Barbell Curls = KING Biceps!

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

You have a great point there Alex regarding forearm/elbow pain fear from straight bar bicep curls. The issue I find is poor form and forearm development. I am a big advocate of forearm training now like Larry Scott and Arnold preached. I used to have wrist pain and elbow pain when I reached 115 lb on the barbell curl. I added forearm work, and not just a couple of sets with crappy form, but a proper forearm routine and I don't get any pains anymore. At this point sky's the limit with barbell curls 😊

[@AlexLeonidas]

Exactly, it's the same issue that Larry Scott noted regarding preacher curls and not having strong enough wrist flexor strength. I'm convinced that forearms play a MASSIVE role when it comes to restrictive bars which even applies to other pulls and possibly the reverse grip bench press. I even found crushing motions to be helpful in building that specific lateral pressure strength, we can't avoid it if we are to do barbell curls long term. The fact that you once suffered from this problem and no longer have pain with 115lbs tells the entire story. Well done, this proves it wasn't a structural issue. The sky is truly the limit once we address our weaknesses 💯

[@thenecroyeti1]

I’ve trained forearms for multiple years and they’re decently big (~15”). Still can’t do straight bar curls without excruciating forearm pain. And my form is fine.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

@@thenecroyeti1 you might have shoulder issues. The skeletal structure will sometimes refer pain down from the source of weakness. Try retracting the scapula and setting your posture prior to curling the weight. This can help alleviate pain in the forearms, elbows and shoulders

[@thenecroyeti1]

@@GoldenEraBookworm I've never dealt with any type of shoulder pain. I'll give it a go though.

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

@@thenecroyeti1 practice shoulder retraction using external rotations. You may also wish yo massage rhe musculature around your scapula, you may gind it especially tender!

[@nh1776]

There’s something primordial about progressing a hardcore, old school lift for a long time

[@AlexLeonidas]

Hardcore old school training just hits different. The mental toughness, creativity, enjoyment, and trust aspect make it all worth it.

[@emanuelegaddi3545]

Define "hardcore"

[@nh1776]

@@emanuelegaddi3545 this isn’t rocket science

[@PauIdenino]

​@@emanuelegaddi3545Barbell /dumbbell exercises for example I guess

[@manimal9871]

@@emanuelegaddi3545non pussy lifts, like the overly fancy cable shit pushed by pencil necked science influencers these days

[@archlifts947]

bro that double biceps... your arms have actually leveled up once again

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thank you brother! And I literally did it with barbell curls as my primary bass builder, with alternate dumbbell curls on the side (again basic AF), and specializing in underhand pulls. It's been a year that mostly everything I do is supinated.

[@thomasowens4844]

@@AlexLeonidassupinated pulldowns are goated. I started to grow my biceps for a little bit a couple months ago bc I was progressing on alternating dumbbell curls and supinated pulldowns for my lats

[@calle6075]

Yeah, gear is great!

[@archlifts947]

@@calle6075 😂 cope harder

[@Milpower]

​@@calle6075You're an idiot. The entire point of Alex is being natty. He got this way by years of effort. Only fvcking losers think otherwise.

[@akalion213]

1:05 does he have a clone of himself spotting him???

[@Bigbiceps301]

@@Lazychannel-q1nHey Phil whatu got on ur plate over there

[@John-cena6483]

PG coaching, it's an old buddy of alex. He did some proper collabs, and he's appeared in many past videos

[@spikespiegel5434]

It's his buffet buddy

[@aap2827]

its his husband

[@BradleyGibbs]

Nah, that's my mother

[@Not-Lunar]

I love the fact, that we still see Phil in some of the B-roll.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Phil's the real OG!

[@cristian9365]

​@@AlexLeonidaswachu got over there Phill 💪💪

[@mustafayigitkartal4257]

o7

[@freehatespeech6804]

@@cristian9365 Yeeeeeeeeeeeeea 🍖

[@mk-hj3eu]

We at the buffet

[@GoldenEraBookworm]

Thank you Alex for the shout out. Your Old School Preacher Curl and Scott Forearm Bench will be on their way to you soon.

[@AlexLeonidas]

My pleasure, Carlos! Can't wait to represent the old school curling way, this is what's going to take my arms to an even higher level. 17.5 inches and possibly more, and I'll double down on my already good forearms using Larry Scott's methods. Beyond hyped!

