Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl
Also known as: standing barbell wide-grip curl
Chasing strength you can feel outside the gym? Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl uses heavy bilateral barbell loading to get there.
How to do Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing away from your body.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell upward by contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 2-4 reps with 3-5 minutes of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Endurance
3-4 sets of 18-25 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Common Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl Mistakes
Loading the bar unevenly or skipping the collars
Match the plates side to side and clip collars on every set.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Cutting range to keep the load climbing
Protect the full range first; the load can wait a session.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl
Swap Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl For
Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl?
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing away from your body. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell upward by contracting your biceps. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl work?
The Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl good for beginners?
Not usually. The Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier arms progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl?
Try the Dumbbell Biceps Curl V Sit On Bosu Ball, Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Curl or the Cable Lying Bicep Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl the same as the standing barbell wide-grip curl?
Yes. The Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl is also commonly called the standing barbell wide-grip curl. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "standing barbell wide-grip curl" refer to this same movement.
