Preacher Curl VS. Standing DB Curls

[Perfect Lifter]

FYI: I only do sitting preacher curl presses (with either a barbell or a dumbell) to work my biceps but i'm wondering if I should also do standing curls, etc...

Am I jeopardizing any benefits by only doing sitting preacher curls??

I mean, the reason why I do preacher curls only is to keep absolute perfect form. I'm also used to doing it this way.

[Dragger]

Preachers seem to work the lowwer half of my biceps, reversed preacher also does well for my upper forearm. Standing the center of my biceps for more peak.

What works for me for a complete workout:

Standing curls 3 sets followed by reversed(palms down) preacher 3x.

Later in the week standing reversed 3x with regular preacher 3x.

[SugrSean]

You'll never grow with just one workout for any group. You've gotta shock 'em. Surprise them. Hit them from different angles. Vary the # of sets. Vary the # of reps.

[Perfect Lifter]

You'll never grow with just one workout for any group. You've gotta shock 'em. Surprise them. Hit them from different angles. Vary the # of sets. Vary the # of reps.

Ok, good post.

How does one feel when their muscles are shocked?? Does one even know??

[stealth_swimmer]

standing barbell curls are the meat and potatoes of any biceps workout and not doing them in some form really hinders gains. Standing dumbbells curls would be the alternative though. Preacher curls are a good finishing exercise but I wouldn't depend on them. By the way, they don't hit the lower part of the biceps, they hit the brachialis hard. When you do that, you feel the brachialis working, which underlays the biceps, and it so happens that you feel it in what would be the lower portion of the biceps. So when you "feel your lower biceps" that is actually the brachialis working. Just a little FYI

[SugrSean]

Ok, good post.

How does one feel when their muscles are shocked?? Does one even know??

I don't literally mean shock. I mean surprise or stress. Muscles grow in response to stress. The longer you do one single excercise without any variation, the less effective it becomes. Your muscles get used to the motions, and adapt to avoid stress. By changing it up, you reintroduce them to stress...shocking them into growth.

[SugrSean]

Also, since you're concerned about form, do either standing DB or BB curls with your back to a wall. It'll eliminate all that rocking. Although, every great once in awhile, I think it's good to pack some big weight on at the expense of a little form.

[Liquidtensi0n]

IMHO rows and other heavy back compounds >>> any sort of curling. But when it does come to curls I'm partial to various sitting dumbell movements. Straight up or incline. I hate preacher curls cause it angles your upper arm forward which actually takes force off the biceps too early at the top of the movement.

[Lion Heart]

standing barbell curls are the meat and potatoes of any biceps workout and not doing them in some form really hinders gains. Standing dumbbells curls would be the alternative though. Preacher curls are a good finishing exercise but I wouldn't depend on them. By the way, they don't hit the lower part of the biceps, they hit the brachialis hard. When you do that, you feel the brachialis working, which underlays the biceps, and it so happens that you feel it in what would be the lower portion of the biceps. So when you "feel your lower biceps" that is actually the brachialis working. Just a little FYI

Not true. For some, infact quite a few the straight barbell is killer on the wrists. You can build some very nice guns without it.

[daYDreAmErX]

Preachers seem to work the lowwer half of my biceps, reversed preacher also does well for my upper forearm. Standing the center of my biceps for more peak.

I don't have the article with me but I remember Christian Thibaudeau saying that this is on of the most common myth in the BBing world.

Will post it later, just make sure you know it doesn't make a difference.

[jason_bh]

You'll never grow with just one workout for any group. You've gotta shock 'em. Surprise them. Hit them from different angles. Vary the # of sets. Vary the # of reps.

My muscles don't think. So how can they be "surprised"?

Doing different angles and all is nice, but that doesn't "shock" the muscles. Going at different angles actually works different muscles and different parts of the muscle (not talking exclusively biceps here). I have been doing just barbell curls now for the past 8 months. My biceps have grown in that time period. They could be bigger but the point is that they are still growing.

What's important is how you are actually progressing with the weight. If you go in the gym everyday working the same rep and set scheme with the same weight then yeah you are not going to grow much. However, if you change the rep/set and weights (volume) then you can make them get bigger. I think that's what you were trying to say.