[@pedrogimenez3792]

Squats, deadlifts, bench, ohp, barbell/dumbell rows, pull ups/chin ups, french press, barbell curls = beast

[@kinggeedorah947]

Yes, but rotations are key too, nothing wrong with rotating some of those lifts with machines to avoid overuse & help w tendon health we’re here to lift for 10+ years not a couple of months 🥂 great list tho

[@pedrogimenez3792]

@@kinggeedorah947 Nice! Nice idea, but i'll tell you one trick to avoid overuse without rotating exercises if for example you only have a rack and dumbells in your house or you just like to do those exercises. Slow tempo and higher recovery time between workout sessions! Slow tempo avoiding momentum (less probability to get injured), more recovery time (train twice or 3 times per week) = healthy joints. Cheers!

[@slee2695]

So no upper chest, side delts, calves and abs?

[@Leon.2701]

Substitute bench for incline bench and dips for the best chest gains

[@thomasowens4844]

@@pedrogimenez3792this does actually work. I used to workout in the garage and I had my recovery locked in even tho I was training mostly everything trice a week. My arms literally blew up bc of barbell curls and close grip bench

[@AllDayErrDay.]

Biceps and calves haven't changed since the golden age.

[@BasementBodybuilding]

Congrats on 400k brotha, that’s an incredible achievement for a natty bb focused channel. If anyone deserves it it’s you bro! Haven’t watched the full vid yet but I agree that the strength standards are too low. I’m not a huge fan of strength standards going to the other extreme, but I mean once you reach the intermediate stage… you just have to go heavier, because you can handle it. The fact that it’s rare to see people bb curling 135 for reps is pretty sad. Of course it’s an impressive lift, not trying to downplay it at all, but I see that as what a 315 squat used to be. Once it becomes more common to see, all of a sudden people will achieve it faster, bit of a psychological game. I still enjoy getting more out of less weight with sets of 80-100 on preachers, but if my biceps can handle 120+, that’s what I’ll be doing for a good portion of my training. Pushing numbers is a good thing on strict and stable lifts, but people get it completely backwards imo

[@chonkeboi]

Basement man (now backyard man) W

[@proudshufu9639]

Your take on load progressions and progressive overload as the result of the stimulus you get from proper training (technique, proximity to failure) literally revolutionised my lifting journey man. It's a rare take and you explain it better than everyone else. Keep up the great job ❤

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thank you so much, Landon! It is sad that so many lifters believe a 135lb curl (not the strict comp style) is unrealistic. With your 120lb preacher curls (mad strong btw, I'm where you were at the start of your road to 18 inches strength-wise), you could easily rep the current standard. Absolutely, more out of less weight is preferable on preachers, and I do think your approach to arm training is the best we've seen so far. My only 'counterargument' (pure semantics) would be that barbell preacher curls are simply a variation of barbell curls, like a crossbreed of a dog. It might be the stability aspect that makes it ideal, as mid-range and lengthened-biased curls are both comparable (leverage-wise for biceps). There's a small tradeoff in that you lift less on preachers so better SFR, but with standing curls, there's less muscle damage so recovery evens out. However, the preachers are stricter and can potentially bias the distal end so I would rank it higher. Either way, getting strong at a bilateral free-weighted curl (progression potential is #1) is the way forward. We NEED higher standards on these big isolation lifts.

[@thanosfickda]

Hey Alex , the "natty" bodybuilders who achieve 19, 20, 21 inches arms are seriously hard to believe, their arms are seriously very big , just compare it to their face, or head If those man can reach 19 , 20 , 21 inches nartually, you should be able to reach 18 , or almost 19 inch nartually at least , but still other natty bodybuilders before steroid existed can't even reach 19 inches or 20 inches , it is seriously hard to believe someone can reach 19 or 21 inches are actually natty

[@chonkeboi]

@@thanosfickda I mean there are a few factors at play here, it seems like being taller or rather having longer arms equates to a potential for a bigger arm due to your arms being longer and therefore capable of carrying more muscle, also your genetics for putting on muscle. Alex is both not tall and has short arms along with having seemingly bad genetics for arm size, and yet he still got to 17 and could likely get to even 18, so now imagine someone who’s taller and has better arm genetics, they could have some seriously big arms. I do think it’s hard to believe, but I think it’s definitely possible under the right circumstances.

[@Notdeepakchopra]

Man I’ve been watching you for years. It’s almost a meme for someone to comment your physical is looking better than ever but for real less than a minute in and your physic is actually better than ever 😮 great work man. You are one of the most dedicated and disciplined fitness professionals I’ve ever seen

[@jonathancortez3003]

Bro, all of your videos keep on motivating me to keep with my fitness journey.

