Which bicep curl makes which part of your arm stronger and bigger?
Distinct muscle growth and strength adaptations after preacher and incline biceps curls
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Different bicep curls cause growth in different regions of the same muscle group, despite targeting the same overall muscles.
Many assume all bicep curls build the muscle evenly. This shows location of growth shifts based on joint angle and muscle stretch — a nuance often ignored in fitness routines.
Practical Takeaways
To emphasize upper bicep growth, include incline curls in your routine; for lower bicep development, prioritize preacher curls.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Different bicep curls cause growth in different regions of the same muscle group, despite targeting the same overall muscles.
Many assume all bicep curls build the muscle evenly. This shows location of growth shifts based on joint angle and muscle stretch — a nuance often ignored in fitness routines.
Practical Takeaways
To emphasize upper bicep growth, include incline curls in your routine; for lower bicep development, prioritize preacher curls.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Sports Medicine
Year
2024
Authors
Witalo Kassiano, Bruna Costa, Gabriel Kunevaliki, Felipe Lisboa, Natã Stavinski, Aline Prado, Ian Tricoli, Jarlisson Francsuel, Luis Lima, J. Nunes, A. Ribeiro, Edilson S. Cyrino
Related Content
Claims (10)
If young women do preacher curls twice a week for 8 weeks, they get stronger at that specific move compared to doing incline curls — it really helps to train the way you want to get strong.
If young women do incline bicep curls twice a week for 8 weeks, their upper arm muscles grow more than if they did preacher curls — showing that the type of curl might change where the muscle grows most.
Doing bicep curls on an incline bench might build your biceps muscle better than doing preacher curls, especially in the middle part of your upper arm.
Doing preacher curls might build more muscle in a specific lower part of your upper arm than incline curls do.
For young women doing strength training twice a week, preacher curls might build more muscle in the lower part of the biceps than incline curls.