Curling exercises involve a motion known as flexion. This takes place when you reduce the angle of joint. In daily life, you would experience this motion when you lift a fork to your mouth, for example. Curl lifts work the muscles near the joint that is being flexed. These exercises are done with external resistance and body weight.
Biceps Curls
Biceps curls are standard curl lifts that target the biceps on the front of the upper arms. You have the option of using dumbbells, a barbell or cable machine to do these. To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing forward. Keeping your upper arms tight to your sides, bend your elbows and lift the weights toward your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps forcefully for a second, slowly lower the weights and repeat. Reverse curls are variations that require you to keep your palms facing down throughout. Alternating curls are variations that are performed one arm at a time in an alternating fashion.
Preacher Curls
Preacher curls work the biceps, and they are performed with a special preacher curl bar, which is also known as an EZ bar. Unlike a regular barbell, this bar is wavy. Using it takes stress off your wrists because your hands are at an inward angle. Preacher curls are performed from a seated position on a preacher machine. Sit on the seat and rest the back of your upper arms on the padded support. Reach down and grab the bar from the lower support with a shoulder-width, underhand grip and lift it toward your face by bending your elbows. Slowly lower it back down and repeat. This exercise really isolates the biceps because your upper arms are stationary and you are forced to lift the weight without momentum.
Concentration Curls
Concentration curls target the biceps in similar fashion to preacher curls, but you use a dumbbell. You can either perform these on a preacher machine or you can use the inside of your thigh. Hold a dumbbell in one hand, and place the inside of your upper arm against the padded support or sit on a bench and place your upper arm against the inside of your thigh. Slowly lower the weight by bending your elbow and lift it back up.
Wrist Curls
Wrist curls target the forearm muscles, and they are performed from a seated position. You can either work one arm at a time with one dumbbell, or grasp a barbell and work both sides simultaneously. Using a barbell, sit on the end of a bench and place your forearms across your thighs while holding the bar with an underhand grip. Your palms should be facing up at this point, and your wrists should be just past your knees. Slowly lower the bar as far as possible by bending your wrists, and lift it back up. Hold for a second and repeat.
Leg Curls
Leg curls work the hamstrings, which are on the back of the thighs. These are performed from a face-down position on a leg curl machine. To begin, lie on your stomach, hook your lower back legs under the padded support and grasp the handles for leverage. Keep your hips and upper body tight to the machine as you bend your knees to lift the lever arm. Once your heels are by your butt, squeeze your hamstrings for a second. Slowly lower the lever arm and repeat. For a variation, you can do a hamstrings curl with a stability ball. This is performed from a face-up position on the floor with your heels propped up on the ball. Steadily press down to lift your hips in the air and form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Roll the ball back toward your body by engaging your hamstrings, then roll it back out.
Abdominal Curls
Ab curls work the rectus abdominis muscle in the stomach. These basic ab exercises are performed from a face-up position on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Position your hands right above your thighs or cross them on your chest, then slowly lift your shoulders from the floor. As you move forward, squeeze your abs forcefully for a second and slowly lower yourself back down.
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