[@AlexLeonidas]

I'm honored to motivate you, Jonathan! Doing my best to share the truth.

[@TheBrick534]

I have horrible biceps genetics as well, and taking yours and Dr. Mike's advice of focusing on GOOD form and really taking my sets to failure and beyond has lead to a solid amount of growth and strength gains in about a year's time. I'm excited to see how much more I can milk out of it in the years ahead.

[@Swoljoel]

This video is pretty much the exact opposite of what dr mike would recommend. He's more of a unilateral behind the knee cable lengthened partial bicep curl kinda guy

[@leonardo9259]

​@@Swoljoelwhile screaming on the 12th rep with 7 reps in the tank

[@nh1776]

@@leonardo9259 his screaming is so odd. He’ll literally have many reps in the tank on a leg curl and still be screaming… wtf is that?

[@Swoljoel]

@@nh1776 his unbelievable roid anxiety or something

[@TheBrick534]

@@Swoljoel I take the approach of all these techniques are tools in the tool box that can be applied to a training program to achieve a desired goal/result. I do a solid mix of old school, barbell compounds to build my top end strength whilst utilizing some more modern developments and methods in my accessory work to round out weak points and hit all muscles from different positions and angles.

[@Din06]

I can definetly say that straight bb curls got me so much more gains then incline db curls which scientofically should be better. I did those for at least 6 months with almost no visible improvement in size. When i started doing bb curls, after just 2 months my biceps had grown like never before. Even my left arm, which does not grow well at all due to a problem with my elbow not being able to extend past 30° and causing pain, started to grow very well. It even hurt my elbows way less then incline db curls. Defintely a must do excercise

[@AlexLeonidas]

I experienced the EXACT SAME THING! Thanks for sharing brother

[@joojotin]

There is no science that scays incline curls are better tho. You must be following someone who CLAIMS they are better. It is seen in the data we have that incline curls are worse, just like Alex said.

[@Yabas00]

The incline DB curls are definitely harder on the tendons, whereas I find regular BB curl to generate a way better contraction. I train both exercises so lm not missing peak tension near the top of the curl.

[@andersbjrnsen7203]

Suggestion: old timers did curls with bigger frequency, like three times a week, todays meatheads often hit them once a week and then often on back day. This accounts for any difference in favor of the old timers.

[@ayda2876]

i think its the fact that we can load much more total weight and the strenght curve is so much better, i had a same ish experience

[@CRAZYWEIGTH]

I love barbell curls, for me, it feels amazing curling heavy-moderate weight and i am latetly noticing that is helping me to increase my reps in the incline curl.

[@RodriHermo]

Basically dont overcomplicate things. Bicep training is straight foward and super badass. Its my favorite muscle to train B)

[@Mass-dn1vu]

You have really good bodybuilding knowledge. Not just knowledge but wisdom also which I don’t see much anywhere else

[@muscleandmath2910]

The amount you can grind on an alternating dumbbell curl is insane. Barbell curls too, but alt db curls are unmatched. I can go harder/slower/grindier reps on my dumbbell curls compared to even presses. IT'S SO FUN!

[@Bigbiceps301]

I wish I can do barbell curls but PF only goes up to 60 pounds I love getting Cheat reps on them tho especially after I can’t get any I swing and control the eccentric

[@SooHangry]

Bro FOR REAL alt DB curls cook my ass almost as bad as hack squats 😂🤣 it's like the set never ends

[@ClassicTor]

​i have the same with barbell curls its almost cooking me harderthan squats lol@@SooHangry

[@SooHangry]

@@ClassicTor I'm glad I'm not the only one 😂

[@muscleandmath2910]

@@SooHangry dude if I do too many reps my hands start to go numb. 4-10 reps per side max, preferably only up to 8.

[@orestis_marinou]

15:21 Nope, it was because in the preacher curl there is actual TENSION in the (relative) stretch position. In the incline curl the bicep is more stretched as for the insertions distance BUT there is NO TENSION (torque) AT the STRETCHED position because the arm is parallel to gravity!

[@anthonyc2737]

Can confirm! I've built 18 inch arms and I do barbell curls every arm day!!💪💪

[@GarageDwellerPat]

Years of standing straight barbell curls have given me amazing results. 5-10 rep rage. Low sets to failure.

