Barbell Curl

V

volatile

New Member
I know you are supposed to avoid using your elbows, but
is it ok to have a little elbow movement during the lift?
Yesterday I did my 5rm max for barbell curl.
I tried my best to squeeze from my bicep, but I noticed in the beginning I couldn't help but have my elbow move out just slighty as I began raising the bar.
I wasn't sure if my biceps trying to push the weight up were causing my elbows to move, or if my elbows were assisting my biceps in moving the bar.
I do know that by the time the bar was parallel to the floor it was biceps from them to the top.

I wanted to know, if my elbows did help give me a little push at the start, just a little, was the form still correct and the set legitimate?
I'm trying to make certain the weights I did were accurate.
Thanks.
 
Sounds like you were using a little much weight and had to cheat. No biggie.

If you want a great way to load your biceps all the way up and down, drag the bar up your front, letting your elbows move backward. :D
 
Scott, were you being sarcastic or is this ok?
I was doing this on my 5rm max for barbell curl, so I wanted to know if 'cheating' like this just slightly was acceptbale for this load and thus the set and max are legitimate.
 
Vol, he answered your question. He said it sounded like you were using too much weight and I agree, therefore, the set and max are not "legitimite" but it's nothing to lose any sleep over.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (volatile @ July 18 2004,1:43)]Scott, were you being sarcastic or is this ok?
I was doing this on my 5rm max for barbell curl, so I wanted to know if 'cheating' like this just slightly was acceptbale for this load and thus the set and max are legitimate.
Click to expand...
It's called a drag curl, which naturally is different than a drag queen
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[b said:
Quote[/b] (Scott S @ July 19 2004,1:57)]Yes, drag queens will not help you at all. Trust Daniel. ;)
Click to expand...
well, what works for some might not work for others. I've had tremendous results with drag queens.
 
So now on top of HST, GVT, CVT, MBCST, CVSST IV, we now have

DQST- Drag Queen Specific Training
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I actually use one of those Arm Blasters for barbell curls to help stabilize my arms and elbows. Its a pretty good piece of equipment for a very small investment.
 
I use mine almost exclusively. I found it too hard to get the drag queen to stay still.
 
dkm, what kind of "barbell" do you use with your DQs ? I try to use one with larger bumps in it to prevent them from slipping off...eeew...god, I made myself sick
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So that's the problem, I am using the wrong barbell, gee I thought I was going to have to trade in my old drag queen for a newer model. Thanks that saves me from having to tranverse the drag queen scene again, what a relief
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BTW, I have tears in eyes, as I picture you with your DQ stuck on the bar
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I don't know if I should laugh, cry or PUKE.
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Scott, I don't think I cheated that much.
In fact, when I did the 5rm workouts the next week, I used my elbows for just a small virtually if any noticable portion at the begining of raising the bar.
If this was cheating, what should I do for my next cycle?
Should I kep the weight the same, raise it 5 pounds since it was close, or lower the weight even though I fell I had close if not good form at week's end?
I would hate to go too high with weight or get too each with lighter weight.
 
Volatile,

I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Seeing as the point of insertion for the long head of the biceps is actually above the shoulder joint, one of its functions is to bring the elbow forward. So doing curls where your elbows travel forward slightly at the beginning of the motion will actually place a greater load on the biceps for the lower half of the rep.

The only problem would be if you had brought your elbows too far forward so that they are almost directly underneath the bar at the top of the rep, you would have removed a great deal of the tension from the biceps at this point. So provided that this is not the case, and that you can still feel plently of tension in the biceps at the top of the movement, feel free to allow your elbows to move forward slightly as you go up and backwards as you go down - you are actually working your biceps through a larger range of motion by doing this.

Rob
 
Thanks for the clarification Rob.
I know what you're taling about in terms of people who bring basically use thier elbows to completely raise the barbell.
I might have used my elbows at the begining to get from having the barbell down to were it was close to 90 parallel to the ground, but as far raising goes after that point it was all my biceps.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (volatile @ July 26 2004,7:54)]I might have used my elbows at the begining to get from having the barbell down to were it was close to 90 parallel to the ground, but as far raising goes after that point it was all my biceps.
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and as long as you keep your elbows back while lowering the BB using a controlled motion sounds like you're fine.

Is this your last week of your first cycle ?

Next cycle maybe try Incline DB curls you almost can't cheat those ;)
 
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