Tag: curl
Bicep Curl Drop Set: Pump Your Guns and Maximize Muscle Gain!
The biceps are arguably the most loved muscle group. It is common to hear people skip leg days, but you’ll never hear of anyone missing arm day. Although the biceps curl ranks high on every lifter’s favorite exercise list, only a few have guns worth showing off.
The biceps is a small muscle group, and most lifters rely on curls (an isolation exercise) to add inches to their arms. Nonetheless, only a few succeed.
Usually, exercisers oscillate between doing too little and too much in their arms training regimen. While the first technique lacks training intensity to spark new muscle tissue growth, the latter leads to overtraining. Furthermore, both these techniques lead to a training plateau.
This is where the drop sets come in. Drop sets help increase your training intensity by adding more sets and reps to your training regimen, helping ignite new muscle growth and break through plateaus. Drop sets boost muscle growth by significantly enhancing your target muscle’s time under tension.
To build biceps that surpass people’s imagination, you must put in the work that most people cannot fathom. The bicep curl drop set is a step in the right direction.
The drop set is an advanced training technique that is not for the faint of heart. “Muscle-ripping pump” is a popular term in training jargon. Most lifters throw it around like it’s nobody’s business. The truth is that most trainers have never experienced a “muscle-ripping pump,” unless that is, they try the drop set.
In this article, we go over everything you need to learn about the biceps curl drop set to build bigger and stronger pythons, including the definition, step-by-step instructions, sample biceps drop set workout, its benefits, and tips to make the most of them.
What is a Drop Set?
A drop set is an advanced resistance training technique that helps spark hypertrophy by shocking your muscles through an uptick in training intensity. In a drop set, you perform an exercise with an appropriate weight for the desired number of repetitions, then lighten the load by 10–30% and perform another set to failure without pausing for rest between sets.
The number of reps you will perform will depend on your training objectives. Research has shown that performing 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps of an exercise with an appropriate weight is optimal for building muscle mass. On the other hand, 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps are ideal for building strength. [1]
Training for muscle failure in two non-stop sets fills your muscles with blood and lactic acid, which stretches the fascia and supplies your muscle fibers with the required nutrients for muscle growth.
You could also do a double drop set to take your muscle pumps to the next level. A double drop set involves dropping weights twice in the same set. To do a double drop set, complete a set to failure, lighten the load by 10-30%, and do another set; complete the round by doing another set after reducing the load by 10-30%.
Here is a sample barbell biceps curl double drop set using 95 pounds:
Set 1: 12 reps [95 pounds]
Set 2: Failure (8-12 reps) [85 pounds]
Set 3: Failure (8-12 reps) [65 pounds]
While performing a drop set, you must ensure that you’re following a picture-perfect form. Using momentum or a sleazy form increases your risk of injury as your muscles are already fatigued. You must stop your set as soon as you notice your form slipping.
How to Perform a Biceps Curl Drop Set
The drop set technique can be used for any biceps curl exercise. For the sake of this article, we’ll consider the dumbbell biceps curl. Drop sets require more logistical planning than traditional dumbbell curl sets. Hence, you must ensure that you already have everything you need by your side before you begin the drop set. Stopping to look for weights drops your training intensity and will hamper your muscle-building potential.
Use the following pointers to incorporate the biceps curl into your training schedule:
Choose The Weight
Most lifters are confused about the weights they should be lifting on the biceps curl drop set. While some people bite off more than they can chew, exposing themselves to an injury, others undersell themselves, leaving gains on the table.
As a rule of thumb, you should start your drop set with a weight that allows you to complete 8-12 reps of an exercise with the perfect form. Then, you must not lighten the load by more than 30% for the drop set to ensure optimal small-twitch muscle fiber stimulation. You must choose a weight that allows you to complete 8-12 reps in the drop sets.
For example, if you perform the first set of a dumbbell bicep curl with 45-pound dumbbells, you can only drop the weight to 30 pounds for the drop set. You can then use 20-pound dumbbells for the double-drop set.