[Lencho]

I hate preacher curls cause it angles your upper arm forward which actually takes force off the biceps too early at the top of the movement.

Agreed. Spider curls > preacher curls.

[Perfect Lifter]

Now i'm confused like crazy!! Alot of varying opinions here.

[alkell]

From my limited experience, I like cheating a bit at the end of a set then lowering the weight really slowly to get a good burn. You couldnt do this with preacher curls.

[Lifting N Tx]

I don't have the article with me but I remember Christian Thibaudeau saying that this is on of the most common myth in the BBing world.

Will post it later, just make sure you know it doesn't make a difference.

How about Joe DeFranco's article on Top Ten Training Myths to explain this. See "Myth #10".

If you understand what he's saying you'll see why some of us like to use exercises that start with the biceps in more of a stretched position to put more emphasis on the biceps brachii. Otherwise I find that my biceps looks decent near my elbow but dwindles in size higher up, where the biceps brachii contributes more to size.

But it's not a lower or higher part of the muscle being stimulated, it's due to the difference in where each head is attached.

[tranceaddict]

anyone else find standing preacher is better than seated?

[Sockomalo]

I don't literally mean shock. I mean surprise or stress. Muscles grow in response to stress. The longer you do one single excercise without any variation, the less effective it becomes. Your muscles get used to the motions, and adapt to avoid stress. By changing it up, you reintroduce them to stress...shocking them into growth.

progressive resistance. squats benchpress deadlifts ets dont become less effective if you keep upping the resistance and neither do barbell curls

[Sockomalo]

Not true. For some, infact quite a few the straight barbell is killer on the wrists. You can build some very nice guns without it.

when i first started doing barbell curls my wrists did used to hurt alot but i kept doing them and i guess as my forearms and grip strengthened i stopped getting pain and now its painless

[Baradir]

You could also do Preacher Curls with a cable in order to get the same controlled motion even at the top to work the biceps aswell as the brachialis. Thing is that when you get to the "angle" in which your biceps would be activated, your lower arms are already perpendicular to the floor, so the pull of gravity ends up being straight down on your elbows, using a cable gives you the same resistance even at the top!

[Phenom01]

Pull-ups>standing curls>dumbell curls>preature curls

[Liquidtensi0n]

Pull-ups>standing curls>dumbell curls>preature curls

word to that

[Defiant1]

Hmmmmm.....


Lot's of scientists...

little science.

If you are going to ignore feel and use science, at least use the right science....

Electromyographical Research and Maximum Muscle Fiber Stimulation (Eric Knight B.A. Hon. Kinesiology, CPT)

Electromyographical (EMG) Research is an essential research tool allowing physiologists to determine the role of muscles during specific movements. EMG is a scientific method of measuring the level of excitation. This is done by placing electrodes over your body and recording the level of muscle activity induced by an exercise. A study was conducted to find which exercises cause the greatest amount of activity within each muscle group and, as a consequence, determine which exercises will produce the greatest gains in mass and strength. This study was conducted by Tudor O. Bompa, PhD & Lorenzo J. Cornacchia. Both men and women were used in the sudy and all subjects had at least two years experience with resistance training.

Biceps brachii (long head)
Preacher curls (Ob) -------------------- 90%
Incline seated Db curls (alternate) ------ 88
Standing biceps curls (Ob/narrow grip)--- 86
Standing Db curls (alternate) ----------- 84
Concentration Db curls ------------------ 80
Standing curls (Ob/wide grip)------------ 63
Standing E-Z curls (wide grip) ----------- 61


Interesting...

Now, regarding palms up chins...the biceps begin in a semi-contracted position, and move to another semi-contracted position. Meaning the actin/myosin pairings never can develop maximum pull (they don't overlap enough).

The whole "not the lower biceps but is the brachialis" doesn't really make much sense. The brachialis is not effected by shoulder position and is always active in forearm flexion. This is a semi-scientific sounding rationalization of why people feel preachers in the lower bicep. But it is not correct. What works the brachialis more exclusively are 2 things. 1. speed of movement (brachialis is more active in slow movements, bicep fast) and 2. REMOVING the biceps by taking leverage away....like a chin.


