Olympic Bar Curls

[PSJ02388]

I enjoy this exercise quite a bit and have seen good gains in bicep mass however this exercise gives me a great deal of pain in my wrists and ive tried using wraps but they still are in pain. Any ideas on what could help this pain go away and not happen any more?

 

[Littleman879]

stop using an olympic bar and change to a cambered or E-Z bar, the pain should stop

 

[CHAPS]

Yep change the bar i can't do straight bar curls they give me HORRIBLE tendonitis and wrist pains.

 

[PSJ02388]

Thanks. I already do both but i guess ill jsut go all out on EZ bar.

 

[dirtysouthmuscl]

I feel your pain brother!!! I just do lighter weight on oly bar, after I burn them up with some heavy dums. Someone said it had to do with grip width. I dont know but I've been to the point where I can't open my hands to release the bar.

 

[beefjerky]

Use em to finish a superset. It'll be lighter weight, plus, change your grip around.

 

[rocketscientist]

Had the same problem. I tried around a bit and are now using a very wide grip (wider then e.g. bench press). To find a good width hold your hands in front of you like you would if you were holding the bar (elbows at your sides). Then vary the distance between your hands until your palms appear to be parallel to the ground without having to twist them too much. You can then also simulate the curl motion and check if your palms stay that way or if you have to twist them to get through the full range. Anyway that should be the grip width to use for your curls.

Also two more things:
- don't try to twist your wrists. It seems we like to do this
(involuntary) to make the lift easier. Try instead to push
upwards with your palms facing upwards.

- try to keep the bar very low in your hand, i.e. close to your
thumb. That will reduce stress on your wrists by making the
lever arm smaller.
You can also try a thumbless grip to avoid twisting your
wrists altogether, but be really careful with that(!)

 

[Kish]

I enjoy this exercise quite a bit and have seen good gains in bicep mass however this exercise gives me a great deal of pain in my wrists and ive tried using wraps but they still are in pain. Any ideas on what could help this pain go away and not happen any more?

Straight bar curls will eventually wreck your elbows. I finally was able to put the 45's on the bar and curl, and not 24 hours later I was knocked on my ass by tendonitis, I was always strick and it took me a long time to get there, and now I learned my lesson. EZ bar, preachers, there are many exercises that will help put on size , and not wreck your joints,,,good luck

 

[Ripped1]

If you are having pain from straight bar it could be from a bunch of differant things. However it could be the weight you are using, it could be tendenitis.

I do not beleive that changing bars will benefit your biceps. Biceps are a small muscle and do not require a large amount of weight on the straight bar. Try to switch to preachers or dumbells for awhile but try to go back to the bar because it still is the best mass producer there is for bice ps

 

[NiteHawk]

Yes, I used to have problems with the tendonitis when doing straight barbell curls. But the past couple years, I havent had a problem, fortunately. I still like to switch them up with the ez-bar though for variety as well.

This is also the same reason you should do tricep pushdowns with a v-shaped bar or use a rope. Using a straight arm is too hard on the wrists when doing these.

 

[BOHICA]

Stop standing in the squat rack to curl with the bar and let me have it back to squat with damn it

 

[BigVrunga]

I do not beleive that changing bars will benefit your biceps. Biceps are a small muscle and do not require a large amount of weight on the straight bar. Try to switch to preachers or dumbells for awhile but try to go back to the bar because it still is the best mass producer there is for bice ps

+1 - try to be really strict with your bicep movements. This will maximize the isolation of your bi's, and minimize the amount of weight you have to use. Working your forearms will help alleviate the wrist/forearm pain when curling as well.

BV

 

[CHAPS]

I agree i see WAY too many guys using too much weight and getting more of a shoulder workout than a bicep workout.

 

[PSJ02388]

i use a preatty light weight to ensure i use more bicep than shoulder and my wrist still hurt like a ***** but i just do it at the end of my bicep work out with like 95lbs and 2o reps jsut to get a good burn going

 

[Wandy]

just do your other bicep exercises that work each bicep head individually, then burn out at the end by curling just the olympic bar by itself. if it's the amount of weight that's the problem, that should solve it, but some people just don't feel comfortable curling a straight bar. could also be your grip. if you're using this exercise to put on some mass to your biceps, generally you have to go heavier than usual and stick to a normal grip (about shoulder width), so don't worry about cheating, just make sure it feels right and works the muscle at the same time. if you have to cheat with the last few reps, go for it, but make sure you are working the muscle without hurting your tendons. if it still doesn't feel right then you still have quite a few other bicep exercises to try.

 

[4thAD]

straight bar curls are the mother of all bicep exercises IMO!:jaw:

 

[BOHICA]

straight bar curls are the mother of all bicep exercises IMO!:jaw:

Damn right, nothing looks cuter than a 175 pound person in the squat rack curling.

 

[Viperspit]

Damn right, nothing looks cuter than a 175 pound person in the squat rack curling.

If you're stupid enough to stand in a Power Rack to do curls, chances are you're prolly not big enough to get outta an asswhoppin

 

[4thAD]

Damn right, nothing looks cuter than a 175 pound person in the squat rack curling.

Well first of all Im not 175 pounds Im 223 and growing. Second Who cares where you do your exercises just move the friggin weight! The Oak and Franco Columbu both believe that nothing puts more mass on your biceps than straight bar curls, and I have to agree with them!

I get a kick out of you PC geeks that think training is a popularity contest. Start worrying more about training and a little less about which rack you use to do it. You dont even need a rack for straight bar curls. :bruce1:

 

[4thAD]

this is from the max-ot web site talking about straight bar curls:

Your form can be relatively loose on this movement. This will allow you to use heavier weight for greater overload and work with your body's mechanical motions to help lift heavier weight and at the same time help to prevent injuries. As with any other exercise you should never get too sloppy. You know when you are cheating yourself out of maximum overload. Controlled cheating increases muscle overload. If you're cheating in a manner that does not enhance overload then you are doing this incorrectly.

 

[Jayhawkk]

And there ya have it folks...Never met more nice people than in the gyms but get a group of people talking about gyms and it's another story

 

[4thAD]

thats cause you have a few people that will just flame anything they can! I posted a bulking shake in the recipe forum and one of the same guys that flamed this thread flamed that one also!

 

[BOHICA]

Well first of all Im not 175 pounds Im 223 and growing. Second Who cares where you do your exercises just move the friggin weight! The Oak and Franco Columbu both believe that nothing puts more mass on your biceps than straight bar curls, and I have to agree with them!

I get a kick out of you PC geeks that think training is a popularity contest. Start worrying more about training and a little less about which rack you use to do it. You dont even need a rack for straight bar curls. :bruce1:

I never said straight bar curls, were a bad exercise. I just said don't do them in the power rack when you can do them from the floor since there are only 1-2 power racks in the gym and people need them to lift alot more weight than you will be curling.

P.S. The Oak and Columbu both had great genetics and were hardcore trainers but their knowledge of the physiology behind lifting weights is definitley sub par :bb2:

 

[Ubiquitous]

I'm not burning Oly bar curls.. but I do get very pissed at guys that do it at the squat rack/cage because it keeps the ones who actually need to use that area from using it. Plus the majority of guys that curl at these stations are the same ones that look like an absolute mess when they do it. It stands that more often than not, they should just go get a straight/preloaded bar and do the same movement somewhere else, OUT of the squat rack.

 

[UHCougar05]

If you're stupid enough to stand in a Power Rack to do curls, chances are you're prolly not big enough to get outta an asswhoppin

A-MEN!