[@ParvParashar]

Loved the video! The so-called optimal training only makes a minor difference at best. The basics still work. We’ve access to an incredible amount of research and better equipment now, and yet the natural physiques haven’t changed much. Silver era bodybuilders physiques are truly top-notch. They built such aesthetically pleasing physiques with just the basics. No fancy equipment was needed. It’s purely hard work, consistency and the time-tested old school lifts. Thank you so much for introducing me to such natural bodybuilding legends! You’re truly one of my favourite individuals in the fitness community. Your approach to training is very inspiring. Your training philosophy has always helped me improve my training immensely! Basics are the best. 🙏

[@warrenhenning8064]

I think you do the best job of advocating for old-school basics without giving into illogical bro science or advocating for ego lifting of anyone on KZbin. My biceps seem to be responding well to seated dumbbell curls right now but if I need some variation later I think I'll give barbell curls a try. And holy shit are your spinal erectors at 9:01 out of control.

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thank you, Warren! I always try to back up the basics with critical thinking, not typical bro arguments. It takes me a long time to think, research, and experiment to reach these conclusions, and I love that you guys appreciate it and can often change your perspective.

[@HeyIntegrity]

Do you credit Deadlifts to those spinal erectors? ​@@AlexLeonidas

[@marrs_99]

“OOOOH, BUT ANECDOTE!!” that’s such a great line 😭😭

[@ShahanAhmed-zl6sw]

That made my day, love Alex’s imitation of nerds xD

[@AkhilStark267]

Bro I saw this comment exactly when he said it 😂 made it even funnier

[@raven-19x]

That had me rolling too!

[@dashingszn9676]

And I have noticed free weights are better for growth than machines just in my case

[@marrs_99]

@@dashingszn9676 in general its probably safe to say using either only free weights or only machines can net someone the same gains on average, and the better thing to say would be use both. I do find some free weight variations to "feel" better, and are able to be pushed harder for me, and even the the machine counterpart is perfectly good, I just dont prefer it, but some machines I do. So just train hard, wouldnt much stock into it

[@eric961996]

Hey Alex I have some feedback for you! As a long time lifter and follower of the channel, I understand what you mean by “It’s okay as long as it is standardized” in reference to slight sway on the barbell curl, but a first time viewer may not understand. My suggestion is to add a text definition on screen of what you mean when you use these key terms such as “Standardized” briefly explaining what you mean such as “Standardized” - The sway on every rep is consistent, so as not to get progressively worse as you approach the end of your set. Great content as always. So excited to see you break past that 405 bench this year!

[@sunaadgurajada3499]

We NEED a road to 18” arms from you Alex!!

[@SpencerCreskey]

Thank you for giving insanely good advice for natural lifters to get jacked, your videos have really helped

[@calvinstevickbrown8171]

delts popping out on that curl at 16:19 is nuts

[@nomaderic]

When first starting barbell curl was the first and only Bicep exercise I did and made great gains from it. Now, a couple years into lifting, I've tried all the Bicep exercises and while some are great I've come back full circle and found that nothing beats barbell curl for me. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[@kgc0609]

The fact that some of my favorite exercises are highly regarded by you, makes me feel like I am doing alright, though I am currently at novice level and working with small weight.

[@shubham5243]

Guys like you are the reason that I'm still working with these basic old school exercises. These days influencers talks about optimal exercises and comes with all types of different terms like lengthened partials perfect alignment,etc to make a perfect workout program and that sometime gets me into trying them but again I find myself coming back to these old school basic exercises bcoz that's what that really put on the mass.

[@SamSung-jn5fi]

Few weeks back, I incorporated the straight barbell curl. My biceps get sore again, pumped as hell lol

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

My list of best biceps exercises: 1. Direct barbell curl 2. Incline dumbbell curl 3.Rosca concentrada em pé sem apoio. Well Silver Era was and Golden Era.

[@9MCHAFF]

@@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752 what is the 3rd one?

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

@@9MCHAFF Concentrated curl standing without support, excuse my unintentional Portuguese.

[@9MCHAFF]

@@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752 thanks you, what do you think about old school bodybuilders claims that certain exercises can change the shape of the biceps like Arnold said

[@leonardodelyrarodrigues3752]

​@@9MCHAFF I think they are right, i tested and they worked for me (sorry for my 1 month late response)

[@MagicTurtle666]

If Alex has horrible biceps genetics I am scared to think how my biceps genetics should be called...

[@Bigbiceps301]

I have the same problem my biceps do not peak at all their very long and lanky even tho I’m short

[@sinthoras1917]

You'll never know what your genetics are unless you get big

[@tomashorst9544]

It's called "put in the work bro"

[@Wolfuskaktus]

​@@sinthoras1917Schroedingers Genetics

[@danteghazizadeh1656]

Probably not horrible genetics, just below average or worse than the rest of his body

[@aaronwylie6928]

standing EZ bar curl is my only bicep isolation exercise in my protocol and my biceps are great. It's amazing that it can be taken past failure with cheat reps. Glad to know that straight barbell isn't a big difference!

