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Other/Mixed Curls: A Big Waste of Time?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
watchnerd

watchnerd

Level 8 Valued Member
At this point in my lifting career, I have a decent sense of what drives better hypertrophy for me, and aside from sheer volume, I get more response from heavier stretch-mediated resistance training than I do from metabolite and pump work.

As a result, my biceps seem to grow more when I do more pull ups / rows / pulls / ring work than I ever get from bicep curls, whether barbells, dumbbells, or whatever.

And while stretch-focused curls (incline, preacher) are a little better, they still seem to be less effective as the compounds as they're just not as heavy.

For the time it takes me to do 4-5 sets of bicep curls, and the impact on systemic fatigue, I could do 1 more set of a compound pulling exercise. Maybe 2.

Other than a little minimal curl work for elbow health in snatches, I have no functional need for bigger biceps. It's purely beach work.

Is it time to just chuck the curls in the waste basket?
 
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I probably only complained about curls. Any other lift I did was never done begrudgingly and I’d never say “F another set” on any lift whether it was squats or dead’s or whatever but curls annoy me. I only did 3 sets of direct arm work a week and it was curls on an EZ bar using either the blue or red fatgripz. I think all the other moves you said are superior for big biceps. I did enjoy barbell cheat curls Ricky Bruch style.

 
Kev said:
I probably only complained about curls. Any other lift I did was never done begrudgingly and I’d never say “F another set” on any lift whether it was squats or dead’s or whatever but curls annoy me. I only did 3 sets of direct arm work a week and it was curls on an EZ bar using either the blue or red fatgripz. I think all the other moves you said are superior for big biceps. I did enjoy barbell cheat curls Ricky Bruch style.

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That's taking cheat curls to a whole new level.
 
watchnerd said:
At this point in my lifting career, I have a decent sense of what drives better hypertrophy for me, and aside from sheer volume, I get more response from heavier stretch-mediated resistance training than I do from metabolite and pump work.

As a result, my biceps seem to grow more when I do more pull ups / rows / pulls / ring work than I ever get from bicep curls, whether barbells, dumbbells, or whatever.

And while stretch-focused curls (incline, preacher) are a little better, they still seem to be less effective as the compounds as they're just not as heavy.

For the time it takes me to do 4-5 sets of bicep curls, and the impact on systemic fatigue, I could do 1 more set of a compound pulling exercise. Maybe 2.

Other than a little minimal curl work for elbow health in snatches, I have no functional need for bigger biceps. It's purely beach work.

Is it time to just chuck the curls in the waste basket?
Click to expand...
I barely touched curls when I competed in bb 20 years ago. I’m too ectomorphey. I was rewarded by saving the biceps for weighted chins.
 
I never seemed to get a lot of return on investment from curls either, but then again my biceps have never ever been anything to brag about.

I think there's probably some value in keeping them in the mix of a basic hypertrophy/get big and strong program, but yeah, not the most essential of essentials.
 
I don’t do curls. I see that as a poor investment of my time but its because I want to increase my strength.

If someone wants to maximize a specific area’s hypertrophy, the isolation work is unavoidable in my opinion.

My left chest was smaller in size, it aesthetically bothered me (god knows why :))) I did a few months of left only chest cable fly, and I have achieved easily a non functional hypertrophy. :) while on the go with no access to KBs I practice NW style OAPU, and the strength difference in between left and right is obvious to me. So compound exercises win in functional strength in my view.
 
Ege said:
I don’t do curls. I see that as a poor investment of my time but its because I want to increase my strength.

If someone wants to maximize a specific area’s hypertrophy, the isolation work is unavoidable in my opinion.
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Well, yeah, that's the rub.

I am trying to induce bicep hypertrophy, but the isolation exercises aren't working as well as the compounds.
 
Fatgripz on all pulling moves will beef up the whole arm. Obviously train your pulls without them but I’d do additional sets with the fatgripz.
 
You have a lot more experience than me obviously. Just throwing ideas to be helpful.

Is there a possibility that when you do curls you over train? :))) I know some of your exercise numbers, your compounds might be hitting the possible recoverable amount that your biceps has at this point of your life.
 
Ege said:
I don’t do curls. I see that as a poor investment of my time but its because I want to increase my strength.

If someone wants to maximize a specific area’s hypertrophy, the isolation work is unavoidable in my opinion.

My left chest was smaller in size, it aesthetically bothered me (god knows why :))) I did a few months of left only chest cable fly, and I have achieved easily a non functional hypertrophy. :) while on the go with no access to KBs I practice NW style OAPU, and the strength difference in between left and right is obvious to me. So compound exercises win in functional strength in my view.
Click to expand...

O, I forget my GS curls!

Well I am sure I get a lot of pump out of that, especially nowadays that I spend most of my practice time is on early stage drills for Swings and TGUs.
 
Ege said:
O, I forget my GS curls!

Well I am sure I get a lot of pump out of that, especially nowadays that I spend most of my practice time is on early stage drills for Swings and TGUs.
Click to expand...

Vouw, thinking on this a third time :) Indeed, I a “curl” guy more than anything else :))

Based on my experience, I recommend dove work and curls for best strength gains :))
 
Ege said:
You have a lot more experience than me obviously. Just throwing ideas to be helpful.

Is there a possibility that when you do curls you over train? :))) I know some of your exercise numbers, your compounds might be hitting the possible recoverable amount that your biceps has at this point of your life.
Click to expand...

Probably not overtraining, because the biceps volume is waaaaay less than what they get hit with from rowing.

And my number of curl sets is only 8-10 per week, which is far below the MAV/MRV cited in hypertrophy sources.

And they are growing, but they're already pumped after the big compounds. They're just not getting much more swole after the curls.
 
Kev said:
Fatgripz on all pulling moves will beef up the whole arm. Obviously train your pulls without them but I’d do additional sets with the fatgripz.
Click to expand...

I could add those to barbell curls, although I'd have to buy some.

I'm not sure if they'd fit on my DB handles for DB rows, though.
 
I just grabbed some pool noodles left along the beach I live on. Cut to size and works pretty well with some give. For grip specifically, do hammers or reverse curls.
 

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GaryT said:
I just grabbed some pool noodles left along the beach I live on. Cut to size and works pretty well with some give. For grip specifically, do hammers or reverse curls.
Click to expand...

I’m pretty good on grip.

I can pull 235 kg without straps last time I tried.
 
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