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Don't Lift Your Elbows During Standing Biceps Curls Don't Lift Your Elbows During Standing Biceps Curls
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A common mistake with standing barbell or EZ Bar curls is what I refer to as “elbow push.” Elbow push occurs if you lift or push your elbows upward as you complete the curling motion during what should be peak contraction of the biceps. Moving the elbows upward shifts resistance from your biceps to your shoulders (specifically, the anterior deltoids) and defeats the entire purpose of doing curls. In other words, you can’t build mass and shape in your biceps by using your shoulders to complete your curling motion.

For maximum efficiency during your biceps training you must make sure that they do the work during your standing curl workouts. To ensure peak contraction of your biceps at the top of the curling movement, keep your elbows at your sides throughout this exercise. Otherwise, poor training technique – as exemplified by “elbow push” – will delay your progress and ultimately frustrate your arm training efforts.
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Creator: mgunslinger
Category: Strength Training
Posted: 3/5/2008
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Saves: 2
Comments: 6
Views: 151
Votes: 4
Helpful/Unhelpful %: 100% /  0%
Popularity Score: 25.1

Tags
biceps, curls

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davegleason “ The Biceps is a two joint muscle and aids in elbow push on a biceps curl as well so it can aid in "peak" contraction. I agree it is difficult to get it right so for beginners...keep those elbows down! ”
-  davegleason on 8/30/2008
LeytonStone “ Good tip. ”
-  LeytonStone on 8/15/2008
OzzieOcean “ Your tip is very true, and I noticed that if I follow proper technique, and do not lift my elbows, I FEEL the difference. Thanks! ”
-  OzzieOcean on 3/24/2008
MleighS84 “ this is a tough thing to accomplish b/c there are so many things to focus on - keeping the shoulders back, tranversal abs, etc - let me tell you the last few reps are rough boy do i feel the burn - great post ”
-  MleighS84 on 3/18/2008
mgunslinger “ Unfortunately, this is true. But what people must realize, especially when they first start training, is that it's better to work with weight that they can lift naturally and with proper technique. Failure to use correct form not only deprives the biceps of maximum resistance during arm training, but it can also cause injuries. ”
-  mgunslinger on 3/6/2008 in response to ryan

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