[@DominikKowalczyk762]

I can't believe that most people are only recently starting to realize how silver era bodybuilders almost dwarf every "optimal" lifter and WNBF competitor out there. Full Body 3-4x + Consistency + Basics + Diet = A great physique, mind-blowingly simple. Also maybe it's just me but did your biceps get so much bigger their insertion changed?

[@aeriel26]

Uncle Alex I need the triceps equivalent 😢

[@Marko-ij4vy]

Skull crushers imo.

[@Cootjeeee]

Heavy ass v bar pushdowns and long head exercise of choice

[@HEDWARDMUSIC]

I would say the most comparable exercise is the standard dumbell overhead extension, in my eyes thats the most classic and time proven tricep exercise.

[@jahimuddin2306]

JM presses and Skullcrushers.

[@magnus263]

Skullcrusher on rings mf

[@Frogstomp27]

I'm impressed with how much you have improved since 2014 in pretty much every metric I could assess.

[@austindukes1089]

Alex is the best really goes in depth with science self experience and common damn sense

[@Marko-ij4vy]

I consider barbell curls the "squat" or "bench press" of the biceps. All the other variations are fine but its time tested and proven to produce great results no matter how "more optimal" the other variations are. Its simply the bread and butter.

[@nihalbhamrah4726]

What about ez bar is it the same?

[@Marko-ij4vy]

@@nihalbhamrah4726 Its easier on the wrists but might not be as good for biceps specifically since your wrists arent fully supinated. But if straight bar hurts your wirsts EZ bar is not a bad option. I personally have zero wrist issues with straight bar.

[@aaronwylie6928]

@@nihalbhamrah4726 in my view, the ez bar you get more overall strength from brachialis assistance so you will put on more overall mass, but straight bar puts more tension directly on the bicep. So EZ bar is better for overall arm growth but straight bar might be better for bicep isolation

[@aap2827]

@@nihalbhamrah4726 NO NOT THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!

[@AllDayErrDay.]

@@nihalbhamrah4726 The more supination, the more bicep activation. EZ curl bar takes a bit away from that, putting a bit less effort on the bicep and transferring some of it to the forearm.

[@yashgupta-jk4xq]

my standards for natural bodybuilding have increased so much. 3-4 years ago i thought 16 inches was rarity and the limit, now i think that most can get to 16 inches with consistency and that 18 is the new 16

[@AlexLeonidas]

Literally bro, 16s is just scratching the surface at this point. I honestly think the average lifter can pull it off, and more.

[@gutierrezgainz]

13:07 It's a shame we live in a world where Eric Bugenhagen clips have to be censored every 15 seconds to avoid demonetization!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Tell me about it, and you should have seen the swearing in his older videos!!

[@theotherescobar8105]

For me, I tried everything from dumbbells, ez bar, and cables none of which hit the biceps enough for me to feel them fully or get the contraction and mind-muscle connection I was looking for. I one day decided to try straight bar curls despite having ignored them because I was following the modern trend that they were “bad for your elbows and wrists…” and from the very first rep I could finally feel them and get them to grow! The reason for the switch was due to personal observation of doing chin-ups which were the only other exercise I could feel my biceps and concluded that the full supination offered by a straight bar was vastly superior in every way for my body. Incredible how much classic old school exercises still reign and are time tested.

[@chadpennington4594]

I stopped barbell curls due to elbow pain, found out it was due to twisting my wrist pushing my pinky downward. I was fighting that "pinky up[" thought and the torque I put on my elbow gave me tendonitis. Or at least that's what I came up with as far as cause and effect. After teaching myself how to hold the bar and curl with a neutral grip... I have no more issues.

[@syedzaheerhussainshahkazmi1241]

Bro ill share a funny tip on how to handle big jumps in dumbbells. I was curling 22kg on alternating dumbbell curls for 12 clean reps and they got easy for me. The next dumbbell was 25kg and initially I could only do 4-5 reps and they would feel weird (I'm in Pakistan and we have weird jumps in dumbbells) so I bought 2 1kg plates and tied to the 22kg dumbbells and when they got to 12 reps I then repeated the process with 2 kg plates and after that I was able to lift 25kg dumbbells with cleaner reps, the small issue is that sometimes the metal plate will hit back of your hand but u get used to it. My biceps also grew as my long bicep dominated arms went from 15.5 to 16.2 inch (I have a huge 6"3 arm span and triceps are lagging so inches didn't get bigger but arms looked nice)

[@AlexLeonidas]

Cool tip, that's the arm wrestler way!!

