Overhand (Reverse) Barbell Curl

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Load bar with correct weight. Put on safety collars.
2. Grasp bar with an overhand, shoulder width grip (or relevant width).
3. Keep torso erect and back straight, with upper arms and elbows stationary at your sides.

Excution/Movement

1. Just using flexion of the elbow, contract the bicep brachii and other elbow flexors to curl the bar up. Keep elbows stationary throughout exercise.
2. After peak contraction, slowly lower the bar to the start position, maintaining good body posture and stationary elbows.
3. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Comments

The overhand barbell curl is an effective exercise for the stimulation of the brachioradialis. The brachioradialis is recruited strongly using the pronated grip as the biceps brachii is mechanically weak in this position, and the brachioradialis becomes the main flexor of the elbow.

A pronated grip can often be uncomfortable on the wrist, but a shoulder width grip should be sufficient, and the most comfortable on the wrist. Experiment with the grip width to see what suits you best.

Remember, just as with barbell biceps curls, our aim is to stress the target muscle and not include recruitment of unnecessary secondary muscles. Therefore, the elbows and torso should remain as stationary as possible during the execution of the exercise. Do not cheat the weight up, bringing in anterior deltoid involvement. If you struggle to curl the weight up for the desired number of reps, simply lighten the weight.

For hypertrophy 6-12 reps will likely yield the best results, providing optimal time under tension. This will provide adequate stimulation for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and acute response to anabolic hormone concentrations, compared to that of lower rep ranges.