How Much Do You Curl?

Training Bodybuilding
61

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
hardgnr wrote:

Discussing curls can be a taboo subject here sometimes…

Clever, I give you that. Seeing as how I’m usually the guy defending curls in every anti-curl discussion in the bb forum.

How about you guys post up something more useful along with your current numbers though: How your curl progress has been the last 10 workouts? What you curled at the beginning of the year and what you’re curling now?
That way we can at least see if anyone is stuck or only improving only at snail’s pace… And some people who are curling a little more than others might be able to give you a few pointers.

(ok, so this should really have been my first post in this thread)
[/quote]

Your post is fine. If people are claiming big numbers yet have tiny arms, there is a disconnect somewhere. If you are curling 80lbs yet still have 15" arms, I begin doubting that 80lbs.

This is bodybuilding. Strength claims are irrelevant if the growth isn’t there to back it up, especially since one rep maxes serve no purpose at all here.

62

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Your post is fine. If people are claiming big numbers yet have tiny arms, there is a disconnect somewhere. If you are curling 80lbs yet still have 15" arms, I begin doubting that 80lbs.

This is bodybuilding. Strength claims are irrelevant if the growth isn’t there to back it up, especially since one rep maxes serve no purpose at all here.[/quote]

You mean 80lb dumbbells right?

63

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Your post is fine. If people are claiming big numbers yet have tiny arms, there is a disconnect somewhere. If you are curling 80lbs yet still have 15" arms, I begin doubting that 80lbs.

This is bodybuilding. Strength claims are irrelevant if the growth isn’t there to back it up, especially since one rep maxes serve no purpose at all here.

You mean 80lb dumbbells right?[/quote]

I think it’s safe to say that he does indeed.

64

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Your post is fine. If people are claiming big numbers yet have tiny arms, there is a disconnect somewhere. If you are curling 80lbs yet still have 15" arms, I begin doubting that 80lbs.

This is bodybuilding. Strength claims are irrelevant if the growth isn’t there to back it up, especially since one rep maxes serve no purpose at all here.

You mean 80lb dumbbells right?[/quote]

You had to ask?

65

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Blaze_108 wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Your post is fine. If people are claiming big numbers yet have tiny arms, there is a disconnect somewhere. If you are curling 80lbs yet still have 15" arms, I begin doubting that 80lbs.

This is bodybuilding. Strength claims are irrelevant if the growth isn’t there to back it up, especially since one rep maxes serve no purpose at all here.

You mean 80lb dumbbells right?

You had to ask?[/quote]

haha. Just wanted to clarify. I just woke up. I figured you didn’t assume it took 15’’ arms to curl a total of 80lbs. otherwise, you would have about…36" arms. Which would be pretty sweet.

edit: assuming muscle growth was proportional to poundage increase, which i know it isn’t.

66

I’m curious as to what the OP is expecting to do now that he knows what weight others claim to be curling. Is knowing these numbers going to change your approach or is it simply out of curiosity? Knowing out of curiosity is fine but that is all talk. Hasn’t anyone noticed that the guys on the boards who are likely lifting the most (including curling) are NOT posting their weights? I won’t speak for them but it just seems to me that they wouldn’t because they know that it won’t do anything for you. Asking for how people have approached increasing their curling weights (as CC mentioned) would make more sense if this topic needed to come up in the first place it seems.

67

115 x 6, so around 135 using the exrx 1rm calculator (I know, it can’t take fast/slow-twitch fiber proportion into account).

68

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Clever, I give you that. Seeing as how I’m usually the guy defending curls in every anti-curl discussion in the bb forum.

How about you guys post up something more useful along with your current numbers though: How your curl progress has been the last 10 workouts? What you curled at the beginning of the year and what you’re curling now?
That way we can at least see if anyone is stuck or only improving only at snail’s pace… And some people who are curling a little more than others might be able to give you a few pointers.

(ok, so this should really have been my first post in this thread)
[/quote]

I can start… even though I am probably one of the weakest guys on here. I didn’t start directly training my arms… regularly… until about 2 months ago. Admittedly I am struggling a bit.