[@syedzaheerhussainshahkazmi1241]

@@AlexLeonidas thank you brother ☺️

[@stevent8314]

Thanks. I like barbell curls. They feel good and are easy to set up after one of the big 3. Like most, I was convinced that light dumbbell curls & cable curls in various angles was superior. You’ve given me permission to focus on a simple lift that I like much better. Thanks!

[@Nick-ge7ug]

I get a lot of pain from straight bar curls but heavy ez bar curls are one of the reasons I have massive biceps now (alongside a shit ton of hammer curls)

[@RickyDMons6251]

beautiful video man! and congrats on 400k!

[@christiancastellanos4535]

This was honestly an amazing videos!! Will love to see similar topics in the future

[@RDbodybuildingreardelt]

Yes! The standards for barbell curls are too low thank you for speaking on this. Just curled 60kg for 5 but working on getting it to 10 reps 👊

[@johnjohntv1195]

That logo is sick af 👌

[@Kimchi_brasi]

All I did was barbell curls for years then thought I was doing it wrong 🤦🏽‍♂️ never stopped tho lol glad to hear all this Alex!

[@reznicak]

thx for the video, Alex, I stayed with ez barbell curls (currently at 71kg pr) as it I enjoy them and gives me really nice pump, but definitely have to re-introduce classic barbell! have a great day!

[@Schlumbucketreturns]

I like standing one-arm dumbbell curls with alternating short sets (4 to 6 reps) between arms and no rest for 5 to 10 minutes of continuous exercise. Another bicep curl technique is to use a moderately light weight dumbbell with one arm and do reps to complete fatigue, then do additional reps with micro-pauses (a fraction of a second) between reps. This will give your body just enough time to to rush more blood to the arm to do another rep. It takes practice, but when you can do 125 or more continuous reps on the same arm your arm and biceps will be absolutely blasted when you finish and the blood circulation to your arm will be off the charts. And don't use strict form because the technique works by extending the limits of "fatigue" by a great magnitude and strict form stops the process way too early.

[@EarthMan-hx3xb]

Love your narration here and bb curls are king indeed

[@mr.k5865]

I believe the straight bar is better than the EZ bar because it puts your wrist in a more supinated position...which activates more bicep muscles. This is because the biceps are not just an elbow flexor but ALSO a forearm supinator.

[@venbeer]

You look insane brother. The improvements are noticeable. Props

[@AlexLeonidas]

Preciate it brother!

[@HeroAesthetics]

Great point, it’s the easiest to progress if you’re bold enough to curl in the squat rack and you really don’t need to go heavy to stimulate adaptation, I’m gonna add these in once a week.

[@mariuszmaxkodzonko3517]

I agree that I’ve received the best biceps stimulation from doing the barbell curls, and I mean the straight barbell curls. Nothing ever came close to that, maybe except hammer curls for general arm development, but for biceps specifically straight barbell is king. It is an exercise that I avoided before the pandemic as it caused wrist issues. How oever it was what I was forced to do as I was a poor student and only had access to limited equipment during the lockdowns - this limited equipment were street workout parks (slav here so they were plentiful), my own personal dip bars and a straight bar, no rack, bench or anything. The outcome - my chest was at it’s strongest after the lockdowns while simultanously my shoulders were the healthiest ever (dips was all I did for chest), but also my biceps AND FOREARMS were the strongest ever (my wrists were fine). The key was to do the curls in a way that engaged those forearms, doing a bit of a forearm curl throughout the whole movement. My biceps is currently at a measly 42cm but I’m at my running arc right while at the peak it was 46cm.

[@blingeranvideos6568]

Hey Alex, your video actually inspired me to incorporate 5x5 strict barbell curls with the goal of being able to do it with 135lbs. Literally on the spot despite a leg day earlier and it being 11:30pm before I went. Best bicep and forearm pump of my life. I find the wrist position has some stretch in the forearm that pumps it up. 100lbs, 120lbs, 120lbs, 110lbs and 110lbs were my respective sets of 5 and I’m going to be taking advantage of the 2.5lbers to claw my way to this new goal. Hoping this is what finally breaks me into 17 inch arm territory 💪

[@bassmasters123]

Been in this channel since the early days, congrats on the 400k!! Well deserved

[@frespects9624]

That's always how I've treated my arm training since I've started lifting. Similar to how I'd treat compound movements, heavy sets of 6-10, progressive overloading, going for weight and rep PRS very often. My db skullcrusher pr is 55s for 10 and my DB curl pr is 50s for 11, that's at 230lbs and a little under 3 years of lifting. You're an inspiration Alex.

