Dumbbell curls is a popular exercise among many weightlifters. The exercise can be completed with both arms moving simultaneously or with arms alternating. Whether curling dumbbells develops strength or size in your muscles depends on the intensity and volume of the exercise. Tailor the training volume based on your own personal fitness goals.
Curling Dumbbells
Curling dumbbells consists of performing elbow flexion against resistance. Hold a pair of dumbbells down by your side with palms facing forward. Keep your elbows in as you pull the weights up toward your shoulders, and then control the dumbbells back down to starting position. The exercise is a basic isolation exercise, meaning it requires movement only around one joint, in this case the elbow joint. According to ExRx.net, the exercise targets the bicep brachii muscle, which is located at the front of your upper arm, originating at your scapula at your shoulders and inserting at your lower arm muscle.
Size Versus Strength
According to Helen M. Brinkley, National Strength and Conditioning Association, an exercise completed with a heavier weight at a volume of two to six sets of six or fewer repetitions will improve strength. However, completing an exercise with a lighter weight at a volume of three to six sets of six to 12 repetitions will develop size. Curling dumbbells can be effectively utilized to develop either size or strength.
Considerations
Although curling dumbbells does improve bicep strength, strength improvements are specific to the movements used during training exercises. Therefore, because dumbbell curls are a basic isolation exercise, if you were to perform them at a volume designed to develop strength, you would become stronger at performing elbow flexion only. Exercises that incorporate multiple joints, such as chinups, which involve the shoulders and the elbows, require a coordinated effort from numerous muscles. As a result, multiple joint exercises better mimic movements used in real life and the strength built from multiple joint exercises is more effective at improving physical function. Athletes rarely incorporate bicep curls into their regimen because they’re not functional to improving physical ability.
Developing Size in Arms
If you’re interested in developing muscular size of your arm muscles, curling dumbbells is an effective exercise and can be incorporated into an arm bodybuilding workout program. However, only curling dumbbells will not develop all of the major muscle groups in your arms. To develop size of all of the major muscles in your arms, perform exercises that target your shoulders, biceps and triceps at a volume designed to stimulate muscle growth.
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