What I’ve been doing is this… as an arm day (my example is an actual workout …was from two days ago):

Alternating DB Curls
Set 1: 40 x 6 (per arm)
Set 2: 45 x 3 (thought I’d see if I could use the 45s)
Set 3: 40 x 5

DB overhead extension:
Set 1: 50 x 9
Set 2: 40 x 12
Set 3: 40 x 9

Alternating DB Hammer curls:
Set 1: 40 x 4
Set 2: 40 x 5

Tricep kickbacks:
Set 1: 15 x 25
Set 2: 20 x 15

Reverse curls (with EZ bar esque bar):
Set 1: 60 x 15
Set 2: 65 x 6 (was hell lot harder than 60)
Set 3: 65 x 4

Pushups:
Set 1: 44
Set 2: 37

When I first started this workout… my first workout I used 35s for Alternating DB curls… 30s for hammer curls… 45 for the reverse curls. Not the best progress I would’ve liked to have seen… I would appreciate ANY tips. My arms have grown a little off of this … about a half an inch. Please don’t flame me

69

[quote]Short Hoss wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Nards wrote:
I walked into my gym a few weeks ago and found this on the bar…I think they were 35s, I can’t recall as I’ve come in other morinings and found three 25s on each side also.
This is Taiwan…I’ve only seen one or two guys even squat over 315…so I don’t believe any real lifting could’ve ever taken place with this bar.

i used to do rack pulls on the e-z curl. so im sure people had their share of thought when they saw 405 on the preacher curl, maybe since people are small in taiwan they are using it for shrugs or something.

You’re doing it wrong.
[/quote]

errr that came out wrong. i didnt use the e-z curl bar, i used the preacher apparatus and stood on a 45 plate because my gym doesnt have a rack with pins.

70

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
I can start… even though I am probably one of the weakest guys on here. I didn’t start directly training my arms… regularly… until about 2 months ago. Admittedly I am struggling a bit.

What I’ve been doing is this… as an arm day (my example is an actual workout …was from two days ago):

Alternating DB Curls
Set 1: 40 x 6 (per arm)
Set 2: 45 x 3 (thought I’d see if I could use the 45s)
Set 3: 40 x 5

[/quote] Kinda low in reps in general here… Ditch worksets 2 and 3, they just slow your progress down…
Try this:
2-3 progressively heavier warm-ups, then do your work set for 6-8 reps per arm.
This might look like this at your stage:
20’s * 8 per arm
30’s * 4-6 per arm
40’s * as many as you get, I want to see 7 or 8 per arm next workout at least!

Consider form and curl style here (i.e. if you use the oldschool bb style or use a more modern lean-forward approach… I’ve made a post about that in BOI 2.0…
If you guys want, then I can look for it and post it here.

Also, if you do them starting in a hammer-position and supinate as you curl up, then you can just do your alt. hammer curls directly after alt. db curls… Just rest normally, then jump right into your work set for alt. hammer curls… no need for warm-ups (maybe one if you must) since you warmed your brachioradialis up with the supinating alt. db curls…

[quote]

DB overhead extension:
Set 1: 50 x 9
Set 2: 40 x 12
Set 3: 40 x 9

Alternating DB Hammer curls:
Set 1: 40 x 4
Set 2: 40 x 5

Tricep kickbacks:
Set 1: 15 x 25
Set 2: 20 x 15

Reverse curls (with EZ bar esque bar):
Set 1: 60 x 15
Set 2: 65 x 6 (was hell lot harder than 60)
Set 3: 65 x 4

Pushups:
Set 1: 44
Set 2: 37
[/quote] Ok, your tricep exercise selection is something that needs some serious improvement…

Consider this for triceps:

-1 big pressing exercise so that you can progress fast (CGP’s with a shoulder wide or slightly narrower grip, “imaginary board”-CGP’s, Smith RGB’s, In-Human style presses, actual board presses, HammerStrength Dips…)

-1 pullover+extension or just extension -type exercise (PJR’s, Larry Scott Extensions, DB rolling extensions, etc)

-If you have some time to kill: Pushdowns/Pressdowns with a flat bar and grip as narrow as is comfortable (might just be shoulder width) with the stack for 9999 reps… [quote]

When I first started this workout… my first workout I used 35s for Alternating DB curls… 30s for hammer curls… 45 for the reverse curls. Not the best progress I would’ve liked to have seen… I would appreciate ANY tips. My arms have grown a little off of this … about a half an inch. Please don’t flame me [/quote]

No worries. We all started somewhere and I actually started out way weaker on curls than you :wink:

I’d really consider the standard bb approach (ramping up to one top/work set) since the other stuff just cuts into your recovery and slows down strength gains for most people… Powerlifting, where you want to use low reps and get in a certain amount of perfect repetitions per workout is a different thing in that aspect… But this is bodybuilding.

Also, consider eating more (always good ;D) in case your progress seems sluggish in general.

71

Thanks for the post Ceph! I PM’d you!

72

I dunno. Never used the olympic straight bar for curls. My wrists ache too bad. But EZ bar is ok. Usually just higher reps for easy weight. Surprisingly I hate working my arms unless it’s going to help me bench or overhead press, or row more. I don’t like arm days.

