Do you want your biceps to be bigger? Would you desire bigger forearms too? Are you sick and tired of performing bicep curls and wrist curls in separate exercises? By performing reverse curls, you may simultaneously strengthen your upper and lower arms.
There is no denying the fact that a man with large biceps exudes an air of coolness. They broadcast to the outside world the fact that you are a bodybuilder. The biceps are perhaps the muscle in the body that receives the most attention from the general public. If you ask anyone, even a child, to show you a muscle, they will most likely fling their arm up in the air and flex their biceps.
But regardless of how significant your biceps are, they won’t amount to anything if your forearms aren’t as strong as they are. One may make the case that the forearms are more significant given the amount of time they are displayed to the public. Simply pull up your sleeves, and there they will be in front of you!
This indicates that you need to give the same amount of emphasis to your lower arms as you do to your upper arms. Your grip will get stronger along with your forearms, which is never a terrible thing to have to happen. Not only will your forearms increase, but so will your grasp.
Muscles Worked
It is usually beneficial to have a working knowledge of the muscles that are targeted by the exercises that are included in your routine. In this manner, you should be able to select the best workout for your needs, and you won’t accidentally produce an unsuccessful workout by including motions that don’t work in the location you are targeting. In other words, you should be able to pick the greatest exercise for your needs.
The muscles involved in reverse curls are:
Biceps brachii – It is usually helpful to know what muscles are being worked by the activities you are incorporating into your training routine. In this manner, you should be able to select the most appropriate exercise for your requirements, and you won’t inadvertently produce an inefficient workout by including movements that don’t work the area that you are focusing on strengthening.
- Shoulder flexion
- Supination of the forearm
- Elbow flexion
Brachioradialis – One of the primary muscles in your forearm is called the brachioradialis. Your biceps will look more impressive as a result of a well-developed since it will push them outward. Simply “propping it up” from underneath like this will give the appearance that your biceps are larger than they actually are. When the biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles act together, the result is flexion of the elbow. Additionally, it acts as a flexor of the forearm.
Brachialis – Another elbow flex that is particularly active at the beginning of any curling movement is the brachialis, which is a muscle that is situated underneath the biceps brachii. Along the same lines as the brachioradialis, it has the ability to raise your biceps, which adds to the overall size and shape of your arm.
How to Perform Reverse Curls
Even while reverse curls are a relatively simple exercise to perform, this does not mean that you cannot accidentally hurt yourself by carrying them out in the wrong manner. Follow this step-by-step tutorial if you want to ensure that your sets of reverse curls are as risk-free and productive as they potentially can be for you.
This topic is also explored in Boxing Bayside, which offers extra information.
How to do it:
- Maintain a grip on a barbell that is overhand and hip-width apart. Position your thumbs so that they are on top of the bar. This technique, known as a false grip, makes the workout more difficult while simultaneously increasing its overall effectiveness.
- Maintain a steady stance with your feet planted firmly on the ground and approximately shoulder-width apart. You should slightly bend your knees to improve your balance.
- Maintain a straight arm position while you rest the barbell across the front of your thighs. Maintain a lofty stance, gaze unblinkingly ahead of you, and draw your shoulders down and back. Hold your core tight.
- Bend your arms and pull the bar up to your shoulders as far as you can without jerking or slumping forward. At the peak of the movement, give your wrists a tiny flex in order to activate your forearm muscles to their full potential.
- Repeat while maintaining a smooth extension of your arms.
Reverse Curls Benefits
Are you still undecided about whether or not reverse curls have to be a part of your arm exercise routine? These advantages ought to sway your decision!
Time-efficient – since reverse curls target both your forearms and your biceps simultaneously, performing them eliminates the need for you to conduct separate exercises for each of these muscle groups. This arm strengthening twofer could come in extremely handy for you if you are pressed for time.
Build a stronger grip – the ability to maintain a firm hold is an essential component of effective strength training. Exercises such as deadlifts, pull-ups, and rows can be quite taxing, and if your grip gives out, your set may come to an unexpected and early finish as a result. Your ability to perform other aspects of your workouts more effectively will improve as a direct result of your improved grip. For example, you will be able to lift more weight or complete more repetitions.
Less elbow pain – elbow pain is a common symptom of a muscular imbalance that affects both the flexors and extensors of the forearm. Reverse curls can fix any imbalances between both flexors and extensors, reducing a common source of elbow pain in the process. These curls focus on the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, which are located on the upper arm.
Great-looking arms – this exercise is ideal for you if your goals are to have large biceps and bowling pin-like forearms. The appearance of your arms will be transformed by reverse curls, giving you upper AND lower arms of which you may be proud.
Use a false grip
When performing this exercise, some fitness enthusiasts find it more comfortable to have their thumbs wrapped around the bar. That’s perfectly fine, and it should make it easier for you to lift more pounds.
Therefore, even though it will require slightly less weight, a grip that does not use the thumb may prove to be more satisfying. If you remove your thumb from the equation, you will have a considerably more difficult time gripping and maintaining your hold on the bar. The technique shown in the example video is exactly the same as this one.
