The concentration curl targets the biceps and helps to develop muscle strength and power. This exercise sculpts the front portion of the upper arm and improves body aesthetics and function. Some promote the concentration curl claiming it to be an exercise guaranteed to produce a bicep pump and build the mind-muscle connection. Yes, concentration curl is great for building the biceps peak and since it is a unilateral exercise, it helps work each bicep equally.
How to do a Concentration Curl
- Sit on a bench by spreading your legs to allow your arm to hang in the middle, with your elbow resting on the thigh.
- With the dumbbell on hand, curl the weight up with a controlled tempo.
- Pause, and compress your bicep at the top.
- Slowly reverse the movement to curl it again.
- After 12-14 reps, repeat from the opposite side as same you do.
- You can do 3 sets with 12 reps.
Concentration Curl Tips!
- Maintain a slight bend in the elbow at the bottom of the movement in order to keep tension through the biceps.
- Using slow motion in the lowering portion of the exercise focuses more tension on the biceps.
Why Bicep Concentration Curl?
The concentration curl is a great exercise for targeting your biceps muscle. Your position during the exercise allows you to move only at the elbow joint, which helps you to isolate the biceps muscle and get a great contraction.
This type of exercise is great for targeting the biceps peak. Since you’re able to maintain strict form, it helps you to focus on the contraction and get the most out of the lift. For people who are always short on time, this exercise is an excellent way to slow down and make sure that you’re doing the lift correctly.
Benefits of the Concentration Curl
- The ability to focus more intently on your biceps.
- More calories are burned as you’re working one side of your body at a time, which effectively doubles the number of sets you’re doing.
- By focusing on one arm at a time, your weaker side will get stronger.
Advanced Bicep Exercise as compared to Concentration
1. Spider curl
In this variation, you’ll be chest-down on the slanted part of the bench where usually your arms go, curl the bar on the opposite side.
Why spider curl: Spider curls are incredible for building huge biceps. For one, similar to the preacher curl, you have to rest your triceps on a pad to prevent yourself from using momentum or swinging your body. Second, because of the starting position, you have to fight more gravity which gets you serious intensity.
2. Concentration Cable Bicep Curl
This exercise is a variation of simple bicep concentration curl and a great arm movement to stimulate the muscle fibers at the top of the brachialis muscle and biceps.
Because you turn your arm in toward your body when you do concentration curls, it helps to place more focus on the long head of the biceps, which makes up the mass of the biceps peak.
3. Incline Bench Curls
Grabs the dumbbell in both hands. Put your back on an incline bench and make an arch on the lower back with the contact of the bench. Now curl with the right arm and slowly return the arm and then curl through the left arm.
Try to not move your shoulders and elbows too much or try to move your forearm only.
Why incline curl: The incline curl helps to flex your biceps muscle when you lower the forearm, it generates next-level tension on your brachii. This flexion helps to create the length of the biceps, which most people probably want.
4. Cable Preacher Curls
Using a regular preacher bench, grab a handle that attaches to the cable machine with both hands using an underhand grip (palms facing upwards). Slowly curl the bar up to the top and bring it a few inches from your chin. Return the weight back down with a slow and controlled tempo to the starting position
Why Preacher Curl: Similar to concentration curls, preacher curls eliminate any momentum you can gain by swinging or twisting and putting the focus directly on your biceps.
5. Facing away cable Curl
Attach a D-handle to a low pulley of a cable machine, grasp the handle in your left hand, and step forward (away from the machine) until there is tension on the cable when your arm is drawn slightly behind your body. Stagger your feet so your right leg is in a front call. Curl the handle but do not allow your elbow to point forward.
Read: How to develop your bicep peak very fast!
FAQs
What does the concentration curl hit?
The concentration curl is an isolation exercise that specifically targets the biceps muscles. It’s designed to isolate the biceps and put maximum tension on the muscle, which can help to stimulate muscle growth and increase bicep strength.
Should concentration curls be heavy?
The weight used for concentration curls should be based on your fitness level and the specific goals of your workout.
If your goal is to build muscle mass and strength, it’s generally recommended to use a weight that is heavy enough to fatigue your muscles within the 8-12 rep range. This will help to stimulate muscle growth and increase strength.
However, if your goal is to increase muscle endurance, it’s recommended to use a lighter weight and perform a higher number of reps (12-15+).
It’s important to note that it is always better to start with a lighter weight and gradually increase the weight as you become more comfortable with the exercise.
Do concentration curls build peak?
Concentration curls can be an effective exercise for building the peak, or the highest point of the biceps muscle. The exercise is specifically designed to isolate the biceps and place maximum tension on the muscle, which can help to stimulate muscle growth and increase bicep strength.
When performing concentration curls, the movement is isolated to the biceps, with the elbow pressed against the inner thigh, this helps to focus the tension on the bicep muscle, particularly on the long head, which is the head of the muscle responsible for the peak of the bicep.
What muscle worked on the concentration curl?
The biceps brachii muscle is primarily worked during the concentration curl exercise.
What type of bicep curl is best?
There is no one “best” type of bicep curl, as different variations can target the muscle in slightly different ways. However, some of the most effective types of bicep curls include:
- Standing barbell curl: This exercise involves holding a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and curling it up to your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Standing dumbbell curl: Similar to the barbell curl, but with dumbbells.
- Incline Dumbbell Curl: This exercise involves sitting on an incline bench and curling the dumbbells towards your shoulders.
- Hammer Curl: This exercise involves holding the dumbbells with a neutral grip (thumbs facing each other) and curling them up to your shoulders.
- Cable Curl: This exercise involves using a cable machine and curl the handle towards your shoulders.
It’s good to include a variety of these exercises in your workout routine to target the biceps from different angles and using different weights, which can help to promote muscle growth and increase overall arm strength.
Should I do bicep curls fast or slow?
Performing bicep curls at a slower pace (2-3 seconds up, 2-3 seconds down) can help to increase the time under tension of the muscle and promote muscle hypertrophy (growth). This is because the muscle fibers are under tension for a longer period of time, leading to more damage and a greater stimulus for repair and growth.
Performing bicep curls at a faster pace (1-2 seconds up, 1-2 seconds down) can help to increase muscle power and strength. This is because the muscle fibers are recruited at a higher rate, leading to more force production and a greater stimulus for power and strength adaptations.
It’s good to include both types of bicep curl in your workout routine, slow and fast, as it will maximize muscle growth and increase overall arm strength.
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