http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/BBCurl.

html

http://www.exrx.net/Kinesiology/AnglePull.html

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Standing_barbell_curls.htm

http://www.great-workout.com/biceps/barbell-curl.cfm

 Barbell Curl

The barbell curl emphasises your bicep muscles. Make sure you keep good form when
performing the bicep curl. Stand upright throughout the motion - don't sway back and forth as
you're lifting the weight.

How to perform the barbell curl

1. Stand straight, holding the barbell with a supinated (under-hand) grip at

about shoulder width.
2. Keeping your elbows at locked at your sides, slowly lift the bar until its
Technique under your chin.
3. Slowly lower the weight back.

4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you've repeated the desired number of reps
Number of For building muscle size: 3 sets of between 6 - 8 reps. For muscle tone: 3 sets of
Reps between 12 - 15 reps.

 
Muscles Used

Primary
 Biceps Brachii (Biceps)
Muscles

Biceps Brachii

The Biceps Brachii is attached to the forearm bone called the radius and originates at the
scapula in two places (the Bicep gets it's name from these two heads - called the short head
and the long head).

The Biceps runs down the anterior or front side of the humerus and makes up approximately
1/3 of the muscle mass of the upper arm..

The Biceps are among the most famous muscles in the body. When somebody asks you to
"make a muscle", they aren't asking you to flex your hamstrings. They want to see your
biceps!
Secondary
Muscles  Brachialis (Lower Biceps)

The brachialis muscle is located on the front of the arm, just above the bend in your elbow.
The biceps bracii muscle sits on top of the brachialis and both muscles work together to flex
the forearm. The biceps bracii is the larger, and more visible, of the two muscles, however,
the brachialis muscle is actually the stronger of the two, according to "The Trail Guide to the
Body."
  Brachioradialis (Forearm)

Brachioradialis is a muscle of the forearm that acts to flex the forearm at the elbow. It is
also capable of both pronation and supination, depending on the position of the forearm;
for this reason it is also called "the beer drinker muscle." It is attached to the distal styloid
process of the radius by way of the brachioradialis tendon, and to the lateral supracondylar
ridge of the humerus.
  Deltoid, Anterior (Shoulder - front)

Stabilizer
Muscles

The Deltoid is a three-headed muscle that caps the shoulder.

The three heads of the Deltoid are the Anterior, Lateral, and Posterior.

All three Deltoid heads attach to the humerus. The Anterior and Lateral heads originate on
the collar bone, while the Posterior head originates on the scapula.

The Anterior Delt contributes to many Pec-related movement, e.g. bench press. The Lateral
Delt is most active in dedicated lateral movements. The Posterior Delt is often activated in
back exercises that involve the Teres Major and Rhomboid muscles.
  Trapezius, Upper (Back - upper)

Trapezius is a flat triangular muscle that is divided into two parts, the upper trapezius and
the lower trapezius. Both of these muscles are responsible in maintaining the proper
orientation of the scapula, or shoulder blade. When the upper trapezius acts alone, it
elevates the shoulder and supports the shoulder girdle when lifting a load. The upper
trapezius is located in between the neck and the shoulders,
  Levator Scapulae (Shoulder - upper)

The levator scapulae is an upper-back muscle that runs along the side of the neck. Its
primary responsibility is to assist the trapezius, the largest and most superficial
muscle of the upper back, in shrugging the shoulders. Latin in origin, its name means
“elevator of the shoulder blades,” and this muscle is likewise responsible for pulling
upward on the inside or medial edge of the scapulae.

Situated beneath the trapezius in the upper back, alongside the splenius capitus
muscle in the back of the neck, the levator scapulae originates along the spinous
processes, sideways protrusions of the first four cervical vertebrae. It then runs
vertically down the side of the neck to attach to the upper medial edge of the shoulder
blade. This narrow, band-shaped muscle is relatively small, much smaller than the
large trapezius muscle, but it performs several complex functions involving the neck,
head, and shoulder blades.
  Wrist Flexors (Inner forearm)

The forearm muscles are the muscles on your lower arm, and you use them whenever you open
or close your hand or when your move your wrist.
Mechanics In Exercise
Angle of Pull
Gravity / Force Vectors
 Load offers varying degrees of resistive force against muscles
o Very little force is required of agonist muscles when load moves perpendicular to
gravity (signified by orange arrow).

 Perpendicular to gravity / force vector = almost 0 effort

 Except for forces required to overcome inertial and maintain posture for
supporting musculature.

o Moderate motive forces are required to overcome resistive forces when load moves
diagonal to to gravity / force vector.

