If you are into weight training, You are probably familiar with the fact that multi-joint exercises are the best exercises for building muscle mass.
Compound exercises work several muscle groups in less time, working smaller muscles directly or indirectly, depending on the exercise, and they also provide a better metabolic environment for muscle growth.
However, when it comes to the biceps, it turns out that some direct work is required in order to induce a complete stimulus.
A study comparing the effect of rows vs curls on the biceps
A recent study compares the bicep curl and the dumbbell row to see which exercise is most beneficial for arm growth. The findings show that we shouldn’t be skipping curls if we want a well developed biceps.
The research, published in Sport Sciences for Health, compared the dumbbell curl and dumbbell row to see how they affect muscle thickness in the short term, or which provides a bigger pump, and in the long run – muscle hypertrophy.
So basically two groups of lifters were put on a 8 week routine.
- The first group did a workout of 4 sets and 12 reps to failure. With one arm they would do dumbbell rows, and with the other they would do dumbbell curls.
- The second group did the same setup, but the group consisted of untrained individuals.
The researchers used ultrasound to directly evaluate the effects of curls against rows within the same person because each person exercised both arms differently.
In the short-term “pump” trial, measurements were made before and right after the workout; in the long-term “the hypertrophy trial”, measurements were made three days following the last session to track both transient swelling and real muscle growth over time.
Following a single workout, dumbbell curls bigger “pump” than the rows. While the rows increased muscle volume by roughly 13% near the shoulder and 12% near the elbow, the curls raised it by roughly 19% and 16% near the shoulder and elbow, respectively.
In the long run, dumbbell curls caused the upper and lower biceps to develop by about 5% and 11%, respectively. In contrast, the rows resulted in a comparable 5% growth in the upper arm but just a 1% change in the lower portion of the muscle.
What the researchers concluded is that the greater range of motion during biceps curl was responsible for the better results. Bicep curls provide higher tension in the stretched position, increasing the likelihood of muscle growth.
So for you as a lifter. this means that although you should absolutely have compound movements like barbell and dumbbell rows in your routine, you still need to do some isolation work for your biceps, if your goal is a more complete development.
Related:
Learn How to Increase Your Biceps Size, Definition and Strength The Savvy Way
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