Great example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing...

[Uriel_da_man]

preacher curl presses

Wow, I thought it was bad when they called skullcrushers presses, now they call curls presses too.

[Liquidtensi0n]

Now, regarding palms up chins...the biceps begin in a semi-contracted position, and move to another semi-contracted position. Meaning the actin/myosin pairings never can develop maximum pull (they don't overlap enough).

We're talking about this:

http://racquetlink.webfusion.co.uk/s...hin.up.web.jpg

right?

When I do chins I start at a full extension and my arms are no different than they are at the bottom of any sort of curl. Then at the top they are fully contracted as far as a bicep can contract anyway. What exactly are you talking about?

[Lackey101]

Here's some results from an electromyograph test I found once. Hopefully this is helpful to ya. If you're not sure about what this is, then the number at the end of the line is how much stimulation the muscle is getting. Keep in mind this is the long head, but the preacher curls provide awesome stimulation for the biceps. I would add some incline seated curls, which would prevent you from doing and "jumpnig" to help yourself out. If you're doing this for strength however, you might want to do the preacher curls then maybe a standing barbell curl with as heavy weight as you can get on there and use the "jump" on the last set.
BICEPS
Biceps Brachii (long head) % iemg MAX
Biceps Preacher Curls (Olympic Bar) 90
Incline Seated Dumbell Curls (Alternate) 88
Standing Biceps Curl (Olympic Bar/Narrow Grip) 86
Standing Dumbell Curls (Alternate) 84
Concentration Dumbell Curls 80
Standing Biceps Curls (Olympic Bar/Wide Grip) 63
Standing E-Z Biceps Curls (Wide Grip) 61

[Defiant1]

We're talking about this:

http://racquetlink.webfusion.co.uk/s...hin.up.web.jpg

right?

When I do chins I start at a full extension and my arms are no different than they are at the bottom of any sort of curl. Then at the top they are fully contracted as far as a bicep can contract anyway. What exactly are you talking about?

When you start a chin, your biceps are in a state of partial contraction. The elbows are elevated. The long head of the bicep spans the shoulder joint, and the short and long heads have a common insertion.

It is not the same as a bb.curl. The finish is close to a bb curl in elbow position, though the resistance curve is different.

Muscles can contract most strongly starting from about 110 degrees of joint angle.

[xshinx]

Preacher curls and standing dumbbell curls are very good exercises however the barbell curl is the heart and soul of the bicep workout. If you really want to blast the biceps for extra mass, perform barbell "cheat" curls. You load on extra weight on the barbell and perform the first few reps with strict form. Once you start feeling that fatigue, start using the cheat form with good ease. You want to swing with the support of your back and shoulders for a minimum. Do not do a jerking motion. You bend your knees slightly to prevent overall stress of your joints and perform the cheat motion as you go up and make sure you have control of the weight as you go down. Preacher Curls and Dumbbell curls provide great variation for your training and they are nice attributes in order to shock your muscles.

[Liquidtensi0n]

sole eh?

[BigRowbin35]

FYI: I only do sitting preacher curl presses (with either a barbell or a dumbell) to work my biceps but i'm wondering if I should also do standing curls, etc...

Am I jeopardizing any benefits by only doing sitting preacher curls??

I mean, the reason why I do preacher curls only is to keep absolute perfect form. I'm also used to doing it this way.

I used to be a Personal Trainer. Perfect Lifter I think it's great that you want to use perfect form. I should forewarn you that
exclusively using the preacher bench can lead to elbow joint problems. That being said, the preacher bench is a good biceps
exercise just don't use it all the time. The biceps as well as other body parts need variety. The other trainees on this forum
have given you excellent advice. Use other exercises, including different sets and reps plus light weights, medium and heavy
weights.

If you or other trainees on the forum would like to discuss other training methods feel free to email me at robwilson999@hotmail.com

[Mikolash]

Why's no one talking about chin-ups?