Keep your elbows by your sides
This exercise can be made more challenging by pinning your upper arms into your ribs, which also makes it more effective. This helps minimize momentum and also guarantees that your lower arms are pronated to their fullest extent.
Lean your back against a wall
Stand close to a wall and lean against it if you’re having trouble resisting the urge to utilize your legs or back to assist you in lifting the bar. Your capacity to cheat will almost entirely disappear as a result of this.
Use chalk
It’s possible that your set will come to an abrupt end due to sweaty palms. Before beginning each set, rub some powdered or liquid chalk into your palms. This is especially important if you are utilizing the thumbless grip suggested in the previous sentence. No chalk? Before beginning each set, make sure to wipe your hands clean on a towel.
Superset with regular curls
Your biceps will be pumped to their absolute full potential if you superset reverse barbell curls with conventional biceps curls. Simply perform as many repetitions of reverse curls as you are capable of, and after you have reached muscle failure, set the weight down, switch to a supinated grip or an underhand, and perform further repetitions.
Variations
Even while reverse curls with a regular barbell are incredibly beneficial, you don’t have to restrict yourself to just doing that one exercise. Here are some other options to check out that will make your workouts more interesting and varied.
- Thick bar reverse curls
When compared to bars of a conventional diameter, those that are thicker are far more difficult to grasp. They prevent your fingers from overlapping, resulting in reduced friction between your hands. When performing reverse curls, using a wider bar will make the exercise much more difficult. Your gym doesn’t have any thick bars, does it? Either wrap a towel over your bar or get in some clip-on heavy grip grips to solve this problem.
- Dumbbell reverse curls
When performing reverse curls, a barbell is not required to be used. The effectiveness of dumbbells is comparable. You can curl up two dumbbells at once, perform the exercise with one arm at a time, or switch between the two according to your preference.
- EZ bar reverse curls
When performing reverse curls, some people feel that using an EZ bar rather than a straight bar provides a more comfortable experience. Because of the zigzag bends of an EZ bar, your hands will be in a semi-pronated grip when you hold it, which may assist relieve some of the strain on your wrists.
- Cable reverse curls
When performing reverse curls, you do not have to restrict yourself to using only free weights. Instead of doing regular reverse curls, attach a straight bar or an EZ bar to a lower pulley and perform cable reverse curls. The use of cables has the effect of preventing a reduction in the amount of tension placed on the muscles at the peak of each rep.
You can learn more about this subject at the Boxing Bayside website.
Common Mistakes
Make sure you don’t let yourself get derailed by making any of these typical errors.
Using your legs or back to lift the weight – although cheat repetitions can be helpful on occasion, it is not recommended that you use them when performing reverse curls. If you cheat, you’ll put a lot of strain on your wrists, which increases the risk that you’ll get hurt. Alternatively, go for exercises with modest weights that are performed at a speed that is smooth and constant in order to enhance muscle tension while minimizing joint strain.
Flexing your wrists – during reverse curls, you should not bring your wrists into a flexed position. When you do this, muscle activation is decreased, and the stress placed on your wrist joints is increased. Instead, maintain a straight wrist position or, even better, gently extend your wrists at the peak of each repetition to increase the amount of muscle stress you are applying.
Doing reverse curls before your back workout – doing this activity before performing pull-ups or pulldowns may sound like a great idea, but it’s not. You are doing reverse curls before your back activity is not a good idea. If your forearms are fatigued, you won’t be able to lift as much weight or perform as many repetitions, which will cause your set of back exercises to conclude earlier than it should have. One of the very last exercises you perform in your training should be reverse curls.
Wearing wrist wraps or straps – will assist support your wrists and improve your grip, respectively. The advantages of doing wrist curls will be diminished if you employ either of these things, but they do have their uses. While the use of white chalk is permitted throughout this exercise, the use of straps is not.
Using a fast tempo – is the greatest approach to performing reverse curls because, although fast reps help you increase power and are essential for plyometric exercises like squat jumps, the best way to perform reverse curls is to go at a calm and steady tempo. Performing your repetitions at a slow and regulated pace will keep your muscles under strain for a longer period of time and will also eliminate any unnecessary momentum. The end result is? A lot more challenging and productive workout.
What are the Benefits of Wrist Curls?
You will be able to carry more load while performing other activities if you strengthen your wrists and forearms through strength training.
The vast majority of the activities you perform at the gym require you to hold on to some sort of resistance with your hands.
The power that you feel in your hands originates in your forearms.
You will be able to handle more weight in your hands if you incorporate wrist curls into your workout program. This is one of the benefits of doing so.
When you initially begin supersetting as part of an exercise regimen, the weights that you are using aren’t all that difficult to lift.
Unfortunately, once you begin to build some muscle and begin lifting higher weights, you discover that there is something that is preventing you from progressing further.
You are constrained by the strength of your forearms or the lack of strength in your forearms.
While we talk of bodybuilding, our minds immediately go to the chest and the abdominals. When we consider football and soccer, our legs are typically the first thing that comes to mind. Additionally, we think of shoulder joints and rotator cuff tendons when we think of sports such as soccer and baseball.
