Single-Joint vs Multi-Joint Exercise for Arm Muscle Growth
Single-Joint Exercise Results in Higher Hypertrophy of Elbow Flexors Than Multijoint Exercise
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Single-joint exercises produced MORE muscle growth than multi-joint exercises
This contradicts the common belief that multi-joint compound exercises are always superior for hypertrophy
Practical Takeaways
If you want bigger arm muscles, include bicep curls in your routine
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Single-joint exercises produced MORE muscle growth than multi-joint exercises
This contradicts the common belief that multi-joint compound exercises are always superior for hypertrophy
Practical Takeaways
If you want bigger arm muscles, include bicep curls in your routine
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2019
Authors
P. Mannarino, T. Matta, J. Lima, R. Simão, Belmiro Freitas de Salles
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Claims (5)
Doing both compound movements like pull-ups and isolation exercises like dumbbell curls is the best way to build bigger biceps and the underlying brachialis muscle.
When you train one specific exercise, you get stronger mainly at that exact exercise - doing bicep curls doesn't make you much better at doing dumbbell rows, and vice versa.
When men who hadn't trained before did bicep curls (a single-joint exercise) for 8 weeks, their arm muscles grew about 11%. But when they did dumbbell rows (a multi-joint exercise) instead, their muscles only grew about 5%.
When people want to build bigger biceps, they should focus on bicep curls rather than compound movements like pull-ups that work multiple muscle groups at once.
When you do compound exercises like dumbbell rows that work multiple muscles at once, they might build muscle in some parts of your arm about the same as isolation exercises like dumbbell curls that focus on just one muscle. But in other parts of your arm, the two types of exercises might build muscle differently.