This is a guest post from David Rogers at Gaining Weight.
Preacher barbell bicep curls, which are a variation of the standing barbell bicep curl, are performed sitting down on a preacher curl bench. This exercise is a valuable biceps workout if you want to develop those big guns! Be warned though, your biceps will hurt though after the exercise, but this is only because you are efficiently workout out the biceps muscle.
Performed correctly, preacher barbell bicep curls can be one of the many exercises that will help your biceps grow. This is because the preacher curl is a good bicep isolation exercise. The preacher curl bench is designed to concentrate maximum effort on the bicep muscle during the whole repetition.
Debunking The Bicep Shaping Myth
There is the misconception that preacher barbell bicep curls will “lengthen” the biceps, filling in the “gap” between the muscle belly and the elbow joint. This is not the case though. In actuality, as your muscle grows they will get larger within the shape predetermined by your genetics and congenital structure. It’s not possible to determine exactly how your biceps will be shaped, until you have been working out for a while. But it is not determined by the specific biceps exercise, whether it be bicep curls, preacher curls, or any other bicep exercise. The shape of the biceps muscle itself is primarily due to the length of the tendon versus the length of the actual muscle bellies. Performing the preacher curl will not shorten the tendon nor lengthen the muscle fibers.
When a muscle is under resistance, that load is distributed throughout the muscle from one attachment to another. It is impossible to place more load at one end or the other. And if the muscle only contracted at one end, the other end would be without tension and would passively lengthen under the load, resulting in no movement of the joint. You can only make the biceps muscle bigger or smaller, you can’t shape it!
Many weight trainees often feel soreness in the lower biceps, especially after performing preacher curls, and make the mistake of assuming there will be a localized effect. This sensation can be attributed to various factors.
First of all, soreness in this area at which the muscle and tendon meet is commonly attributed to poor control of the weight and muscle during the eccentric phase of the exercise.
Secondly, unlike a typical seated or standing bicep curl with a free weight where the actual resistance is decreasing as it lowers, preacher curls with a free weight actually have an increasing resistance throughout much of the lowering phase. If this exercise is performed with lack of concern for speed and control, the muscle is then required to abruptly halt the motion in order to change directions. This abrupt change in muscular tension will create an exponential amount of stress on the muscle and tendon resulting in trauma to the area, offering no benefit.
Now I didn’t say preacher barbell curls are bad, quite the contrary. Like any bodybuilding exercise you want to do it with proper form if you want to see the best results and prevent injury.
Read more bodybuilding tips on the How to Gain Weight Blog which offers healthy ways to gain weight and build muscle.
