I get a lot forearm when doing preacher curls, why is that? Also is it safe to angle your elbow a bit outwards instead of completely straight, I find I can lift more weight this way, but it also might be cheating…

Edit: EZ Bar preachers

  • AcademicianEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    There is tension on the forearm muscles at the bottom of a preacher curl from the stretch, and an isometric contraction as you keep your hands fixed while curling the bar. If you’re flexing your wrists during the curl you may even be doing a wrist curl inadvertently as well.

    I can’t say whether putting elbows out is unsafe or not, but if it’s putting your biceps in a more advantageous position to lift more weight it’s probably not worth it. Remember that your muscles only care about tension, not the actual weight you’re using. There’s no reason to adjust your positioning to lift more weight - use the weight and position that maximizes the stretch and tension on the muscle you’re targeting for your set and rep targets. No reason to make it easier just to lift more weight if your goal is hypertrophy.

    • fastandcurious@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      3 months ago

      I did that because I have been having trouble progressing, I can do like 15 reps but as soon as I add 5kgs, I suddenly am struggling to do a single rep

      • AcademicianEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        If you can’t add weight, keep adding reps. Studies show that rep ranges anywhere from 5 to 30 reps can be just as effective. And buy some smaller plates if it helps. Adding 5kg to an exercise like a bicep curl is a significant jump. I have 1kg and 0.5kg micro plates for that reason.