BB curl - should you lock out in the bottom position?

[EmperorRyker]

I guess the question is pretty straight-forward. That is, when doing BB bicep curls, should you lock out in the bottom position and fully extend the forearm, or do you stop short of that and always keep a slight bend?

[WWGlide]

It really depends on how you want to perform the exercise. I never lock out at the bottom because the bottom half of the curl is the same range of motion that I use when I do pullups and rows, so this part of my arm is already well developed. when I curl I focus on the upper half of the movement and I use more weight to compensate. There really is no right or wrong way, as long as you dont swing the weight or use your shoulders/back

[aVillain]

no no no no....don't lock out bring up fast and focus on the neg almost go all the way down and spring back up as heavy as you can. with out breaking form of course.

[kevinyca]

Wouldn't recommend locking, for any exercise for that matter.

[EmperorRyker]

Well, I'm just not sure whether I'm missing some ROM if I don't lock out. Even though one might say you lose tension in the bicep that way, I think the reps definitely feel harder compared to not locking out, even if it is very close to a full lock-out.

[womanoid]

Your arm naturally has a slight bend at the elbow, this is it's neutral position. Ime, letting the elbow fully extend during pulling puts uneccesary strain on it.

Also, don't your legs get in the way of the bb if you try to lock out? Sorry I never do bb curls so I'm not sure...

[EmperorRyker]

Your arm naturally has a slight bend at the elbow, this is it's neutral position. Ime, letting the elbow fully extend during pulling puts uneccesary strain on it.

Yeah, that thing about the slight bend is true, I guess. But then again, some people advocate for locking out on bench press, as well, so I'm not sure whether that answers it

Also, don't your legs get in the way of the bb if you try to lock out? Sorry I never do bb curls so I'm not sure...

When I was doing them this way, they didn't. I think at the very end when you're going past that natural position to lock out, you slightly bulge out at the elbow, so your arms aren't held perfectly vertical, but at a slight angle. That is, the entire arm is straight and locked out, but unless you force it back when going past that natural position, your (well, mine didn't at least) legs don't get in the way.

[GeneralSerpant]

For quality training of the arms overall, you'll want to do full-extension. On another hand, to finish off the biceps as part of a workout, the fullest-ROM can be adversely effected by fatigue, making you have to drop intensity for more proper work.

[womanoid]

Yeah, that thing about the slight bend is true, I guess. But then again, some people advocate for locking out on bench press, as well, so I'm not sure whether that answers it .

Yes, that is why I said for pulling. Pushing involves the triceps, their job is to extend the elbow, when contracted they protect the elbow. You can fully extend for presses without putting unhealthy stress on the joint.

[EmperorRyker]

For quality training of the arms overall, you'll want to do full-extension. On another hand, to finish off the biceps as part of a workout, the fullest-ROM can be adversely effected by fatigue, making you have to drop intensity for more proper work.

Sorry, but I don't quite get what you're saying here, so could you elaborate on this a bit? Do you mean that fatigue could cause me to be able to move less weight if I'm trying to go full extension? Or is it something else? Also, I'm doing bicep curls on "upper day", and it's my last exercise (bench press, bent-over BB row, standing overhead press, pull-ups, two-arm tricep extension, then BB bicep curl).

Yes, that is why I said for pulling. Pushing involves the triceps, their job is to extend the elbow, when contracted they protect the elbow. You can fully extend for presses without putting unhealthy stress on the joint.

Oh, I missed the "pulling" part.

[nikoslimpe]

no,injyry possibility and no tensiuon in biceps

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

I never fully straighten my arms, but I try to go down as far as I can with my arms just slightly bent at the bottom.

[EmperorRyker]

Well, I guess as long as I keep doing it one way consistently, it shouldn't really matter that much as far as progression is concerned, should it? I mean, both ways if I improve on the lift, I should have muscle growth, and I imagine it would be similar with both approaches. Am I mistaken here? As for the tension in the bicep, I'm not sure how important that is.

