Things just aren’t what they used to be. Back in the days when the A to Z of bodybuilding was Arnold to Zane, bodybuilding training was simple. The guys weren’t dependent upon 10,000 pieces of equipment with cables and pulley leverage designed to tug at the muscle group from varying angles. Rather, men trained with heavy, solid pieces of welded iron and bench. Instead of opting for today’s wide array of ‘fancy-schmancy’ pumping exercises, why not choose the plain ol classic used by the greats of the past to add their mass? Choose Barbell Curls!

Barbell curls can be highly effective, particularly when completed correctly. However, rushing through them, letting them damage your wrist, or using them too much can be counter-productive as well. Let’s examine a few ideas for making the excellent exercise even better.

Slow your roll

It’s true, you can move more weight if you move through your repetitions faster. However, the quality of repetition is what matters when it comes to training biceps – not the amount of weight you use. Count a 4 to 5 second upswing on the positive part of the lift, followed with a 3 second descent as you return the barbell to the starting position near your waist. This slow momentum will force your muscles to do the work, removing momentum which will send the effort to the tendons and other muscle groups. Additionally, the slower repetitions will target more muscle fibers, including those of the slow-twitch variety which doesn’t activate quickly.

Use the straight bar – If you can!

The standard Olympic bar delivers a great mix of biceps and forearm muscle targeting, but it’s not for everybody. Very often, bodybuilders will develop semi-to very serious pain in the wrists due to the extreme strain the flat angle of the wrist can cause. Some lifters are built for it – and they don’t mind a bit. Being wide doesn’t hurt in this regard. Naturally wide bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman love the standard Olympia bar barbell curls. However, if you find the angle delivers just too much pain to the forearms or wrist, opt for the EZ-curl bar. This will create a more natural angle of flexion for the biceps, forearms and wrist.

Stop at 5 sets

Too much of a great thing can be a bad thing. While it’s rumored that men like Serge Nubret and other professional bodybuilders of the 1970s would spend 45 to 60 minutes doing nothing but barbell curls, you shouldn’t try to follow suit. You should use a minimum of three sets, and a maximum of 5 sets. If you cannot achieve both optimal stimulation and muscle failure in those five sets, then you’re just not training hard enough!

If the barbell curl doesn’t feel right for you, there is nothing wrong with finding muscle stimulation from other movements. However, you should return to it from time to time to see if you can find that missing spark, or that groove to make the movement feel right again.

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