However, the forearms, which are frequently overlooked, have a significant role in reaching one’s bodybuilding goals as well as success on the courts and ball fields.
Despite the fact that we utilize them frequently throughout the day, our forearm muscles may not be as well developed as they may be. This could prevent us from breaking through workout plateaus and/or improving our athletic ability to the next level.
Not just are forearms rarely if ever, highlighted in a training regimen, but they are also frequently completely disregarded and forgotten about. This is despite the fact that forearms are some of the most important muscles in the body.
The little wrist joint is essential for flexion-extension as well as adduction, abduction, and circumduction of the wrist.
The circular motion of the hand is achieved through a series of actions that are combined.
The supinator muscle of the forearm is responsible for controlling rotation, also known as supination. The pronator teres and pronator quadratus muscles are responsible for the medial rotation of the arm.
When was the most recent time you gave your pronator quadratus muscle a workout?
The motion of your fingers and wrists can go in a variety of different directions. As opposed to, for example, your legs at the knee joint, which can only move in one of two directions: backward or forward. Extensor muscles are responsible for returning your muscles to their straight position once they have been contracted to flex your wrist to your forearm. The brachioradialis muscle and the flexor carpi radialis muscle are both considered to be significant flexor muscles in the anterior aspect of the forearm.
As it is an elbow flexor muscle, the brachioradialis is a muscle that is utilized when performing bicep exercises. Your hand can be bent at the wrist joint by flexing the flexor carpi radialis muscle.
Wrist curls include performing the aforementioned actions with weights attached so that the muscles involved can be strengthened.
Cheat Curls: Are They Of Any Benefit?
What exactly are “cheat curls,” then? They are exactly the same as you would expect them to be. By using methods other than proper form and technique in order to assist you in lifting the weight you are curling, you are committing an act of cheating. Is it just me, or does this seem like a pretty terrible plan?
It is possible for it to be, but when it is carried out correctly and incorporated into a workout at the appropriate point, it is a good method.
The one and only negative is that you will need to be extremely disciplined with the rest of your sets and reps. To a very high degree, if you want the cheat curls to have any effect at all on the growth of your arms. Because many people cheat unintentionally by shrugging their shoulders or leaning forward again and throwing themselves rearwards while curling to propel the dumbbell up or barbell towards their pectoral muscles, they might want to consider taking a realistic look at what they’re already doing before adding an exercise that has intentional bad form. This is due to the fact that many individuals cheat without even being aware that they are doing so by shrugging their shoulders, leaning forward, and throwing themselves backward when curling.
When To Perform Cheat Curls
You should give careful thought to where you position cheat curls in your bicep program if you are a potential for them, which indicates that your shoulders, levator scapulae, rotator cuff muscles, and other areas don’t carry a lot of stress.. Cheat curls are a form of assisted curling in which the weight is held behind the back. Because they are so demanding, I typically tell people to save them for last because it will be nearly hard to employ correct curling techniques if you do them before your other workouts. I always suggest people perform them as the last exercise.
How To Perform Cheat Curls
Let’s keep things straightforward and talk about doing cheat curls using a barbell rather than with dumbbells or, even worse, any kind of pulley system. This will make the exercise much easier to understand.
To begin, you should assume your typical grip and stance, but keep in mind that there will be more load on the bar than you are able to lift cleanly for more than a few repetitions. For instance, if you can barbell curl 10 lbs for 10 repetitions while maintaining proper form, you should perform cheat curls with anywhere from 90 to 100 lbs, but you should still aim for about 10 repetitions. I will never, under any circumstances, advise someone to shrug the weight because doing so exacerbates imbalances and greatly increases the likelihood of injury; instead, I advise using momentum to move the weight. You will invariably end up shrugging up reps with a weight that is too heavy for you to handle without momentum, which is risky at best. Using momentum is safer, however, unless you have weak low back and/or shoulder imbalances, as you will inevitably end up shrugging up reps with a weight that is too big for you to handle otherwise.
Therefore, once you get your grasp set and your feet in the regular position, you should fully engage your abdominal muscles, tilt slightly forward while maintaining your shoulders low, and then set your grip. Now, while you are contracting the muscles in your abdominal region, you will pull your upper body back while concurrently curling the bar in the same manner that you would during a standard set of curls.
The key is to provide only as much power as is required to begin the bar moving upwards, and then to let your biceps take full control of the remaining range of motion after that. If you swing too far outside of your comfort zone, you won’t get anything useful out of it. You won’t be able to move it at all if you don’t give it enough assistance, so be sure that you give it just the proper amount.
You can learn more about this subject at the Boxing Bayside website.
Wrapping Up
Reverse curls are an excellent exercise that should be incorporated into everyone’s routine, whether they are focused on bodybuilding, powerlifting, tennis, climbing, or even simply general fitness.
Your forearms and biceps will grow and become stronger if you perform this exercise, despite the fact that you won’t be able to curl as much weight as you can while performing normal curls. If you include this exercise in your routine for working out your arms, you will quickly come to realize how useful this exercise truly is.