Decreasing the weight in small increments (5-10%) can limit the number of repetitions you can perform. You must, however, ensure that you fail in the 8-12 rep range to induce hypertrophy and improve your muscle endurance.
Setup
Many lifters make the mistake of starting the bicep curl drop set without the proper engagement. While doing the dumbbell bicep curl drop set, you should have the 2-3 sets of dumbbells you will use around you and in your reach before starting the exercise.
Looking for dumbbells for your drop sets in the middle of your set will hamper your training intensity. If you wait too long between sets, you’ll end up recruiting your fast-twitch muscle fibers instead of the slow-twitch fibers, beating the purpose of this advanced training technique.
Plan
To make the most of drop sets, you must program them into your workouts strategically. Plan your workouts a week in advance so that you don’t end up using drop sets more than once in a workout and twice a week. Using this training technique too frequently can result in overtraining, increasing your risk of injury and leading you to a plateau.
Training Experience
The ‘advanced’ in advance resistance training technique exists for a reason. Beginners must resist the temptation of using drop sets in their workouts. Furthermore, you should only use it in exercises you have mastered. Experimenting with drop sets in a lift you are still learning increases your risk of injury.
Sample Bicep Curl Drop Set Workout
Given below is a biceps workout that involves a superset of dumbbell biceps curls:
In this workout, we have programmed the drop sets at the end to end the workout on a high. Start with the heaviest dumbbells and do as many reps as possible. Without resting between sets, switch to lighter dumbbells and curl to failure. Lighten the weights again, and work to failure without stopping for rest.
Benefits of Drop Set
Adding the drop set advanced training technique to your exercise regimen entails the following advantages:
Helps Build Muscle Mass
A 2018 study found that drop sets delivered more muscle gains by stimulating slow-twitch muscle fiber growth than the conventional sets during a six-week resistance training protocol. [2]
Drop sets are an incredibly versatile training principle. You could use them in any workout and for any exercise. You can do a drop set at the start of a workout to pre-exhaust your muscles, in the middle of the workout, or at the end to finish your training session with a mind-numbing pump.
Drop sets fill your muscles with blood and lactic acid, which stretches the fascia around the muscle and delivers the required nutrients to the muscle tissue for growth.
Improves Muscle Endurance
Our muscles consist of two types of muscle fibers — slow and fast-twitch. Although conventional strength training exercises are great for engaging fast-twitch muscle fibers, they do little to nothing for the slow-twitch fibers. The slow-twitch muscle fibers are endurance-based, meaning they require a greater time under tension than the fast-twitch fibers to fire up, and this is exactly what the drop sets deliver.
A study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that a single set of drop set can lead to better muscle gains than three sets of a conventional resistance training exercise. [3]
Time Effective
Drop sets are a great way to get a lot of work done in a short period. Folks that have hit a plateau and need to up their training volume but cannot afford to spend another 30-45 minutes in the gym should turn to drop sets.
Most drop sets take 15-20 seconds to complete. Lifters that generally do 15 sets in a workout can boost their training volume by 20% just by doing three drop sets of an exercise. Not to mention the insane training intensity that can be achieved using this training principle.
Bicep Curl Drop Set Tips
Here are some bicep curl drop set tips to get the best bang for your buck:
Exercise Type
Prefer doing drop sets in isolation exercises like the biceps curl that focus on a single muscle group. Since compound exercises have multiple moving parts, the risk of injury is significantly higher while doing drop sets.
Lifters tend to compromise on their form on compound lifts like the squat when fatigue starts to set in, increasing their odds of injury. It is easier to bail on a bicep curl drop set rep than to get out of a squat mid-rep.
Sets
You should not do drop sets for more than one exercise in a workout, as it can cause muscle overexertion, increasing your risk of injury. Furthermore, avoid doing more than double drop sets at a time.