 Examples: 30° = effort is half load, 45° = effort is 71% load

o Greatest resistive forces are offered to agonist muscles when load moves parallel to
gravity.

 Parellel to gravity = 100% load

 Incidentally, rotary forces from working muscle acting upon load are greatest in
Components of Force Diagram below.

o Orange arrow can also signify resistive force vector of pulley cable with relative
positioning of motive force angles of pull.

 Articulations in isolation follow a curvilinear path

o Load is moved in and out of line of gravity.

o Load tends to be shifted from muscles to

skeletal frame and joints, and vice versa

 Compound movement seemingly move in a linear

motion (line of push or line of pull)

o Compound movements can be seen as a

coordinated combination of two or more
isolated movements

o Beginning posture:

 primarily tension or compression forces

on bones and joints

o Execution

 Pushing movements:

 muscles begin to contract

eccentrically
  Pulling movements

 muscles begins to contract concentrically

Analysis of Arm Curl

o Arm straight
 weight in hand pulls arms (joint supporting bone) down

o Initiation of flexion with arm straight.

 arm flexors overcome inertia (see Newton's first law)

 smaller brachialis has slightly better angle of pull as compared to biceps at this
wide angle

 dumbbell moves nearly perpendicular to gravity offering relatively low resistive

forces.

 with this angle of pull, rotary force of biceps is weakest

o Approaching 90 degrees

 resistive force (R) progressively increases

 at 30 degrees, approximately 50% of weight * lever arm ratio

 at 45 degrees, approximately 71% of weight * lever arm ratio

o 90 degrees

 resistive force is greatest when path of weight is parallel to gravity.

 100% of weight * lever arm ratio

 rotary force of biceps is strongest [see angle of pull above (2nd diagram
above)]

o Traveling beyond 90 degrees

 resistive force progressively decreases

 at 45 degrees, approximately 71% of weight * lever arm ratio

 at 30 degrees, approximately 50% of weight * lever arm ratio

 rotary force of brachialis and then biceps diminishes [see angle of pull above
(3rd diagram above)]

o End of movement or change to eccentric contraction

 antagonist muscles may be activated to overcome inertia

 biceps torque force is only relieved at the flexed position if slight shoulder
 flexion positions forearm perpendicular.

Also see Tension Potential and its impact on force production.

Components of Force
 Definitions:
o Angle of Pull: angle between muscle insertion and bone on which it inserts.

 Components of Force

o Rotary component: force of a muscle contributing to bone's movement around a joint

axis; greatest when muscles angle of pull is perpendicular to bone (i.e. 90 degrees).

o Stabilizing component: degree of parallel forces generated on the lever (bone and
joint) when the muscles angle of pull is less than 90 degrees.

o Dislocating component: degree of parallel forces generated on the lever (bone and
joint) when the muscle's angle of pull is greater than 90 degrees.

Components of force due to angle of pull

>90 degrees =90 degrees <90 degrees

includes stabilizing component 100% rotary force includes dislocating component

Shoulder abduction force vector
diagram

E.g.: Dumbbell Lateral Raise and Lying

Lateral Raise.

 Angle of Pull
o Upper: Supraspinatus

o Lower: Lateral Deltoid

 Rotary component

o perpendicular to lever arm

 Stabilizing component

o parallel to lever arm

 from insertion through fulcrum

Also see Supraspinatus Weakness

Knee flexion abduction force vector diagram

E.g.: Lever Lying Leg Curl. Color codes

on diagram are same as Components of
Force above.

 Hamstring
o Agonist

 Active insufficient
position

o Rectangle force vector

above knee

 knee flexion

 Quadriceps (Rectus Femoris)

o Antagonist Stabilizer

 Passive insufficient
position

o Rectangle force vector

through knee
  Counters posterior forces of hamstring

 See pulley-like arrangement of Patella at knee.

o Vertical arrow by hip

 Flexes hip

 Attempts to position hamstring back in active sufficiency

 Sartorius

o Synergist

 Remains actively sufficient with hip extended

o Arrow not illustrated

 Flexes knee

o Diagonal arrow by hip

 Flexes hip

 Attempts to position hamstring back in active sufficiency

 Gracilis

o Synergist

 Somewhat actively insufficient

 since knee is flexed and hip is adducted and not externally rotated

o Arrow not illustrated

 flexes knee

 Popliteus

o Synergist

o Arrow not illustrated

 Flexes knee

 Gastrocnemius

o Synergist

o Arrow through calf

 flexes knee
 Tibialis Anterior

o Antagonist Stabilizers

o Dorsal flexes ankle

 Positions Gastrocnemius in active sufficiency so it can flex at knee