioned in
item 1.) When using chains, however, you start with a lighter weight that gradually gets heavier the higher you curl it
(more links are lifted off the oor). This allows for maximal tension on the biceps when it counts for maximal growth.
That way, the weight during the peak contraction and at the point when your biceps are the strongest is heavier than
ever. As you lower the weight and the chains begin to lie on the oor again, the bar gets lighter as the major biceps
muscles begin to disengage their involvement. Finally, if your gym doesn’t have a set of chains in some dark corner,
invest in some and keep them in your truck (also good for bench pressing). Get two 3/8" chains and two 5/8" chains. The
3/8" chain is used to wrap on the end of the bar and hold the 5/8" chain. Together one 3/8" chain (5 pounds) plus one
5/8" chain (20 pounds) weighs about 25 pounds. When you put the chains on the bar, be sure that the 5/8" chains are
completely on the oor in the bottom position of the exercise.
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