Notably, ‘run the rack’ is another advanced training technique that is growing in popularity and involves lightening the load until you lift the lightest weight on the rack. It is a drop set variation that should be reserved for advanced athletes. The high volume and intensity of multiple drop sets can result in a lousy form and an unprecedented strain on your muscles, multiplying your injury odds.
Frequency
Since drop sets are so effective in delivering a muscle pump, many lifters tend to overdo them, increasing overtraining risk. Overtraining affects your central nervous system, and depending on your genetics and recovery program, it might take you months to come out of this phase.
You must limit drop set use to one exercise per workout. Furthermore, avoid performing drop sets more than twice weekly to allow your muscle enough time to recover from your high-intensity workouts.
Are Bicep Curl Drop Sets Safe?
Drop sets are an advanced resistance training technique and should not be used by newbies and rookie lifters. As you start incorporating drop sets into your training regimen, it should be done under an expert’s supervision to minimize the risk of injury.
You must then choose an appropriate weight and exercise for the drop set. Use a weight you can control for 8-12 reps per set and an exercise you have mastered. Doing drop sets on an unfamiliar exercise puts you in a delicate position, and a slight misstep can lead to an injury.
Wrapping Up
The bicep curl drop set is an advanced resistance training technique that will push your limits and challenge your muscles like never before. It will increase your training intensity by increasing the time under tension, helping you avoid and break through a training plateau.
Rookie lifters should start with the conventional drop sets, whereas more advanced lifters can utilize the double drop sets to fill their guns with blood and lactic acid. Finally, you must strategically program the drop sets into your biceps training routine. Doing too much too soon can lead to overtraining, which can stall your growth.
References
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.
Fink J, Schoenfeld BJ, Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2018 May;58(5):597-605. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06838-4. Epub 2017 Apr 26. PMID: 28474868.
Fink, Julius & Schoenfeld, Brad & Kikuchi, Naoki & Nakazato, Koichi. (2017). Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness. 58. 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06838-4.
Average Curl Weight For Males and Females on Dumbbell and Barbell Curl
Let’s face it; most serious lifters are insecure about the weight on their bar. They don’t want to be seen lifting weights that are considered light by their fellow exercisers. Don’t believe us? Watch the average curling weight across the gym floor increase by at least 5 pounds when a pretty lady walks into the gym.
Although “How much do you bench?” is the most popular question amongst the bros, “How much do you curl?” takes a close second. Unlike the squat, bench press, or deadlift, the curl is an isolation exercise, meaning it uses a single joint and muscle group. For this reason, the weights you can lift on the biceps curl will be significantly lower than the big three lifts. Contrarily, if you have a bigger curl than the squat or bench press, you have some soul-searching to do.
Your maximum curl weight depends on factors like your age, weight, gender, form, and experience level. Furthermore, your average and max curl weight will vary depending on the exercise. Most lifters have different average curl weights on the barbell, dumbbell, cable, and strict curl.
You shouldn’t expect a 50-year-old beginner male to match a 24-year-old professional’s barbell curl max. At the same time, the senior should not be boasting about beating a fit lady’s dumbbell curl max.
In this article, we cover the average curl weight for men and ladies on dumbbells and barbells, factors affecting your curl weight, how to find your one-rep max, the correct curling form, and how to increase your curl weight. Long story short, this guide will answer all your questions about curling. So, without any further ado, let’s get into it.
Why Should You Know the Average Curl Weight?
Knowing the average curl weight for your group will tell you how you stack up against your peers. These benchmarks will give you a goal, allow you to track your progress, and keep you accountable.
Furthermore, many rookies set themselves up for injury while training, as they try to do too much too soon. Knowing the average curl weight for your experience level will help you set realistic targets for yourself.
Average Curl Weight For Dumbbells Curl
Contrary to what most lifters think, your weight on the dumbbell curl will not be the same as that on your barbell curl. Give below are the average curl weight for males and females on dumbbells and barbells. Use this data to select the right weight for your next workout.
Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Males
The information presented below is derived from the analysis of 1,910,923 lifts conducted by Strength Level based on a person’s one-rep maximum (1RM).
