Even when you change your shoulder position during bicep curls, you still lift the same total amount of weight — your total workout effort doesn’t go up or down.

Scientific Claim

Total volume load during biceps curl training remains unchanged when glenohumeral joint angles are varied across sets in resistance-trained individuals, demonstrating that acute work output is preserved despite altered joint mechanics.

Original Statement

“There were no significant differences in volume load between VAR and CON conditions (VAR: 596 kg ± 170 kg vs. CON 606 kg ± 175 kg, p = 0.59).”

From study:The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The RCT design with direct measurement of volume load and statistical non-significance supports a definitive conclusion of no effect.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2019 Sep 4

Even when people changed the angle of their shoulder during bicep curls, they still lifted the same total amount of weight overall — so changing how they held their arm didn’t make their workout easier or harder in terms of total work done.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals

Score: 51

DOI: 10.3390/sports7090204

Similar Assertions

Just because changing your shoulder angle makes your biceps work harder during one workout doesn’t mean it will make your muscles bigger over time — this study didn’t test that.

87%

Whether you change your shoulder angle or not during bicep curls, your muscles recover at the same speed over the next three days.

85%

Switching up your shoulder position during bicep curls makes your muscles fire more, even if you're lifting the same total weight.

83%

Changing the angle of your shoulder while doing bicep curls makes your biceps work harder during the workout, even if you're lifting the same total weight.

83%

After a tough bicep workout, your arm gets a little swollen, but it goes back to normal by the next day — and it doesn’t matter if you changed your shoulder angle during the workout.

72%