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Cheat Curl [Exercise Guide]

Cheat Curl

What Is A Cheat Curl

Curls are an absolute must if you want to build big, strong biceps. Such exercises work all the muscles in your upper body. Bicep curls may be performed in various ways, some of which are better for fitness development than others. 

Cheat curl is a strength isolation workout recommended for intermediate-level athletes. Unlike the conventional bicep curl, in which strict form is required, the cheat curl allows the lifter to use hip movement to raise the weight. You can do the exercise with dumbbells or a barbell with the help of an incline bench or a preacher pad.

What Muscles Does A Cheat Curl Work

The workout primarily targets biceps brachii. Secondary the exercise loads:

  • Brachioradialis
  • Brachialis
  • Forearm Flexors

Biceps flex arms. Other functions are bringing the forearm closer to the body and decreasing the angle at the upper arm/forearm joint. Forearm pronation and supination are additional benefits. Flexing and supination allow you to fully contract your biceps and grow as much muscle mass as possible. Cheat curls are performed so that one may maximize the use of this particular anatomical feature.

How To Perform A Cheat Curl 

Step 1. Set up

Heavy weights are ideal while doing cheat curls. How to choose the weight, right? One should pick around 15 percent greater than the heaviest weight you can lift for 10–12 repetitions. After you’ve already done a few reps and can’t possibly do any more, you’ll have to compromise form to finish the set. A straight bar or an E-Z curl bar may be used for this workout.

Step 2. Starting position and choosing the grip

Start by holding the barbell on your thighs while standing, using a shoulder-width grip. The choice of grip can influence the exercise’s focus. Keeping your forearm supinated will bring the most load to the biceps brachii. Is your aim to pump brachioradialis? Then use a pronated grip while exercising.

Step 3. Do the curl

Lift the load by curling your arms upward and releasing your breath as you go. Relax and let go of the weight as you exhale the air out of your lungs. As you pull the bar toward your chest, push your hips back and then push them forward. Keep your elbows locked at your sides the whole time. While doing a curl, many individuals lift their elbows forward at the apex of the action without risking injury. Yet, doing so significantly increases the workload on the anterior deltoids.

At the peak of the rep, avoid hyperextending your spine by leaning back. If you’re using your hips to help you raise the bar and still having trouble, you probably should use lighter weights. If you’ve loaded a huge amount of weight that only permits a few repetitions, finish the set by swinging the weight upward for each of the remaining reps.

How To Use Cheat Curls Safely?

The first secret to proper form is using the right amount of momentum. Too much motion will lead to losing the movement’s effectiveness. An insufficient effort will not allow you to lift the weight at all. So a golden middle is needed. Find the method where momentum and muscle may synergize.

If you become stuck in a certain motion, don’t give up! Keep moving forward. Maintain a constant, unchanging weight and don’t let up on the pressure. You can keep going without resting, reducing the weight, or pausing the set if you utilize momentum to your advantage.

Are you looking to increase your arm strength safely? Lifting on negatives works best for it. On the downside, you have a 60% higher tolerance for stress. Boost your power by employing cheats on the positive half of your repetitions while maintaining precise control over the negative half.

Benefits Of Cheat Curls

Maximum eccentric load

The cheat curl implies hyperextending your arm or back and stabilizing your shoulders to curl a heavier weight. During the eccentric phase of a rep, the muscle is actively lengthening. That’s the portion of the exercise when you bring the bar down toward your thighs. This sparks the majority of muscle hypertrophy. The main thing during the workout is not to shrug your shoulders or lean forward. Then your biceps will get the maximum benefit.

Getting used to heavier weights

By definition, a “cheated rep” involves a weight movement that deviates from the norm. Putting in 100% on every rep forces you to concentrate on the muscles you’re working. As you exercise, you use your body as a whole to lift the weight instead of just one targeted muscle. Greater weight may be lifted when supporting muscles are called upon to assist. It allows you to use bigger dumbbells or heavier bars, which provides even more load.

More tension for bigger biceps

Increased muscular tension is a direct result of cheat curls. The stress on the body’s metabolic system grows, leading to more tension. Practicing this workout regularly may therefore increase key factors for kicking off muscular development. You may push your biceps with heavy weights, high repetitions, or a hard eccentric action for better muscle definition.

Conclusion 

When executed correctly, the cheat curl will enable you to use excessively high weights to train your biceps effectively. Doing this workout requires a great deal of strength and stamina. This fact aids in recruiting more muscle fibers, resulting in stronger contraction and enhanced muscular growth.