# Preacher Curls Range of Motion



## UnitedFan (Jul 27, 2008)

When I'm doing bicep curls with the cables (EZ bar) I fully extend my arms and I was wondering if this was the best way to do it?

I've seen people only go just over half way down before doing the next rep and I was wondering if this was better because it puts the muscle under constant tension etc.

Thanks!


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## DNA (Jan 6, 2009)

They could be working on more peak contraction but I suspect that they're simply using too much weight and cheating the movement by making it shorter.

Personally I'd use the full range of movement hold at the bottom and also hold and squeeze at the top at peak contraction. You can vary the speed that you lower the bar down to work through any sticking points and how you work the muscle. Rolling wrists upwards through the movement or keeping then held back down can also change how the muscle is worked especially with peak contraction.


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## Cam93 (May 20, 2010)

theirs loads off diffrent ways, i personaly go anywhere between a 90 and 180 degree angle (of the arms being extended)

although lifts such as '21's' are built on the theory that the arms under constant tension from diffrent areas of the lift, they might be good to add into your bicep routine too by the way


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

Free weight preacher curls generally are unloaded in the inner range of motion (top of the rep0 biomechanically - thats why people do it as the more the arms extend the greater the mechanical loading and like short depth squats its easier


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## 71081 (Apr 23, 2009)

glen danbury said:


> Free weight preacher curls generally are unloaded in the inner range of motion (top of the rep0 biomechanically - thats why people do it as the more the arms extend the greater the mechanical loading and like short depth squats its easier


Could i have that in thick english please? thx :tongue:


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## DNA (Jan 6, 2009)

glen danbury said:


> Free weight preacher curls generally are unloaded in the inner range of motion (top of the rep0 biomechanically - thats why people do it as the more the arms extend the greater the mechanical loading and like short depth squats its easier


Depends on the angle of the preacher bench as a steeper angle equals less unloading. Ideally you'd use the reverse side if it's vertical and have zero unloading. Movement is classed as a Spider Curl.


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

DNA said:


> Depends on the angle of the preacher bench as a steeper angle equals less unloading. Ideally you'd use the reverse side if it's vertical and have zero unloading. Movement is classed as a Spider Curl.


agreed - but watch how most people do a 45 degree preacher curl and there body position makes it even worse

I am a fan of preacher curls but always feel its much more effective to do preachers ona cable machine as this eliminates the unloading issue whilst still having the body position which minimises the body english people use on standing bicep work


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

71081 said:


> Could i have that in thick english please? thx :tongue:


wuith free weights the amount of tension on a muscle is the weight times the horizontal distance between the weight and the point of rotation

so in a bicep exercise the hardest part is when the arms are parallel to the floor - when your arms come up higher the tension decreases and when the weight is directly in line the elbows there is no tension on the biceps to any real degree

as such if you only focus upon the top end of a preacher curl then your biceps arent as heavily loaded as if they are when you extend the arms further - net result is easier exercise allwoing biger weights to be used to massage the ego

the real problem with preacher curls using free weights is due to the elbows moving forward the point at which the forearms are parallel to the floor are more in the outer/end range of movement - this means maximal mechanical loading occurs in closer to the fuilly extended position

not really a problem EXCEPT the biceps in this position are not the major contributor to elbow flexion/curling - rather its the brachialis 9which is why people feel preacher curls more in the ''lower bicep'' which is in effect the brachialis

muscle come in two forms arounda joint based upon the angle of insertion and how this effects what they do to the joint - they are either SHUNT muscles which pull a joint together in the outer range of motion or a SPURT muscle which is responsibile for joint motion in the inner range of motion (finishing the curl)

the brachialis is a shunt muscle and the bicep is a spurt muscle based upon the insertion orientation - free weight preacher curls effectively overload the shunt muscles more biomechanically


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## egyption t (May 21, 2009)

i`ll go with the guys,...full range of motion is the right 2 flex and stretch the whole muscle,unless u wanna go for more peak,..u can do the 90 degrees,..,y openion is full range of motion for all movements!


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## UnitedFan (Jul 27, 2008)

Thanks for all of the feedback, very useful 

If I wanted to work on the peak of the bicep - would I do the 90 degrees motion for all of the bicep routine where possible? Such as DB/Barbell curls etc.


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

UnitedFan said:


> Thanks for all of the feedback, very useful
> 
> If I wanted to work on the peak of the bicep - would I do the 90 degrees motion for all of the bicep routine where possible? Such as DB/Barbell curls etc.


personally feel peak is more determined by genetic insertions - whilst the outer head features more in peak appearence dont think you can really isolate it too much so think anything which works the buicep will work peak as much as your genetics allows personally


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## gringo (Jul 13, 2009)

If using a cable you can adjust the height/distance of the pulley to get resistance

over the full range of motion. With free weight I think the vertical side (Spider curl)

is the way to go. Not all preacher benches have a vertical side though.

Machines can be a good alternative, particularly the ones with rotating handles

to get a bit of supination action on the biceps. But I find a lot of preacher machines

have bad geometry, for me at least. The one at my gym is good but is in the girly

section and has just enough weight to train one arm at a time, at the end of my

bicep workout  It's that or a little armwrestling practise with my buddy!


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## Mbb newlad (Jan 27, 2008)

I use full motion i see many people swaying there shoulders upwards to get the weight to the top and elbows not staying in one position looks like there rowing standing up


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