Join date: Jun 2007
Location: Maine, USA
Posts: 5580
C'mon, you know you loves curls. All kinds. Every kind. Every kid and frat boy and secretary and baker and fireman and banker and housewife and truck driver and ... automatically thinks of a guy curling a weight as the iconic 'bodybuilding exercise'.
How the Hell else are you *really* gonna build those biceps? Yeah, yeah, someone is gonna say "hammer grip pull ups" or "rows". Fine, go start a thread about people with the biggest biceps who don't curl.
Show me thread with people with the biggest biceps that haven't curled and I'll show you a really short thread.
So what if they're just tiny muscles-- they're there for a reason, and not just to look awesome (although big biceps DO look awesome).
As King Leonidas said: "THIS.IS.THE.BODYBUILDING.FORUM!!!!!
Let's talk, discuss, analyze, demonstrate, and hell, even brag about curls. Post curls, curling, biceps, hammers, preachers, incline, reverse, upside-down, whatever.
If you don't like the curl, feel free not to post.
The King Leonidas said:"THIS.IS.THE.CURL.THREAD!!!!!
Shit yeah, I was watching a video of Chris Bennett a few days ago, he has mother fucking huge biceps. That pic of Lee Priest in the other thread reminded me of him.
Anyway, I have no idea how to contribute to this thread, just post tons of videos of people curling? lol
Anyway, I have no idea how to contribute to this thread, just post tons of videos of people curling? lol
If you got 'em, post 'em. Discuss them. What works (doesn't work) for you?
Nothing you can't just find on youtube, might post some for you tomorrow though. What works for me? Hmm... well I will say that I used to stick mostly to reverse curls and hammer curls, and ended up with the "flat arms" look. So a few months ago, I started doing a lot more curls that focused on using a supinated grip - tend to start at the bottom with a hammer grip and during the ascent transition to a supinated grip - end result is my arms have a lot more shape now.
Tend to prefer standing curls, as I can incorporate enough swing as is needed towards to end, just for that little bit extra, or if I want to do some negatives etc, but I did seated for a while. DBs preferred due to quicker progression than using a bar... not really a fan of preachers and the likes, cable curls are pretty awesome, but only with a EZ bar attachment and I maxed out the stack at my last gym with an EZ attachment pretty quickly, so I have not done these in a loong long time, mostly because I'm really not a fan of straight bar curl variations. Since I have come down to a 4 way split, I have not got a day for biceps anymore, so I don't really do that much:
EZ Curls (sometimes)
Standing Alternating DB Curls
Hammer curls and/or reverse curls
Don't know if anyone remembers, but in that Shawn Ray Muscle Camp video on MD some dude was explaining a way to do curls, i.e. curl your wrist a little towards you and don't come all the way up, did anyone else try this? I did, but didn't really like it/feel it any better personally.
Pinwheel curls, I love these. They pump up my arms like nothing else. They even hit my traps a little bit too.
Really? Man, I tried these and it very little for me, except make me look cooler in the mirror because it makes you look a little bigger. Maybe I'm doing them wrong.
Hmm..the video I posted doesn't seem to be working, but yeah, I don't see how they couldn't be awesome. Maybe you're doing them too strict, when I go a little heavier with slightly looser form, I feel them better.
Pinwheel curls, I love these. They pump up my arms like nothing else. They even hit my traps a little bit too.
Really? Man, I tried these and it very little for me, except make me look cooler in the mirror because it makes you look a little bigger. Maybe I'm doing them wrong.
Hmm..the video I posted doesn't seem to be working, but yeah, I don't see how they couldn't be awesome. Maybe you're doing them too strict, when I go a little heavier with slightly looser form, I feel them better.
Video is working now; seen it before actually. Could be I'm being a bit too strict, but I am not exactly a strict-form type of guy. Anyway, I will give them a shot at the end of tomorrows workout (doing bis anyway).
