Building well-defined biceps is easy if you have the right exercise on your arm day list.
Barbell Drag curls, for example, specifically target the biceps and can lead to impressive gains.
While many new gym rats don’t really know about this barbell variation for biceps, they are the real deal.
With proper form and technique, you’ll sculpt your biceps like never before.
Benefits of the Barbell Drag Curl
There are numerous reasons why you should incorporate barbell drag curls into your workout routine, but two key benefits stand out:
Reduced Momentum
Other biceps curls rely on swinging the weight up with momentum, but drag curls work differently.
When you do drag curls, you decrease the momentum by dragging the barbell close to your torso while keeping your elbows tucked in.
Less Strain on the Forearms
When executing drag curls, you pull back your elbows while lifting the bar rather than simply curling it up.
This motion minimizes the workload on your elbows, as they primarily move upward without excessive joint movement.
This reduces the strain on the forearms.
How to Do Barbell Drag Curls
How to Do It
- Stand tall and hold a barbell with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders and a supinated grip.
- Begin by curling the barbell towards your chest while keeping it close to your body throughout the movement.
- Once you reach your chest level, hold for a second before returning to the starting position.
Equipment: Standard Barbell
Primary Muscle Work: Biceps Brachii
Grip: Wider Than Shoulder Width
Barbell Drag Curl Tips
- Activate Your Core: Keep your core muscles engaged and your spine neutral throughout the exercise.
- Mind Your Breathing: Maintain a steady and controlled breathing pattern by breathing out as you lift the bar and breathing in as you lower the bar.
- Ease into it: Start with just the barbell for a few reps to properly activate your muscles before adding weights.
- Squeeze at the Top: When lifting the barbell towards your chest, focus on squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement to isolate your biceps heads.
Common Mistakes
Mistakes are common in drag curls. Here are the common mistakes to watch out for:
Lifting Too Heavy
Performing the barbell drag curl involves pulling the bar upward, which can potentially strain your elbows if you load the bar with heavy weights.
Additionally, maintaining a pause at the top becomes challenging, affecting biceps activation.
Elbow Flaring
To effectively target your biceps during drag curls, keep your elbows close to your body.
Letting your elbows flare out can throw off the muscle isolation and even lead to injuries, which goes against the purpose of drag curls designed specifically for bicep engagement.
Gripping Too Wide
When it comes to perfecting your drag curls, one of the key starting points is to ensure you’re gripping the barbell at just the right width.
Many folks miss on this, but grip is the factor that decides which muscle to activate.
Gripping too wide puts strain on your shoulders, elbows, and forearms. Plus, it makes performing the exercise properly a real challenge.
Barbell Drag Curl Alternatives and Variation
Dumbbell Drag Curl
Dumbbell drag curls are an effective variation of barbell drag curls. This exercise works the biceps by isolating the long head while also engaging the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles.
How to Do It
- Grab your dumbbells and stand normally (with a good posture).
- Lift the dumbbells towards your chest while keeping them close to your torso.
- Continue the motion, extending the dumbbells over your chest before lowering them back down.
- Bring the dumbbells down to the bottom and repeat.
- Don’t forget to exhale as you go up and inhale as you come down.
Barbell Concentration Curl
Perfect exercise to target the biceps barbell concentration curls is one of the best variations of biceps exercise.
How to Do It
- Take a seat on the bench. Make sure to position your feet on the ground.
- Grab the barbell. Place it in the middle of your legs. Keep your hands on the barbell, shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell up, completely straightening your arms all the way. Pause briefly at the point to engage your biceps.
- Lower the barbell slowly while maintaining control over the movement.
Barbell 21s
Barbell 21s is a distinct exercise that is performed with 3 sets of 7 reps with a combination of partial and full range of motions. It activates the biceps, brachii, and forearm muscles effectively.
How to Do It
- Stand straight with a proud chest and shoulder and hold the barbell about shoulder width apart with your palm facing up.
- For the first set, start lifting the bar from the bottom to midway up, then lower it back down to the starting position.
- For the second set, you’re going to curl the bar to the top from the midway point.
- For the final set, do the full range of motion with controlled movement.
Final Thoughts
Barbell drag curls are an ideal choice for sculpting defined biceps while effectively targeting the bicep muscles, along with other muscles in the arms. This exercise is a bit different from many biceps curls but can give you amazing results over time.
Featured image by My PT Hub/YouTube edited by SA