If you go all the way down to only a slight bend, then I feel almost no tension in my bicep anyway. Is it different for you guys?

Lastly, I guess I am also concerned about joint health, so are there any scientific articles or research on why and how this would be bad?

[GeneralSerpant]

Sorry, but I don't quite get what you're saying here, so could you elaborate on this a bit? Do you mean that fatigue could cause me to be able to move less weight if I'm trying to go full extension? Or is it something else? Also, I'm doing bicep curls on "upper day", and it's my last exercise (bench press, bent-over BB row, standing overhead press, pull-ups, two-arm tricep extension, then BB bicep curl).

Both full-extension, and fatigued lifting suggest lower intensity. With full-extension you have to make sure all the extra support that the muscles provide (synergist and stabilizers etc..) will mostly just translate to lower intensity. Fatigued muscles (from isolation work or synergist movement) naturally suggest a lowered intensity.

As full-extension should be performed with an abundance of available energy for adequate support for all the extra work, a further reduced energy from fatigued muscles is both too little and too late. You very well can continue to do full-range, but it leads to a digression from consistency in your workout with the lower intensities, and calls for training support muscle systems that are already compromised in consistency (muscles that are involuntarily tensed more when you perform full-range). You can coordinate your workout to consist of all full-range (like a boss), but that of course means being conservative with your intensity in the first place.

[DJAuto]

I'm not a fan of locking out completely. I usually stop just before.

[EmperorRyker]

Both full-extension, and fatigued lifting suggest lower intensity. With full-extension you have to make sure all the extra support that the muscles provide (synergist and stabilizers etc..) will mostly just translate to lower intensity. Fatigued muscles (from isolation work or synergist movement) naturally suggest a lowered intensity.

As full-extension should be performed with an abundance of available energy for adequate support for all the extra work, a further reduced energy from fatigued muscles is both too little and too late. You very well can continue to do full-range, but it leads to a digression from consistency in your workout with the lower intensities, and calls for training support muscle systems that are already compromised in consistency (muscles that are involuntarily tensed more when you perform full-range). You can coordinate your workout to consist of all full-range (like a boss), but that of course means being conservative with your intensity in the first place.

What would I sacrifice with lower intensity, though? Bicep growth? But since it is harder to go full ROM than shorter ROM, wouldn't I then develop other muscles that assist in that last bit of ROM more?

I'm not a fan of locking out completely. I usually stop just before.

I never fully straighten my arms, but I try to go down as far as I can with my arms just slightly bent at the bottom.

Do you pause at the bottom, though? One thing I namely find better about full lock-out is that there's no bounce and you have to start from scratch. It's also somewhat easier to prevent cheating, because you know you have to lock out, so how do you guys prevent that, i.e. how do you ensure that when you're going up in weight or reps, you aren't, for example, inadvertently stopping just a tad earlier than last time?

[TyJax81]

I guess the question is pretty straight-forward. That is, when doing BB bicep curls, should you lock out in the bottom position and fully extend the forearm, or do you stop short of that and always keep a slight bend?

Locking out at the elbows with damage the joints so if you want to avoid this, dont lock out

[italianplaya30]

i do not lock out

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

Do you pause at the bottom, though? One thing I namely find better about full lock-out is that there's no bounce and you have to start from scratch. It's also somewhat easier to prevent cheating, because you know you have to lock out, so how do you guys prevent that, i.e. how do you ensure that when you're going up in weight or reps, you aren't, for example, inadvertently stopping just a tad earlier than last time?

Well think about it.

Hold your arm in front of you and fully lock out your elbow, then give it a very slight (~5º) bend. Did your bicep really move visibly?

Just go up and down in a slow/controlled manner and it doesn't matter if you lock your crud out or not.

[TheBroad]

No reason to lock out, not doing so keeps full tension on the bicep.