I usually only go heavy with dumbbells for what little bicep work I do. Most I’ve ever done was hammer curl the 100 lb dumbbells for 5 reps. So whatever that equates to in bar form.

And yes, I’m pretty well stuck there. Actually, I’d wager I’m not there any more, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve done any bicep work, so I don’t know.

I don’t think it matters, but my arms are 17" cold and 17.5 cold but flexed. Fairly small I think, but I’ll hit 18 somewhere this year, so whatever.

73

30 kg added to a straight bar, 50 kg added on an EZ bar.

Shoot me…

74

135 rest-paused for 18 :stuck_out_tongue:

75

[quote]IronDude17 wrote:
I’m curious as to what the OP is expecting to do now that he knows what weight others claim to be curling. Is knowing these numbers going to change your approach or is it simply out of curiosity? Knowing out of curiosity is fine but that is all talk.

Hasn’t anyone noticed that the guys on the boards who are likely lifting the most (including curling) are NOT posting their weights? I won’t speak for them but it just seems to me that they wouldn’t because they know that it won’t do anything for you. Asking for how people have approached increasing their curling weights (as CC mentioned) would make more sense if this topic needed to come up in the first place it seems.[/quote]

Well like I said, I was curious. I originally thought I had a pretty under average curl(before I made this post) and changed my approach earlier in the week, but now I’ve confirmed it.

And this is the first time I’ve ever posted one of my lifting numbers. There’s no need to ask what other people are benching because those numbers are in a shitload of posts.

76

I know some lifting competitions have curl events. Never seen one, though.

What are the rules for them? Are they fixed curls like preacher curls? Full ROM? Standing?

In other words, is there a standard for competition curls (like bench, deads, squats)?

Anyone ever curl in competition?

77

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
hardgnr wrote:

Discussing curls can be a taboo subject here sometimes…

Clever, I give you that. Seeing as how I’m usually the guy defending curls in every anti-curl discussion in the bb forum.

How about you guys post up something more useful along with your current numbers though: How your curl progress has been the last 10 workouts? What you curled at the beginning of the year and what you’re curling now?
That way we can at least see if anyone is stuck or only improving only at snail’s pace… And some people who are curling a little more than others might be able to give you a few pointers.

(ok, so this should really have been my first post in this thread)
[/quote]

That original comment wasn’t so much directed at you in particular, just the forums in general.

Anyway, my curl progress has been shit, strength wise anyway. About a year ago when I was going to a gym, I could curl the 40kg bar for about 5 reps. Now I curl 45kg for 4 reps although my arms have grown 2.5’ but this is probably just beginner gains and the fact I’ve put on a fair amount of weight since then.
Since the beginning of November, I’ve done a bit of higher rep, light weight work using strict form, and made some progress, but I’m lacking the strength. I always suspected as much but from hearing what others are curling, and most are at lighter a body weight then me, I’ve confirmed this.

So now my approach is throwing about my 5RM on the bar for about 3-4 sets for about 3 exercises - Standing BB curl, Alt DB curl and reverse BB curl and seeing how I go with this.

78

[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
I haven’t curled in a while, Baghdad doesn’t have the ice for it…I was a hell of a skip when I did compete. Man could I deliver the rock. Lunges really helped.[/quote]

Brilliant!

79

[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I know some lifting competitions have curl events. Never seen one, though.

What are the rules for them? Are they fixed curls like preacher curls? Full ROM? Standing?

In other words, is there a standard for competition curls (like bench, deads, squats)?

Anyone ever curl in competition?[/quote]

I read somewhere that they had to be done against a wall, with the upper back and butt touching at all times. Makes sense.

80

[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Blaze_108 wrote:
95x3. still have tiny biceps. i’d blame genetics but it won’t change anything. more curls are on the agenda.

if thats what you look like in your pic then id blame it on a lack of food moreso than genetics.

hah. fair enough. i do eat upwards of 3000 calories per day, 3500 on training days, but my weight still isn’t going up. I’m going to try and up the cal intake some more. Considering mixing a bag of chocolate chips with a jar of peanut butter and eating spoons of that throughout the day. that pic is 10lbs and several months old.[/quote]

Not so much that you’re not eating enough it’s simply that you dont’ have much mass on your body. You’re lean and if that’s the goal that’s fantastic but your arms won’t get bigger until the rest of your body gets bigger…

As for this thread, simply put. I don’t know. Because curls aren’t a strenth excercise and in terms of football curls have no real value I simply never worried about the weight i was curling instead just did them to promote some sort of balance in my arms.