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
130
10
23
42
66
96
140
11
25
44
70
100
150
12
27
47
73
104
160
14
29
50
76
108
170
15
30
52
80
111
180
16
32
54
83
115
190
18
34
57
85
118
200
19
36
59
88
121
210
20
37
61
91
124
220
21
39
63
93
127
230
23
41
65
96
130
Note: These weights are for one dumbbell.
The average dumbbell curl weight for a male intermediate lifter is 52 pounds. On the other hand, the average curl weight for beginners is 14 pounds, 29 pounds for novices, 80 pounds for advanced lifters, and 113 pounds for the elite.
According to the data, novice male lifters are capable of curling nearly twice the amount of weight as beginners across the weight classes. The disparity in dumbbell curl weight between inexperienced and elite athletes diminishes as body weight increases.
Average Dumbbell Curl Weight For Females
Men are generally stronger than their female counterparts, and this can be seen in curl weight comparisons throughout this article.
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
110
6
13
25
40
58
120
6
15
27
43
61
130
7
16
28
45
63
140
8
17
30
46
66
150
9
18
31
48
68
160
9
19
33
50
70
170
10
20
34
51
72
180
11
21
35
53
73
190
12
22
36
54
75
200
12
23
38
56
77
On average, a female intermediate lifter can dumbbell curl 30 pounds. However, for beginner athletes, the weight capacity is around 8 pounds, 17 pounds for novices, 47 pounds for advanced athletes, and 67 pounds for elite lifters.
While the difference between the male and female lifters is 6 pounds at the newbie level, it widens to 46 pounds for the advanced exercisers in the dumbbell curl.
Average Curl Weight For Barbells Curl
The average barbell curl data is based on 1,647,530 lifts. The participants used an Olympic barbell (45 pounds) for this test.
Average Barbell Curl Weight For Males
Here is the average barbell curl weight for males across different weight groups:
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
130
27
49
79
117
160
140
30
54
85
124
169
150
34
58
91
131
177
160
37
63
97
138
184
170
41
67
102
145
192
180
44
72
108
151
199
190
47
76
113
157
206
200
50
80
118
163
213
210
54
84
122
168
219
220
57
88
127
174
225
230
60
91
131
179
231
Male intermediate lifters typically have an average barbell curl weight of 103 pounds. In comparison, beginners can curl 38 pounds, novices can lift 66 pounds, advanced lifters can handle 149 pounds, and elite athletes can manage an impressive 201 pounds.
Average Barbell Curl Weight For Females
Here is the average barbell curl weight for females across different weight groups:
Weight (in pounds)
Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Elite
110
10
24
45
71
103
120
12
26
48
75
108
130
13
29
51
79
112
140
15
31
54
83
117
150
16
33
56
86
121
160
18
35
59
90
125
170
19
37
62
93
128
180
21
39
64
96
132
190
22
41
67
99
135
200
23
43
69
102
139
On average, female lifters can curl 54 pounds with a barbell. However, beginners typically start with 14 pounds, novices can manage 31 pounds, advanced lifters can lift 85 pounds, and elite female athletes can curl an impressive 120 pounds.
Factors Affecting Curl Weight
These factors can influence your curl weight:
Age
For people between 15-90, the average curling strength maxes out at 25 for elite athletes and stays constant up to 40, after which it starts tapering. You should go all out between 25 and 40 if you want to set a monster biceps curl PR.
Gender
On average, males exhibit greater strength than females. Men in the same age, experience, and weight bracket will be able to lift heavier than their female counterparts.
Weight
Heavier folks will generally be able to lift more than their peers in the same age and experience group. The additional weight provides more strength and stability required to lift heavier weights.
Experience Level
More experienced lifters will, on average, be able to curl heavier weights than those with lesser experience. It is mainly because experienced lifters have spent more time mastering their craft and have the muscle power to back it up.
