Who Should Do?
General Population
The barbell reverse curl is great for beginners and the general population. The average gym goer will often gravitate toward barbell and dumbbell bicep curls. However, these exercises don’t target the forearms like the reverse curl.
Adding the reverse curl is a great way to add variety to your beginner arm workout. It also allows you to increase the arm training volume which has been shown to enhance muscle hypertrophy.
Bodybuilders
If you’re beginning your bodybuilding journey, try the barbell reverse curl. Used by many competitive bodybuilders, this curl variation is excellent for developing killer forearms.
Targeting the brachioradialis, wrist extensors, and brachialis, the barbell reverse curl builds significant size and definition. With just a little weight and focused contractions, it increases mass and develops symmetry.
If you currently perform an arm workout with dumbbells, consider adding the barbell reverse curl for enhanced growth.
People Returning From Injury
Believe it or not, the barbell reverse curl is great for returning from injury, including muscle tears, and joint injuries. The reverse curl can easily be performed with a lightweight to restore movement.
Evidence suggests including resistance training exercises in a tailored rehab program can ensure full recovery, and prevent re-injury.
It has been shown that early mobilization and loading can promote collagen reorganization and tissue healing.
The reverse curl with a light load can increase strength, reduce pain, and improve function through gradual loading.
If you are nursing an injury, seek advice from a professional before adding the reverse curl to your program.
Who Should Not Do?
Individuals With Acute Wrist Injuries
Avoid the barbell reverse curl If you have just sustained a wrist injury. As mentioned, adding exercise can be beneficial to reintroduce movement. However, doing so too soon may cause further damage.
If you have just injured your wrist, make an appointment with a physical therapist. They will assess your injury and will provide a suitable rehab program to ensure you safely return to training.
People With Acute Elbow Injuries
The barbell reverse curl should be avoided if you have an acute elbow injury. The elbow is the major active joint during our reverse curl, and adding stress may lead to greater injury.
As mentioned, seek the advice of a professional for guidance. They will recommend exercises to improve your recovery and help you return to training.
People With Chronic Tendonitis
If you suffer from chronic elbow tendonitis, you should avoid doing the barbell reverse curl. Tendonitis or tendinopathy is the inflammation of a tendon due to overuse.
Characterized by pain, weakness, swelling, and stiffness, forearm tendon inflammation can make it difficult to grasp and hold items.
The barbell reverse curl can be beneficial for restoring movement and returning from injury.
However, if you suffer from tendinitis we recommend consulting a professional for advice.
They can prescribe gentle movements to help you gradually heal your tendon and restore pain-free movement.
Benefits Of The Barbell Reverse Curl
Builds Muscle
One of the most obvious benefits of the barbell reverse curl is its ability to build lean muscle.
Progressively overloading the muscles by incrementally increasing weight, sets, or reps will promote muscle hypertrophy.
To increase mass, perform 3–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions at 60%-80% of your one repetition maximum.
Develops Physique
The barbell reverse curl is an incredible physique-developing exercise. Targeting the wrist extensor, brachialis, brachioradialis, and biceps has a major impact on the appearance of our arms.
While many of these muscles are smaller, they are more exposed when wearing t-shirts, shirts, or summer dresses.
Adding size and definition to the arms will help you make noticeable changes to your physique. The barbell reverse curl will give you a stronger, athletic look, making it a great exercise addition to arm workouts for women and men.
Strengthens Grip
If you want to increase your grip strength, then you need to add the barbell reverse curl to your training.
The barbell reverse curl requires a firm grip to hold the barbell in the pronated position. Grasping the barbell overloads the wrist flexors and extensors, increasing our grip strength.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, barbell reverse curls build the forearms. Targeting the brachioradialis, wrist extensors, forearm flexors, and hand flexors creates overload and increases muscle mass.
The barbell reverse curl works the biceps. They assist throughout the movement. However, the brachialis, which sits beneath the biceps, brachioradialis, and forearm extensors, provides the majority of the movement.
The barbell reverse curl may hurt your wrist if you have damaged joints or soft tissue in your wrist. The junction of the forearm, wrist, and hand bones contains a lot of connective tissue. If there is any damage, they can cause pain.
The barbell reverse curl is harder because it targets the forearms, with less bicep involvement. During the lift the forearm is pronated; meaning the biceps aren’t supinated and fully contracted. The pronated position also requires greater grip strength to hold the barbell.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
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