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Analysis v1
Strong Opposition

When you curl with your arms behind you, your biceps stretch more and grow more than when you curl with your arms in front.

0
Pro
54
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No supporting evidence found

Contradicting (2)

54

Community contributions welcome

54

Comparison Between Shoulder Flexed and Extended Positions in Elbow Flexion Resistance Training on Regional Hypertrophy and Maximum Strength: Preacher versus Bayesian Cable Curls

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2025 Apr

The study found that curling with your arm stretched out behind you (shoulder extended) didn’t make your biceps grow bigger than curling with your arm in front of you (shoulder flexed)—so the claim is wrong.

47

Placing Greater Torque at Shorter or Longer Muscle Lengths? Effects of Cable vs. Barbell Preacher Curl Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy in Young Adults

Randomized Controlled Trial
Human
2020 Aug 13

The study compared two types of bicep curls—one that stretches the bicep and one that shortens it—and found both built muscle equally well, so stretching the bicep doesn’t make it grow bigger than shortening it.

Similar Assertions

Doing bicep curls with your arm in front of your body or behind your body gives you the same muscle growth and strength gains if you're using the same amount of weight and doing the same number of reps.

54
0
74%

Whether you lift weights with one arm or both at the same time, your biceps grow about the same amount after 8 weeks of training.

61
0
70%

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