Bicep curls - difference between variations?

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  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
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    I also don't understand the earlier hate on isolation work. I have a brother, uncle and friends that have competed and done well in bodybuilding and I don't know a single one of them that hasn't done some isolation exercises. My biceps didn't have a peak until I gave biceps some love, lol.

    DB curls on an incline work the long head of the bicep more effectively--one of my favorites!

    You can also play with the grip on your EZ bar curls to do reverse, wide, or narrower to change what you are hitting.

    Another favorite of mine is incorporating cables-the increase work in the negative and time under tension really kills my biceps (in a good way).

    Best of luck with your isolation work!


  • Fittreelol
    Fittreelol Posts: 2,535 Member
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    Different bicep curls also target different muscles besides the biceps. Hammer curls target the brachioradialis and pronated/reverse grip targets the brachialis for example.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,540 Member
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    I've built my arms from isolation work. However, that was the intent. If one isn't looking to add a lot of size, then isolation work isn't needed. Sticking to compounds that activate and stress the biceps are good enough if you're just trying to keep them strong.

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  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
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    TannedTiger wrote: »
    how important is the weight for biceps? For some reason, I always struggle to increase the weight for bicep isolation.

    My Opinion--not very important. There is a difference between building strength and building muscle. Biceps are a smaller muscle as well, so going heavy can just be a recipe for injury and usually when people go heavy they no longer isolate the bicep.

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