

Truth be told, this usually happens when people try to load on too much weight. Using Momentumįar too often, weight lifters tend to swing their arms and use momentum to lift the barbell up. Instead, keep your elbow back to keep the stress on your biceps. Unlike the standard bicep curl, your elbows should move up and back during the barbell drag curl motion.īringing your elbows forward will add unnecessary tension to your elbows and shoulders. The most common barbell drag curl mistake is bringing your elbows forward as you curl upwards. If you are more comfortable with the form, grab some heavier weights and stick to the 6-8 rep range for 3-4 sets. If you are new to the barbell drag curl, choose a light weight to begin and complete 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps. It should feel like you are "dragging" the barbell up your body.ī) Squeeze your biceps hard at the top and slowly return to the starting position.Ĭ) Repeat for your desired number of reps. Action:Ī) Bring your elbows and shoulders back slightly as you curl the barbell upwards. Setup:Ī) To begin, grab the barbell with a double underhand (supinated) grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.ī) Assume a comfortable standing position with your back straight.
BICEP CURLS VS DRAG CURLS HOW TO
How To Do The Barbell Drag Curl Equipment:įor this exercise, you will need a barbell and some weights. This exercise is simple to learn and can help you improve the appearance of your arms in no time.

Depending on your goals, you can use the barbell drag curl to develop bigger, more toned, or more defined biceps. Let’s face it - nearly everyone wants to have better looking arms. Therefore, you can still build stronger, bigger biceps without risking injury to your shoulders. The barbell drag curl eliminates the need for any significant deltoid activation. This happens because the front deltoids activate to provide stability during the standard curling motion. Many people struggle with shoulder pain or instability during regular bicep curls. Growing your biceps muscles isn’t just for show-it will improve your performance in other exercises at the gym such as the barbell row and the lat pulldown. The barbell drag curl is an intense biceps exercise.Īt the top of each rep, your biceps are optimally targeted, which helps to strengthen the biceps muscle and increase biceps hypertrophy. The barbell drag curl also works your abs and back muscles, as they activate to stabilize your body during the curling motion. It also activates your brachioradialis, the most prominent muscle in your forearm. The barbell drag curl secondarily works your brachialis, a muscle in your biceps that lies beneath your biceps brachii.
