Like many other gym enthusiasts and bodybuilders know, barbell curls are a popular choice for building arm and upper body strength.
The variation is performed by using barbells to perform bicep curls, which helps you get in shape fast since they emphasize strength conditioning.
To maximise your leg skills, try adding a barbell wide grip standing barbell curl to your training routine.
Wide grip standing barbell curl hit the upper arm muscles, brachii and brachialis. These muscle groups, when used with the triceps and biceps, comprise arm strength in bodybuilding.
When it comes to your everyday life, they help with lifting objects by contracting when you extend your arms.
There are several ways to perform a wide grip standing barbell curl– you can do them on an incline bench or sit in a chair for support.
Wide grip standing barbell curl is one of the best barbell bicep exercises you can do.
They give you a lot of power and force because they allow you to lift large amounts of weight at peak heights.
If your current routine needs more intensity, this movement is a must-have in your workouts.
you must read Rope bicep curl.
let’s discuss what are barbell curl:
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Barbells are powerful equipment that can help you lose weight and build muscle. They’re both great at activating stabilizer muscles, which can lead to better balance and posture.
A barbell is a powerful tool for muscle growth because of its heavier weight. The barbell curl can allow for greater muscle symmetry and more rapid hypertrophy.
There are many different types of barbell curls, but the wide grip barbell curl is the most popular.
The difference between a regular curl and a wide grip is in how one uses their hands to hold on to the bars.
Unlike the standard barbell curl, the wide grip variation is done with your hands gripping the barbell in a supinated grip that is wider than shoulder width.
A lot of people don’t believe that holding the weights in different grips creates different results.
Many people argue that weight is the only factor when it comes to muscle gain and targeted muscles.
This, however, is not true. Wide grip curls have been shown to activate the short head of the bicep.
let’s discuss the wide grip standing barbell curl:

A wide grip standing barbell curl is perfect for targeting the biceps, especially the short head, which is engaged when this type of curl is being executed.
Combined with its ability to isolate, it makes for a great exercise for cross-trainers looking to build bulk and strength in their forearm as well.
Focusing on the wide grip standing barbell curl for bicep growth is a great idea because it raises exercise principles that apply here.
Bicep Brachii contributes to elbow flexion and wrist movement. The short head of the Biceps Brachii will help you with arm flexion and supination.
the short head of the bicep muscles:
The wide grip standing barbell curl is not a simple weight lifting hype that dies in the gym because that’s how the bicep is listed in Latin.
The biceps are located between the shoulder and elbow and are small, intricate muscles that come with two heads-the brachialis and the long head.
Instead of just one piece of beef, the biceps are splitting into an intricate muscle group.
Wide grip standing barbell curl concentrates on working the long and short head of the bicep. The long head connects to the lower arm and helps with preventing any Elbow Dysfunction,
while the short head connects to a large bone and is essential in taking part in abduction movement or moving the arm away from the body.
The short end of a bicep is an effective way to reveal muscle growth when flexing, especially if you are more interested in the bicep.
The long head of the biceps is built with a barbell and dumbbell curl, which is best for people who want to gain a general look of bulk. We recommend that you use a wide grip curl for increased effect.
The short head of the bicep is on the inside of the upper arm, surrounded by the long head. Combined, it gives an appearance of more muscle mass.
Building this muscle will provide you with an improved definition of your arms and increased strength in your body.
It is worth including the short head of the bicep when strengthening your arm since it provides support for your shoulder joint.
Shoulder joint stability is important and protects against injury. The short head muscles are hard to target so you’ll likely still need to add some other moves in too.
There is no isolation workout 100% isolated from all others.
One exercise that will help to isolate one aspect of workouts is the wide grip barbell curls, for arms, the weight will shift to this one side which will provide a better peak workout.
The wider grip barbell curls are not as good at maximizing overall effect as regular barbell curls but can help isolate the short head of your bicep.
wide grip vs close grip barbell curl. which one is better?

Welcome to our wide grip vs close grip debate. You’ll learn all the subtle differences between these two popular exercises, and which one is most effective for building your biceps, in the next few minutes.
the key difference:
- When doing close grip curls, the biceps’ long head is emphasised and doing wide-grip curls indicates that the short head of the biceps is prioritised.
- A wide grip can allow you to lift heavier weights than a narrower grip on bicep curls.
- Close-grip curls tend to produce a stronger peak contraction because your biceps are at the end of their range.
which one is effective for building more muscle?
Exercises like the close grip standing barbell curl and close EZ bar curls work out the outer muscle fibres of your biceps more than other curling exercises.
The long head of the biceps is what makes it bulkier and more defined in terms of shape. If you would like your bicep to look taller, then the close-grip curls are a better choice because they target the long head more than barbell curls.
On the one hand, exercises such as wide cable bicep curls and wide dumbbell curls emphasize the short head of the biceps muscle. This part of the muscle makes them look thicker and round – so it’s definitely worth focusing on this part as well.
So which one is best for muscle growth? It depends on which head is less developed than you. for instance, in case your long head has greater room to develop than your short head, then close grip curls will offer better development.
which one is better for gaining strength?
Wide-grip curls are a better choice for most people. Because of the shorter range of motion, your biceps need to work less to perform the exercise.
This is because you have not reached your maximum range of motion. However, there is nothing different about barbells.
Either way, you will be able to progressively overload by incrementally increasing your weight as you train. So for gaining strength, there is no difference between a barbell and a dumbbell curl.
should we do both exercises?
It is a good idea to perform both wide grip and narrow grip curls. One will emphasize the meat of the biceps while the other targets the foundation of the bicep gaining results quickly.
It’s generally better to split up a workout routine because doing so over two days can make you stronger than one long day.