Exercise Variation
You shouldn’t expect to curl the same weight on the standing barbell curl as the barbell preacher curl. Furthermore, your grip (overhand or underhand) and hand placement also play a role in determining how much weight you can curl.
Training Goal
People training to compete in a strict curl competition can curl more than a recreational lifter. Strength-focused athletes use the 1-5 rep range to go as heavy as possible. On the flip side, people focusing on aesthetics stay in the 8-12 rep range.
Form
Your exercise form plays a crucial role in how much you can curl. Lifters using a lousy form and a lot of momentum will be able to lift heavier than folks using a strict form. Despite the allure of lifting heavy, you should stick to a strict form, as neglecting your form increases your risk of injury.
How To Find Your 1RM Curl Weight
The weights listed in this article are one-rep maxes. Notably, attempting a one-rep max without the right skills and experience can lead to injury. You must perform a 1RM under expert supervision, especially if you are a rookie.
Use a one-rep max calculator to find the maximum weight you can curl on a particular exercise variation. You, however, need to perform the exercise before using the calculator. Input the weights you used and the reps you were able to complete on the exercise with the perfect form to get your one-rep max number.
How To Curl With the Correct Form
This is how to perform the barbell and dumbbell curl with the correct form:
Dumbbell Curl
Stand tall with a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip.
The dumbbells should be resting on the outside of your thighs at the starting position.
Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, curl the dumbbells to your chest height.
Turn your palms toward the ceiling during the concentric (upward) movement.
Pause and contract your guns at the top.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Turn your palms inward at the top for optimal biceps peak contraction.
Check out our complete dumbbell curl guide here!
Barbell Curl
Stand upright with a hip-width stance.
Hold the bar with a shoulder-wide underhand grip.
Keeping your elbows pinned, curl the bar to your shoulder level.
Pause and contract your biceps at the top.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Control the weights on the eccentric (lowering) motion. Letting the bar drop to your thighs removes the tension from your biceps.
Check out our complete barbell curl guide here!
How To Increase Your Maximum Curl Weight
Use the following tips to improve your biceps curling performance:
Progressive Overload
To lift heavier on the biceps curl, you must constantly engage in challenging workouts. Contrary to what most lifters think, you don’t always have to lift heavy weights in each workout to get stronger.
Advanced training techniques like dropsets, supersets, and intraset stretching can provide the stimulus required for muscle and strength gains. Furthermore, you could also increase your training intensity and volume to spur growth.
Diet
You cannot out-train a bad diet. If you want to grow bigger and stronger, you must follow a balanced diet. Stick to your daily caloric goals and a high protein intake. Seek expert help if you lack the knowledge to design an effective diet.
Rest
Training your arms every day might sound like a good plan to build strength and muscle mass; it, however, can stall your growth because of overtraining. Your biceps are a small muscle group and require at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to recover optimally. Training them too frequently can increase your risk of injury.
FAQs
How to know if I’m curling sufficient weights?
Your ideal curl weight will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. Use the average weights given for the barbell and dumbbell curl above to tally your performance. You’ve nothing to worry about If you’re curling more than the average for your weight class.
How much weight should I use for bicep curls?
Again, the weights you will use will depend on your age, gender, weight, experience level, and exercise variation. You will also have to adjust your weights according to your training goal. Lifters training for hypertrophy should use a weight that allows them to complete 8-12 reps with a picture-perfect form. On the other hand, folks focusing on strength gains will be better off in the 1-5 rep range. [1]
Also Check Out:
Average Bench Press By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Deadlift By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Squat By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Pull-Up and Chin-Up By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Average Power Clean By Weight, Gender, and Experience Level
Wrapping Up
Knowing the average curl weight for males and females can help you set realistic goals. You must, however, ensure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. After you have found the average curl weight for your age, weight, gender, and experience level, you shouldn’t take on that weight in your first gym session.
Use progressive overload techniques to develop the necessary strength to lift the average curl weight for your group and then some more. Remember, always prioritize lifting with the correct form over moving heavy weights. Best of luck!
References
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.