Wide-angle barbell curls directly target the biceps brachii, located on the front part of your arm below the shoulder and above the elbow. A wide angle simply means that your hands are placed outside of your shoulder width. Traditionally, wide-angle barbell curls use an underhand grip, which means your palms face upward with your thumbs firmly wrapped around the bar.
Biceps Brachii
The biceps brachii is responsible for the flexion of the elbow joint. The muscle has two heads: the long head and the short head. The long head is located on the outer portion of the biceps, and the short head is located on the inner portion of the biceps. The wide-angle, or wide-grip, barbell curls target the inner portion of the biceps.
Other Muscles Involved
The brachialis and the brachioradialis are also involved in the wide-angle barbell curl. Both muscles assist in the movement but are not directly targeted. The brachialis is located beneath the biceps and just above the elbow joint. The brachioradialis is located in the upper-outer portion of the forearm. Both muscles also play a role in elbow flexion.
Wide-Angle Barbell Curl
To begin, choose a weight that allows you to comfortably perform this exercise for three to four sets of eight to 12 reps. Grab the bar with an underhand grip, outside your shoulder width. Stagger your feet so one is in front of the other as if in a walking position. This helps eliminate rocking back and forth when curling. Keep your torso upright at all times and only move your elbows as you curl the weight upward toward your chest. Pause for a moment and slowly lower the barbell back down toward your thighs as your arms become fully extended downward.
Reverse Grip
A variation of the traditional wide-angle barbell curl is the wide-angle, or wide-grip, reverse curl. Instead of gripping the bar with an underhand grip, you grip the barbell with an overhand grip so your palms face downward. The exercise is performed in the same manner as the traditional underhand wide-angle barbell curl. However, when doing reverse curls, the exercise directly targets the brachioradialis in addition to the biceps brachii. The brachialis remains in the role of an assistant and is not directly targeted.
References
- ExRx.net: Biceps Brachii
- "Bodybuilding Anatomy"; Nicholas Evans; October 2006
- "Strength Training Anatomy"; Frederic Delavier; September 2001
- BodyBuilding.com: Wide-grip Standing Barbell Curl
- ExRx.net: Brachioradialis
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