Do arm curls make your arms bigger faster?
Does the addition of single joint exercises to a resistance training program improve changes in performance and anthropometric measures in untrained men?
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two groups of guys lifted weights for 8 weeks. One group did only big lifts like bench press and pull-ups. The other did those plus arm curls and triceps extensions.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two groups of guys lifted weights for 8 weeks. One group did only big lifts like bench press and pull-ups. The other did those plus arm curls and triceps extensions.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 552 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Barbalho M, Coswig VS, Raiol R, Steele J, Fisher JP, Paoli A, Bianco A, Gentil P
Related Content
Claims (6)
Exercises like bench presses and pull-downs add a large portion of the overall workload for the muscles in the arms during strength training.
For beginners who are new to weight training, doing only compound exercises like squats and bench presses leads to the same strength gains in six key lifts as doing those exercises plus isolated movements like bicep curls or leg extensions.
Doing isolated arm exercises like bicep curls or tricep extensions alongside a full resistance training program does not lead to more fat loss around the upper arms than resistance training alone in untrained young men after eight weeks.
In untrained men, adding isolated arm exercises to a workout routine may cause the muscles that straighten the elbow to grow more in certain areas than the muscles that bend the elbow, while the bending muscles grow similarly regardless of exercise type.
In untrained young men, adding isolated arm exercises to a full-body weight training program for 8 weeks led to a slightly larger increase in arm size compared to full-body training alone, but there was no difference in overall strength improvements.