Introduction
A reverse barbell curl is a variation of the standard bicep curl where you grip the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing down, or pronated) instead of the traditional underhand grip.
By flipping your hands, you shift the mechanical load away from the biceps and force the muscles of your forearms and deep upper arm to do the heavy lifting.
Target Muscles
While standard curl isolates the biceps brachii, the reverse curl primarily hits:
- Brachioradialis: The prominent muscle on the thumb-side of your forearm that builds forearm thickness.
- Brachialis: A deep muscle sitting underneath the lower bicep. Growing this pushes the bicep upward, effectively making your upper arms look wider from the front and improving your bicep “peak.”
- Forearm Extensors: The smaller muscles on top of your forearm responsible for wrist stability.
How to Perform It
1.) The Grip:
Stand tall and hold a barbell at thigh level using a shoulder-width, overhand grip (palms facing your body).
2.) The Curl
Keeping your elbows tucked firmly to your sides, hinge at the elbow to curl the bar up toward your shoulders. Focus on keeping your wrists straight and locked in; do not let the weight bend your wrists downward.
3.) The Negative
Lower the bar slowly back to the starting position under complete control.
Quick Tip: Expect to lift significantly less weight on this movement than a standard bicep curl. The forearm muscles and brachialis have a smaller cross-sectional area and worse mechanical leverage than the biceps, making heavy loads highly challenging. Using an EZ-bar can also ease the strain on your wrists if a straight barbell feels uncomfortable.
ZutisBljeg 