[@JayChesterman]

I used to watch your content back in the OG fitness KZbin days, the algo just sent me a reminder haha i was able to hit just over 17" arms naturally at 5'6 predominately with barbell curl variations (probably around 8 years of training at the time), solid video!

[@asdfkjhlk34]

Just when I was starting to overthink my exercise selection, and feel down on my home gym setup, u got me hyped about barbell curls again. Now I just wanna curl 100lb for reps!!!

[@fatcat22able]

Hey Alex idk the name of this exercise, but it’s where you set a barbell/smith machine bar close to the floor, and then do tricep extensions off of it in a push up position. It’s kinda like the bodyweight version of a JM press. Absolutely killer for my triceps lately. Thanks for another fire biceps video my man 🔥

[@aspromisedagenceweb2133]

As an armwrestler, the point made at 9:17 was golden 👌

[@AlexLeonidas]

I knew guys like you would get it!!! It's laughable when we compare actual side pressure.

[@aspromisedagenceweb2133]

@@AlexLeonidas exactly, side pressure mostly destroys our elbows and only trough very long and progressive overloading do we access real strength in this vector ; so straight bar curls almost feels like rehab lol. Love your content man, followed your insights on large chest to bar pull ups and it definitly improved my pulling game, even one armed.

[@blaikazrd6786]

The bronze era is a huge inspiration to me. Them and reg park combined are what I aspire to look like. Love the content alex! 💪🗿👍

[@anonemoose102]

Congrats on 400k!

[@ParvParashar]

Absolutely outstanding video! Fantastic work as always. 💪

[@Ghetto_Bird]

I regularly incorporate preacher and standing EZ bar, might give regular barbell curls a try sometime.

[@paulcox2447]

The straight bar forces the arm into full supination. This creates maximal contraction on the short head and gives it the most stretch on the way down as well. This is the head that gives the bicep it's peak. My bicep muscles seem to feel the difference, I always get harder doms with straight bar, def feel the short head. It's a more intense exercise for me.

[@AlexLeonidas]

I feel this too, the full supination hits different and I'm not convinced the EZ bar offers the exact same biceps building effect even with carrying angle considered.

[@symz4665]

Juice, the king of biceps.

[@drxela123]

Love this video. More people should do the straight barbell curls. I have always done straight barbell curls, because for some reason the EZ bar always gives me pain in the wrists. I have slowly increasing the weight and feeling much better about my bicep routine, but I genuinely get strange looks from people in the gym, as if I'm doing some way out there exercise never seen before lol

[@Fitness121]

💯 Done barbell curls in the gym yesterday, best pump

[@kingojugo]

Fantastic video, no one can beat the basics and even people like Doug Hepburn who was known for having huge biceps did heavy barbell curls.

[@the2ndvillageidiot134]

Dawg, the posterior view while curling makes you look like a dragon ball Z character.

[@theovercomer2006]

This is a good follow-up video for your last barbell biceps curl video.

[@brianbachmeier34]

We're all gonna make it brahs 👍

[@time5558]

Congrats on 400k man!!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Thank you man!!!!

[@prelapsaria]

I love sticking to a lift I enjoy like the straight bar curl and waiting until it’s accepted within the lifting meta again

[@DarkLordVortex]

Barbell curls & narrow towel grip preacher curls are blowin my biceps up

[@PFMFIT]

Alex u lookin jacked bro, barbell curls keeping u big asf 💪😎🤙

[@bigking2743]

I've been doing barbell curls for a while but I stick my back to a wall to avoid using momentum. Right now I'm at 45kg for 5 and my goal is to get to 60kg for reps before the end of 2024

[@MrAntonioCapone]

Just noticed you hit 400K subscribers! Congratulations Alex, a well deserved success.

[@jamestaylor7238]

Keep in it real, Love these videos keep me grounded with the workouts!!

[@AlexLeonidas]

Real recognize, stay grounded homie!