If, for example, you’re doing 5 sets of 10 reps twice per week rather than 10 sets of 10 reps once per week, then it would take less time to see gains in muscle size and strength.
the final verdict: close grip vs wide grip barbell curl:
Close-grip and wide-grip barbell curls have different benefits depending on what you are going for in the workout.
Close-grip curls are generally more intense because your arms are positioned in front of you, while when you do a wide-grip curl with your hands outside your body, it’s easier to complete the reps.
I hope you found this debate on the advantages and disadvantages of a wide grip vs narrow grip in bench press helpful.
For optimal results, I would recommend performing both exercises to recruit the most amount of muscle fibres.
let’s discuss the benefits of wide grip standing barbell curl:
Aside from the obvious benefit of thicker-looking biceps, doing wide grip standing barbell curls is a great way to increase strength more generally. It can also be one of the exercises that you practice in training for other weightlifting activities. Although this primarily targets the biceps and brachialis, no exercise is only targeting one muscle group.
Research has found that wide grip standing barbell curl provides more weight than standard and narrow grips. Wide grip standing barbell curl can be performed by anyone, regardless of their fitness level, who starts with a manageable weight. You should not go too heavy to make sure you have a successful rep.
In a wide grip standing barbell curl, all the core muscles are highly engaged, including pronators and supinators of your wrists, the pecs, the abs and the lower back. That essentially goes a long way in how well you will perform other strongman exercises like bench presses and deadlifts.
Wide grip barbell curls are a great additional way to equally work the four heads of your biceps. You can activate grip muscles such as the brachioradialis with this exercise because it puts a lot of pressure on your hands and arms.
muscle worked during this exercise:
- Main muscle: Bicep brachii
- Secondary muscles: Brachioradialis, Brachialis, Forearm flexors
let’s see how to do a wide grip standing barbell curl perfectly:
- Stand up with your torso upright. Hold the barbell at the wide outer handle with your arms at a 90° angle to the torso. Bend down and then stand up with your knees slightly bent
- The starting position for a wide grip standing Barbell Curl is making sure you have your feet firmly on the ground, and that there is about a foot’s width between them.
- keep your body fixed and curl the bar weight up with biceps contraction as you breathe out. Tip: only forearms should move according to the wide grip standing barbell curl.
- To curl the bar with your arms, start by gripping the bar about shoulder-width apart. Remain standing and curl the bar towards your body until it reaches your shoulders. Hold this position for a second before releasing with biceps fully contracted. Squeeze hard!
- Slowly bring the weight back up to starting position while you inhale. Repeat this action for the number of repetitions listed.
some important tips:
- Do not swing the load up by means of arching your lower back. This is cheating! Do not lean forward during the exercise as well. Your body must stay fixed throughout the movement.
- Keep your arms at the side when performing a barbell biceps curl. Do not allow your elbows to move forward as you lift the weight up. Focus on moving only in your forearms when curling weights.
Wide Grip Standing Barbell Curl Alternative:
Let’s discuss some excellent alternatives for wide grip standing barbell curl. you can also perform these exercises if you are bored of doing wide grip standing barbell curl and want to switch to its alternative then you must try these exercises.
1. dumbbell curls:
Dumbbell curls are one of the most effective exercises for developing the biceps muscles. To do this exercise, you hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl your arms up towards your shoulders.
As you curl the weights up, your biceps muscles contract and work to lift the weights. This exercise can be done with different weight amounts to make it more or less challenging.
2. EZ bar curl:
The EZ bar curl is a great exercise for building biceps. It is performed by holding an EZ bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing forward.
Then, you curl the bar up until your hands are close to your shoulders. The key to this exercise is to keep your elbows stationary and not let them move forward as you curl the bar.
This exercise can be done with either a lightweight or a heavyweight, depending on your fitness level.
3. cable curls:
Cable curls are a great way to work your biceps. They can be performed with a straight bar or an EZ bar.
To do the exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the bar in front of you. Curl the bar up to your chest and then lower it back down.
make sure to keep your elbows near your body and do not swing the load.
4. drag curl:
The drag curl is one of the best exercises for targeting the biceps.
It involves holding a weight in each hand and, keeping your upper arms at your sides, curling the weights up toward your shoulders.
As you curl the weights, be sure to keep your palms facing your thighs; this ensures that you work your biceps through their entire range of motion.
5. seated barbell curl:
The seated barbell curl is a great exercise for developing the biceps.
The biceps are worked when the weights are lifted from hanging at arm’s length by the sides to the position of contracted half-curls at shoulder level.
The exercise can be performed with either a straight barbell or an EZ-curl bar. It is important to keep the back straight and maintain good form throughout the exercise.
people also ask:
how wide should the grip for a wide grip standing barbell curl?
I used to do wide-grip standing barbell curls to work on my bicep peak. I found that a grip between 46 cm (18″) and 50 cm (20″), depending on forearm size, gives the best possible balance of peak & development of the rest of the muscle. Grip any further out, and you won’t get a peak; too close, and it will feel like wrist curls.
do wide grip barbell curl cause elbow problems?
I think the wide grip barbell curl is fine for your elbows. I have never had an elbow problem from doing the wide grip barbell curl.
My only suggestion would be to vary the amount of weight you lift. Don’t do little and light sets all week then go do a heavy set with low reps on the weekend.
Instead, try lifting moderate amounts of weight for higher reps during your normal workouts, but cut back every once in a while to a lighter weight and higher rep range as well.
can we do seated wide grip barbell curl?
Yes, you can do seated wide grip barbell curl. The best way to do it is using all 3 sitting positions, that is, start on a 70-degree hip angle and perform your regular wide grip seated curls with a 50 rep cadence. Then rotate your hips (like you are going to stand up) and sit back down but this time at 30 degrees hip angle doing another 30 reps of the seated wide grip barbell curl.