In this exercise guide, we’ll discuss resistance band curls and how to perform several different variations.
The curl is one of the most fun moves to add to your workout routine.
There’s just something about curling a weight or some other form of resistance that just feels right.
Maybe it’s the muscle pump that always flows through after. Seriously, for a solid 10-15 minutes after, your shirt sleeves are slightly tighter and when you flex you almost feel like Arnold in his prime. Almost.
And resistance bands are an awesome workout tool to use when performing curls. As you curl the band or handles higher, you put more resistance on the biceps. And, if you fight the resistance back down, you get some solid time under tension with the band.
So, let’s get into it and discuss all of the different ways you can perform resistance band curls. Find the variation that works best for you and incorporate them into your workout routine.
1. Supinated Resistance Band Curls
The first variation we’ll cover is the supinated resistance band curl. If you’re not sure what supinated means, don’t stress. It’s just a fancy way of saying palms up. This variation is the most traditional looking curl you can do with resistance bands.
To perform this curl variation:
- Hold the band in front of your body and align the middle of the band with the midpoint of your torso.
- Step onto the band taking a shoulder width athletic stance keeping the midpoint of the band aligned with the midpoint of your body.
- Grab the handles or the loops of the resistance band. Position your elbows tight to the side of your ribcage.
- Pulling with your biceps, bring the handles of the band up towards your torso until your hands reach your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps and reverse the movement back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Resistance Band Hammer Curls
This next variation is a personal favorite of mine. Hammer curls in general can build thick forearms and biceps. They can also be a lot more forgiving on your joints and elbow tendons if you happen to have a case of cranky wrists/elbows.
To perform hammer curls:
- Hold the band in front of your body and align the middle of the band with the midpoint of your torso.
- Step onto the band taking a shoulder width athletic stance keeping the midpoint of the band aligned with the midpoint of your body.
- Grab just below the handles or loops of the resistance band with a neutral grip. Position your elbows tight to the side of your ribcage.
- Pulling with your biceps, bring the band up towards your torso until your hands reach your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps and reverse the movement back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Resistance Band Reverse Curls
The final variation we’ll cover is the resistance band reverse curls. Reverse curls are great as a supplementary or accessory exercise but would not be my first choice of curl variation.
They tend to target the forearms to a much greater extent, which at times can come at the expense of focusing on the bicep contraction. For this reason, I view them as more of an additional bicep exercise than a main bicep exercise in a workout program.
To perform resistance band reverse curls:
- Hold the band in front of your body and align the middle of the band with the midpoint of your torso.
- Step onto the band taking a shoulder width athletic stance keeping the midpoint of the band aligned with the midpoint of your body.
- Grab the handles or the loops of the resistance band with an overhand (pronated) grip. Position your elbows tight to the side of your ribcage.
- Pulling with your biceps, bring the handles of the band up towards your torso until your hands reach your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps and reverse the movement back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Conclusion
In this article, we covered how to perform three different resistance band curl variations. They included the resistance band curl, resistance band hammer curl and resistance band reverse curl. It’s worth mentioning that any of these variations can be performed unilaterally (one arm at a time) or alternating (one arm at a time switching arms each rep).
Pick out a variation and add it to your workout routine. You can incorporate them into a full body workout, an upper/lower workout, or a push/pull/legs workout.
Or, if you’re looking for an insane bicep pump, perform 3-5 sets of 8-12 of each exercise for a quick bicep workout. Just remember, for the best results you have to work all of the muscles of the body in a routine fashion that encourages consistency and progression over your lifetime.
To make the exercise more difficult over time, you can slowly add more reps, sets, and/or increasing the weight of the resistance band you use.