Surface electromyography can measure and distinguish the highest levels of muscle activity in the biceps and triceps when performing exercises like concentration curls and kickbacks in healthy young...

We analyzed the available evidence and found that surface electromyography can measure and distinguish the highest levels of muscle activity in the biceps and triceps during concentration curls and kickbacks in healthy young adults [1]. This conclusion is based on 28.0 supporting assertions, with no contradictory findings in the data we’ve reviewed so far. Surface electromyography is a non-invasive technique that records electrical signals from muscles through sensors placed on the skin. These signals can indicate how hard a muscle is working at a given moment, including during peak effort. In the context of concentration curls — which primarily target the biceps — and kickbacks — which focus on the triceps — the evidence suggests the technique is sensitive enough to detect which muscle is generating more force at its highest point of activation. What we’ve found so far indicates that, under controlled conditions with healthy young adults, the patterns of electrical activity recorded from the biceps and triceps during these exercises are distinct enough to be reliably separated by surface electromyography. This does not mean the technique works the same way in all populations, such as older adults or those with muscle injuries, because the evidence we’ve reviewed does not include those groups. The absence of refuting studies does not confirm universal accuracy, but it does suggest that, within the scope of the data we’ve examined, the method appears capable of identifying differences in peak activation between these two muscles during these specific movements. For someone tracking muscle engagement during training, this means surface electromyography may offer useful feedback on whether the biceps or triceps are being activated more intensely during concentration curls or kickbacks — at least in healthy young individuals.