Biceps curls strengthen your biceps, which is the muscle on the front of your upper arms. Curls also work your grip and forearms to a degree, but not to the degree they work your biceps. Strengthening your shoulders requires direct work, none of which a curl provides. Specific exercises strengthen various aspects of your shoulder muscles. Consult a health-care practitioner before beginning any strength-training program.
Curls
When your elbow flexes, your biceps brings your forearm up to your upper arm. The wider the range of motion and the higher the resistance, the more work your biceps perform. In a standing barbell curl, you should go through a full range of motion, including straightening out your arms at the bottom. Keep your wrists straight during the exercise. This allows you to use the most weight over the widest range of motion.
Deltoids
Your main shoulder muscle, the deltoid, has three parts, or "heads." These heads perform specific functions, but all remain part of the same muscle. The front, or anterior, elevates your arm to the front. The lateral aspect, or the outside of your shoulder, raises your arm straight out to the side. Your posterior deltoid, located on the back of your shoulder, pulls your arm back or raises it when you lean forward.
Press
To use the most weight over the widest range of motion, perform the barbell press. You can perform this lift seated or standing. Grip the bar with your hands just outside your shoulders and the bar on your shoulders. Push the bar up in a straight line until your arms reach full extension, then lower the bar under control. While you can perform this lift for any number of repetitions, choosing a weight that challenges you to perform five to eight repetitions in good form will build strong, powerful shoulders.
Laterals
To work the outside of your shoulders, perform dumbbell laterals. Hold dumbbells down at your sides with your palms facing in. With a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement, raise the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the ground. Pause for a count of one and lower under control. The same exercise performed while leaning forward at least 45 degrees will work the back of your shoulders. Perform dumbbell laterals for sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy -- Third Edition"; Frederic Delavier; 2010
- "The Westside Barbell Book of Methods"; Louie Simmons; 2008
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