The top bicep exercise according to a study.

[Admin]

For many, biceps are the most sought after muscles. People spend hours at the gym training their biceps with a variety of exercises. Wouldn’t it be nice to know which bicep exercise is the most effective?


A study out of the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse set out to determine just that. The researchers studied eight of the most common bicep exercises: cable curls, barbell curls, concentration curls, chin-ups, EZ Curls (wide and narrow grip), incline curls, and preacher curls. The researchers looked at EMG reading to determine which exercises lead to the most muscle activation. Here are the results:



Unlike EMG studies for other muscle groups, there was a clear winner. Concentration curls were found to elicit significantly more muscle activation than any of the other seven exercises. The reason appears to be that concentration curls, do just that… they concentrate on the biceps (activation in the shoulder was significantly lower for concentration curls).
In case you don’t know how to do a concentration curl, here’s a how to video.

Source: https://www.acefitness.org/certifiednews/images/article/pdfs/ACE%20BicepsStudy.pdf

 

[Rugby88]

Been doing alot of cable curls currently and they seem to be hitting the biceps better than anything I have done in a while.....never been a huge fan of concentration - I just never feel like I am overloading the muscle as much as I should - yea the stretch etc is great but yea just never been a huge fan....I guess you can't argue with Arnold though....haha

 

[Grunta]

Been doing alot of cable curls currently and they seem to be hitting the biceps better than anything I have done in a while.....never been a huge fan of concentration - I just never feel like I am overloading the muscle as much as I should - yea the stretch etc is great but yea just never been a huge fan....I guess you can't argue with Arnold though....haha

Same, concentration curls IMO are just too light to smash the muscle, they target well but just aren't heavy enough to do the damage.

 

[Shrek]

Cable curls and Spider Curls lately for me.

 

[Davepuppies]

I have been doing dumbell incline curls, getting a full stretch (ie contracting triceps), then curling dumbells to a point slightly behind my shoulders with a slight twist.... Hold that contraction for a second or two........ And super setting that with flat barbell preacher ( again for stretch)

when i i do traditional concentration curls with elbow on leg, I can't seem to take shoulder out of it

 

[Repacked]

I have been doing dumbell incline curls, getting a full stretch

I find that a really good exercise also, don't need big weight and always get a great stretch holding my elbows back as far as possible. Definitely an effective exercise. I don't mind traditional concentration curls, but cant seem to get that same stretch with Arnold curls.

 

[Big Mick]

Everyone seems tp be talking about stretch??

I find constantly keeping a load on the muscle seems to be good for a pump, alternate DB curls is about the only bicep exercise I will do these days.

 

[Davepuppies]

I find that a really good exercise also, don't need big weight and always get a great stretch holding my elbows back as far as possible. Definitely an effective exercise. I don't mind traditional concentration curls, but cant seem to get that same stretch with Arnold curls.

I find with this exersize I can easily retract scapula and remove shoulders from the movement.

as you said light weight only for me too.

 

[Davepuppies]

Everyone seems tp be talking about stretch??

I find constantly keeping a load on the muscle seems to be good for a pump, alternate DB curls is about the only bicep exercise I will do these days.

I find I get a better overall pump if I fully extend the muscle before I contract it, in saying that I will also occasionally do some 3/4 range movements like alienate DB curls or spider curls and also get good results

 

[Stiffy]

Heavy T-bar rows, Barbell Rows, Dumbell Rows etc lol

Direct Biceps work just gives them shape.

 

[joeblowforshow]

I could be wrong, but the scale seems to be measuring "muscle activation" as how much of the lift is done by a particular muscle. If I'm right, that means that to do a concentration curl, 95% of the force is exerted by the bicep muscle. Presumably the other 5% is the forearm/wrist.

But that's a very incomplete picture - because it doesn't mean concentration curls will give you the biggest biceps. It means that concentration curls will NOT improve much else.

Take cable curls for instance. Cable curls have a "muscle activation of 80%" - so if you do concentration curls with a 20kg dumbbell (@ 95% muscle activation). Then you get the same effect from doing a cable curl with 23.75kg (@80%)

It's just that with the cable curl, you also work some other muscles a little bit (the other 20%).


So really, the chart is only effective when you compare the weights that can be achieved with different exercises. If, for example, you can cable curl 25kg but only concentration curl 20kg for the same number of reps, then actually the cable curl will be more effective.

 

[joeblowforshow]

Of course, the more deeply you analyse it, it simply comes back to how strong the bicep is. In other words, if 20kg concentration curl = 23.75kg cable curl, then it's pretty likely you'll find these two exercises to be exactly as "hard" as each other. The ratio between 20 and 23.75 is 1.1875 - i.e. the ratio between 80% and 95%

 

[Shrek]

Dove't over analyse things.
Over time you will work out what works best for you.

 

[White_Lie]

I just do a variety, whatever I feel like at the time. Even lying supine curls some times...never see any kunce doing those!
Would love to try those arm blasters like Arnold used to use but would feel like such a bro pulling it out at the gym

 

[joeblowforshow]

Dove't over analyse things.
Over time you will work out what works best for you.

I know, I'm just saying the more you analyse it the more you realise it's simply a case of keep going until it hurts, then do a bit more.

If cable curls only recruit 80% from the biceps, then you can probably lift more weight (unless another muscle is the "weak link"). But at the end of the day, if you're lifting as much as you can, then all of this stuff gets worked out by your body automatically

 

[gerry.]

I know, I'm just saying the more you analyse it the more you realise it's simply a case of keep going until it hurts, then do a bit more.

If cable curls only recruit 80% from the biceps, then you can probably lift more weight (unless another muscle is the "weak link"). But at the end of the day, if you're lifting as much as you can, then all of this stuff gets worked out by your body automatically

analytical.

 

[joeblowforshow]

Fair call. But it's in my nature.

 

[Grunta]

I just do a variety, whatever I feel like at the time. Even lying supine curls some times...never see any kunce doing those!
Would love to try those arm blasters like Arnold used to use but would feel like such a bro pulling it out at the gym

I rectum the old preacher curls would get you pretty close the blaster.

 

[Repacked]

Everyone seems tp be talking about stretch??

I find constantly keeping a load on the muscle seems to be good for a pump, alternate DB curls is about the only bicep exercise I will do these days.

I've been finding cable curls good for constant tension lately. Just have to make sure the elbows/scapula don't creep forward.

 

[Grunta]

I've been finding cable curls good for constant tension lately. Just have to make sure the elbows/scapula don't creep forward.

Cable in each hand or one attached to the bar?