[GeneralSerpant]

But since it is harder to go full ROM than shorter ROM, wouldn't I then develop other muscles that assist in that last bit of ROM more?

It's just energy going to muscles that are already fatigued from intensity. It's a matter of allocating your energy wisely. I already gave you a parameter where you would be proficiently working those muscles at the end.

If you were trying to give your arms dedicated progression, then they wouldn't be at the end of your workout.

Plus, such development goes to muscles surrounding ligaments and tendons. These essential pieces of tissue aren't going to be overloaded on partial ROM from eccentric pressure because the bicep is already to fatigued to administer that. They will be stressed quite a bit from concentric tension.

[olivetree154]

Wouldn't recommend locking, for any exercise for that matter.

I agree with this

[DJAuto]

Do you pause at the bottom, though? One thing I namely find better about full lock-out is that there's no bounce and you have to start from scratch. It's also somewhat easier to prevent cheating, because you know you have to lock out, so how do you guys prevent that, i.e. how do you ensure that when you're going up in weight or reps, you aren't, for example, inadvertently stopping just a tad earlier than last time?

I don't necessarily pause, but it's definitely a controlled movement. So, there's no bouncing or other interference.

[EmperorRyker]

Alright, thanks everyone, I think I'll go without locking out and try to establish a different metric for when the bottom position is reached then. Like I said, my main worry is I'll start cheating by, say, going a degree or two shorter each time I increase the weight or want to get the reps in.

If you were trying to give your arms dedicated progression, then they wouldn't be at the end of your workout.

Well, it's true I don't have a dedicated arms day, but it's part of my "upper day" routine and all programs have arms at the end. I don't think that implies that people aren't trying to give arms dedicated progression, it's just that the bigger lifts kind of have to come first.

Plus, such development goes to muscles surrounding ligaments and tendons. These essential pieces of tissue aren't going to be overloaded on partial ROM from eccentric pressure because the bicep is already to fatigued to administer that. They will be stressed quite a bit from concentric tension.

The bicep is too fatigued to administer pressure on ligaments and tendons? How would the bicep do that anyway?

I don't necessarily pause, but it's definitely a controlled movement. So, there's no bouncing or other interference.

I'll try doing the same thing.

[MickOreilly]

Wouldn't recommend locking, for any exercise for that matter.

x2

Cringe when I see people lock out when doing BP

[ThatOneLurker]

Wouldn't recommend locking, for any exercise for that matter.

Basically this.


If you want to prevent cheating you can do BB curls against a wall. Guarantee you'll feel it a lot more and get skin tearing bicep pumps. Stop just short of locking and continue curling.

[EmperorRyker]

If you want to prevent cheating you can do BB curls against a wall. Guarantee you'll feel it a lot more and get skin tearing bicep pumps. Stop just short of locking and continue curling.

Hmm, that's an interesting thought and I've seen people doing that before. I guess for now I'm not going to go with that, but I'm not sure whether that would prevent cheating, either, since you have your back resting against the wall and will probably tend to use that as leverage when those grinding reps start to come in.

[anonymous]

fck no, im paranoid about tearing my bicep tendon as it is.. no reason to give it any additional reasons to rip on me in exchange for a 0.0001% potential 'improvement' in muscle loading

If you want to stretch the muscle through a full ROM then do it without a weight in your hands.

[ThatOneLurker]

Hmm, that's an interesting thought and I've seen people doing that before. I guess for now I'm not going to go with that, but I'm not sure whether that would prevent cheating, either, since you have your back resting against the wall and will probably tend to use that as leverage when those grinding reps start to come in.

Try it out and tell me how it goes.

It depends how far your feet are in front of you. If your feet are too far in front of you then you'll use the wall as leverage, if they're a little bit in front of you then you won't be using it as leverage.

[Dont Judge Me]

Wouldn't recommend locking, for any exercise for that matter.

Agreed, you should never lock out.