Has anyone done curls for the purpose of PLing and found that they helped on any lift? Personally, the only way that curling effected my results was that I could no longer fit into my bench shirt. But I see so many pl’ers doing them, I’m curious as to why.
I do hammer curls mostly to protect against the possibility of biceps tears during deadlifting.
So curls are more for pre-hab in PL’ing.
[quote]Checkmate wrote:
I do hammer curls mostly to protect against the possibility of biceps tears during deadlifting.
So curls are more for pre-hab in PL’ing.[/quote]
Ditto. That and leverage. The more mass under the bar, the better. I think it is better to bench off of car jacks than it is toothpicks. Thats about it.
The biceps are stabilizers in the BP as well. I add some form once a week.
My elbows used to ache like a motherfucker after shirt work and adding in some biceps work made it stop so I still do it.
As was alluded, the biceps are an important stabilizer of the elbow. As to whether specific bicep work is required… I’d rather see rows/chins used for the additional back development and weighted pronations/supinations used on off days or training periods focusing on foundational training.
Biceps are generally neglected by the big 3, for that reason alone I think it is useful to do them for better balance and to prevent injury/increase stability as others have said. But beyond that stronger bis usually leads to stronger lats and stronger lats can lead to a stronger bench, so in a “6 Degrees to Kevin Bacon” sort of way they are useful for PLing.
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat[/quote]
Nice bench.
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat[/quote]
once a month… nice to know we don’t have to do them like every freakin week or something haha.
[quote]nptitim wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
Nice bench.[/quote]
thanks,
If I can get down into the 242 weight class, I’m going to try and break some RAW bench records here in VA.
Meat
[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
once a month… nice to know we don’t have to do them like every freakin week or something haha.[/quote]
When your arms are already over 20 inches, that’s all you need…
meat
I cut out all isolation arm work over the last year (training the movement, not the muscle) and have found my overall chinning strength has gone down as compared to the days when my routine had an ‘arms’ category. Check out the training logs of the lifters @ EliteFTS to see what they do.
I am adding curls (i still feel dirty using that word) after reading those logs to better assist my grip, by doing ez-bar reverse curls or false grip hammer curls and squeezing the hell out of the bar. I have a hard time visualizing grip problems for anyone who can strict rev. curl 150x10.
[quote]kane101nod wrote:
I am adding curls (i still feel dirty using that word) after reading those logs to better assist my grip, by doing ez-bar reverse curls or false grip hammer curls and squeezing the hell out of the bar. I have a hard time visualizing grip problems for anyone who can strict rev. curl 150x10.[/quote]
Can you do that (strict rev curl 150x10) or is that a goal for you? I am asking because that is a huge reverse curl. Most organizations that do curl comps have the world record between 220-240 strict curl, and I would think that somebody who could truly do 150x10 reverse strict curl should be approaching that. Generally a 180x1 strict curl is very good (strict being the key word).
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
Xen Nova wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
once a month… nice to know we don’t have to do them like every freakin week or something haha.
When your arms are already over 20 inches, that’s all you need…
meat
[/quote]
You know, I love and hate posts like yours. I love them because it’s nice to know that there are people out there who can smash records and go all out. I hate them because the fact that you exist makes my 315 seem like a girl’s weight. I love that you are out there because there is no fucking way in hell that I’m gonna stay in that neighborhood too long when you’ve gone so far.
Congrats!
Iron and Pain
[quote]mattwray wrote:
My elbows used to ache like a motherfucker after shirt work and adding in some biceps work made it stop so I still do it.
[/quote]
Same here. Hammmer curls are great for elbow pains, with thumbs on top they really help your grip on benching.(when trying to “pull the bar apart” - a la Louis Simons)
Not so much on deadlifting.
Regular biceps work … like curls … not so much useful in increasing your lifts … essential for strongman events though.(cheat curling, curl grip cleans, etc)
[quote]JustDrag wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
Xen Nova wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
once a month… nice to know we don’t have to do them like every freakin week or something haha.
When your arms are already over 20 inches, that’s all you need…
meat
You know, I love and hate posts like yours. I love them because it’s nice to know that there are people out there who can smash records and go all out. I hate them because the fact that you exist makes my 315 seem like a girl’s weight. I love that you are out there because there is no fucking way in hell that I’m gonna stay in that neighborhood too long when you’ve gone so far.
Congrats!
Iron and Pain [/quote]
315 isn’t girls weight. Up until about 3 years ago, 315 was what I was benching. It wasn’t until I started Westside and concentrating on my weak points that my numbers went up.
You are definitely in the right mind set. Don’t settle. Keep pushing the envelope. There’s always someone out there stronger than you.
thanks!!!
meat
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
JustDrag wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
Xen Nova wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat
once a month… nice to know we don’t have to do them like every freakin week or something haha.
When your arms are already over 20 inches, that’s all you need…
meat
You know, I love and hate posts like yours. I love them because it’s nice to know that there are people out there who can smash records and go all out. I hate them because the fact that you exist makes my 315 seem like a girl’s weight. I love that you are out there because there is no fucking way in hell that I’m gonna stay in that neighborhood too long when you’ve gone so far.
Congrats!
Iron and Pain
315 isn’t girls weight. Up until about 3 years ago, 315 was what I was benching. It wasn’t until I started Westside and concentrating on my weak points that my numbers went up.
You are definitely in the right mind set. Don’t settle. Keep pushing the envelope. There’s always someone out there stronger than you.
thanks!!!
meat
[/quote]
I would have to second this. I’m still gaining weight, however, I believe that thickening up my arms a bit will help a lot with benchpress.
I’m finishing up a 5x5 routine and getting started with a west side for skinny bastards routine, should work well.
Great post and agree 100% It was just 7 8 months ago I was happy to get 315 for a sinlge maybe a double. Damn happy. I though I was training hard smaart and listening to my self. etc. well that was years of training to get there.
Now 7-8 months later not a huge friggin jump butn in comparison to the past years a TON ive hit over 360 and sure to do more than that the next time I max out. If my damn shoulder treats me right or I treat it right.
Once again largely due to some west side some I just made the complete change to it a month ago. But mainly learning how to push the damn envelope some days and when the hell to back off on others. Dropping the bs doing what you need not want even if you hate it because you will like the outcome.
Keep truckin,
Phill
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
I find that doing heavy curls allow me to lower heavier weights during the bench. For the longest time I trained strictly Westside. As my bench reached the high 500’s I couldn’t bring the bar down under control. I do heavy straight bar curls once a month and it has helped enormously.
Meat[/quote]
I’ve been having tons of problem with my bench because when I get the bar down to around 3-4 inches off my chest (arms have a 90 degree bend), I almost dump the weight. I can’t keep it under control. Do you think this is bicep weakness? Which curl variety would be best to strengthen this?