[@rafaelt8589]

the only reason i dont do barbell curls is that my ocd would kill me if i ever thought one of my arms was getting even 1% more stimulus than the other

[@JorgeGonzalez-sx7fk]

your entire body is inherently asymmetrical, so your bb curls and preacher curls

[@rafaelt8589]

@@JorgeGonzalez-sx7fk true, and i understand its irrational, but thats the thing about ocd, isnt it? it really makes no sense

[@aap2827]

take meds

[@LukaLehtonen]

@@rafaelt8589just stop the worrying bro, fix your ocd by growing some balls

[@rafaelt8589]

@@LukaLehtonen i wish i could just flip a button and fix it, sadly thats like telling someone to just "lift heavier"... if they cant, they cant

[@peliac7319]

I started doing the classic straight barbell curl since october 2023, I've gone up 15 pounds for the same number of reps in 10 months and my biceps are now one of my strong points, its definitely an underrated exercise.

[@dory_m78]

What's your favourite rep range

[@peliac7319]

@@dory_m78 8 to 12 reps, if I can do 12 reps with good form, I increase the weight, I use micro plates I got from Amazon.

[@muscleandmath2910]

Btw, barbell curls supersetted with alt db curls feel amazing. Just go heavy enough to get 2-3 reps per side on the dumbbell curl immediately after going to failure. Usually the same weight (half) as the barbell curl. Probably more motor unit recruitment or something.

[@joojotin]

"Probably more motor unit recruitment or something." nope

[@muscleandmath2910]

​​@@joojotin explain. I mean, the bilateral force deficit is a thing. I'm not sure what causes it, but since you're clearly smarter than me, you might be able educate me.

[@joojotin]

@@muscleandmath2910 Ahh I see, I agree with that. What I was referring to was supersetting the same muscle group. I thought you meant that somehow was superior to straight sets or something.

[@muscleandmath2910]

@@joojotin nah it's not like a superset in the traditional way. You go to failure on the barbell curl, and then squeeze out the last bit of juice by going into alternating dB curls right after. So you get a few more quality reps that's all. Happy to have cleared that up.

[@rj12341]

Agree 100% all I do is barbell curls for 3 sets of 5-10 I've worked my way up to 42.5kg for 3x5. Trust the process this is all you need for biceps.

[@fahdshalaby4361]

the realest fitness influencer

[@chrismanley70]

Thanks! You post a lot of really helpful info and agree the straight bar curls are a great mass builder. Going to start adding these back into my routine as one of my bicep builders. Cheers!

[@Bunndog]

Love the new shirt design

[@jp2135744]

Love Alex and Boogz. THey always make me think more deeply about my training

[@Seraphim_Metal_Works]

I didnt know Phil was still around. Good to see him in the gym with you.

[@JosephRivera588]

I think the main benefit of “optimal” lengthened biased curls is simply variation. If i was limited to barbell/dumbbell curls, i would not enjoy training biceps whatsoever lol. The weird cable/lengthened biased curls are much more enjoyable for me

[@AlexLeonidas]

Good point, and thereby reducing overuse. At the end of the day, we're going to end up trying all the curls lol

[@ayda2876]

The biceps are very simple muscles which is why having machines or different variations doesnt really matter at the end of the day its just a curl

[@EfraimTaubner]

Barbell bicep curl is the best bicep exercise of all time. Do spider curls/incline curls to stay small forever.

[@Screwtoast3]

Another thing to think about here is that the bodybuilders of the silver era didnt need to be nearly as well conditioned for contest. Take a look at the 1950 Mr. Universe, if you look at Reeves, Park, or any of the other competitors, they arent nearly as lean as is necessary to meet the standard for todays competitions. The influence of enhanced bodybuilding on the standards for judgement has meant that natural competitors have to get to a level of conditioning that arguably has a profoundly negative affect on their physiques. Natural competitors often look wiry and the arms typically seem to suffer the most as a consequence of this. We might think of the silver era as being the peak of the natural physique, but the sad reality is that if Reeves, Park, Grimek etc, stepped on the stage today with the same physiques they stepped on stage with 70 years ago, they wouldn't even make top 5.

[@thenecroyeti1]

They do cause carpel tunnel for me, you can deny it all you like. Since I removed them from my program (primarily do dumbell preacher curls), I’ve been able to reduce my pain by about 90%. Within 2 weeks of doing straight bar curls I always develop agonising forearm pain, and I’ve tried multiple times over the years.

[@orgeljonny4369]

To be honest, I do not really like training biceps (maybe I am the only bro 😅) but the barbell curl is the only curl variation I see some results and joy. Trained a sh*t load of cable curls in the past but I never seen good results.

[@Ktisgone]

Make sure you barbell curl in a squat rack to assert your dominance over the strength trainers.

[@evilryutaropro]

Curling barbells axles and rackable curl bars in the rack 😈😈😈