What Are Some Ways to Work the Biceps With a Curl Bar?

What Are Some Ways to Work the Biceps With a Curl Bar?
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Hitting your biceps with curl-bar movements helps you safely and effectively target your upper arms. The contour of the bar places less stress on your wrists, reducing the likelihood of injury. Training with a curl bar works your biceps from different angles based on which angle hand placements you use. Using a closer grip hits your inner biceps, and adopting a wide grip targets the outer biceps area.

Standing Curl

Standing biceps curls with a curl bar add shape and width to your biceps muscles. Grasp a curl bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip and stand up straight. Keep your elbows close to the body. Curl the weight up toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms stationary. Continue curling until the bar reaches shoulder level. Hold this position for a moment and slowly lower the bar to the starting position. Do four sets of 12 repetitions to build larger biceps, resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Preacher Curl

Preacher curls develop a peak in your biceps muscles. Sit on a preacher bench. Position the back of your arms along the pad. Grasp a curl bar with an underhand grip, positioning your hands shoulder-width apart. Slowly raise the bar until your forearms lie perpendicular to the floor. Hold this position for a moment. Lower the weight until your arms are fully extended. Perform four sets of 12 repetitions. Rest for 60 second between sets.

Prone Incline Curl

ExRx.net notes prone incline curls target your biceps and forearm muscles. Lie with your chest against an incline bench. Position your shoulders near the top of the incline and straddle the bench to support yourself. Signal your spotting partner to hand you a curl bar, grasping the bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Raise the weight to your shoulder area, keeping your upper arms stationary. Slowly lower the curl bar until your arms are extended.

Tips

Jog for five minutes to warm up your muscles before working out. Stretch for five minutes pre- and post-workout to help reduce the risk of injury. Before starting a resistance training regimen, consult a physician.

Warnings

Work out your biceps once every seven days to allow for optimal recovery time. Overtraining a small muscle group like your biceps can lead to injury, keeping you out of the gym and delaying your progress.

References

Article reviewed by John Hagemann Last updated on: Jul 23, 2011

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