All I ever do for biceps is either straight bar/alternating DB curls, incline curls ( 45 degree bench ) and preacher curls. Concentration curls and different cable /machine variations have never been as effective for me compared to free weights. I basically hit arms twice a week, using different load/rep parameters each time. I am currently using 8x3 or 6x4 one day, and then hitting the arms again 5 days later with 3x8/10 parameters.
Join date: Sep 2007
Location: New York, USA
Posts: 2607
Here was todays workout.
Alt Db, worked up to 85 x 6, not my best but still ok. I'll rotate this with straight bar curls.
Drag curls, worked up to 135 x 6, got the idea from Bug, felt very good.
Arnold Concentration curls, hands in a hammer curl position, 85 x 8.
Good workout, typically do barbell curls. I think heavy curls with a litte looser form tend to be staples if you want big biceps, concentration curls have always been my finisher. Not much more to say, I do straight bar curl much more often than Alt. DB, just was in the mood for it today, I've been working up to sets with 185, the heavier the better as long as your not heaving, a little swing is necessary for the heavy weights.
Not necessarily a bodybuilder, nor does he have the biggest arms proportionate to his size, but still pretty damn impressive. Here's Magnus Samuelsson curling 140kg (around 300 lbs) for 4 reps (skip to about 0:37 for the BB curls):
Join date: Dec 2007
Location: Michigan, USA
Posts: 2123
Genetically I was dealt abnormally puny forearms(tiny wrists/small forearms). Yet hammer curls/pinwheel curls and these reverse forearm curls have helped pack some meat on the,.
Sentoguy wrote:
Not necessarily a bodybuilder, nor does he have the biggest arms proportionate to his size, but still pretty damn impressive. Here's Magnus Samuelsson curling 140kg (around 300 lbs) for 4 reps (skip to about 0:37 for the BB curls):
Who says that curls aren't functional? ;)
Speaking of strongmen, I've heard some truly batshit crazy stats for what Kazmaier curled. There are rumors of 315x15 and Kaz himself have said that he's cheat curled 200kg (440lbs). I've been trying to find a video or at least a pic but so far no luck. :( Most of his nutty feats of strength are documented but not the curls it seems.
Join date: Jul 2009
Location: South Africa
Posts: 75
I remember something about Ken Brown holding the World strict curl record (butt and back against wall I think) at 230ish pounds in early 1990's or something...
Sentoguy wrote:
Not necessarily a bodybuilder, nor does he have the biggest arms proportionate to his size, but still pretty damn impressive. Here's Magnus Samuelsson curling 140kg (around 300 lbs) for 4 reps (skip to about 0:37 for the BB curls):
Who says that curls aren't functional? ;)
Speaking of strongmen, I've heard some truly batshit crazy stats for what Kazmaier curled. There are rumors of 315x15 and Kaz himself have said that he's cheat curled 200kg (440lbs). I've been trying to find a video or at least a pic but so far no luck. :( Most of his nutty feats of strength are documented but not the curls it seems.
Damn, that would be insane if it turns out to be true. If you can find any reliable sources to back it up (video or picture would of course be best) please don't hesitate to post it up.
Most of the pro's in the videos rarely go below 10 reps/set (average probably 15 reps...the shorter the ROM, the higher the reps) - would you say this is for the pump effect purely for the sake of the video, or how they would actually train long term? Maybe it's also because of joint issues of low reps?
Also, in some videos, they would do high rep sets to failure or near, and then proceed to do an exercise with more load and lesser reps/set...I always used to think it was pretty standard to do it the other way around? :/
Join date: Jul 2008
Location: Tennessee, USA
Posts: 3502
Sentoguy wrote:
Not necessarily a bodybuilder, nor does he have the biggest arms proportionate to his size, but still pretty damn impressive. Here's Magnus Samuelsson curling 140kg (around 300 lbs) for 4 reps (skip to about 0:37 for the BB curls):
Who says that curls aren't functional? ;)
Damn, 60 cm is over 23 and a half inches. Big joints and bad peaks I guess, they don't look that big.
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