Why do some people do barbell curls with their hands reversed?

Why do some people do barbell curls with their hands reversed?

Good question. While most of the time you will see people doing standard barbell curls, that is with their palms facing up, every now and then you’ll catch someone doing reverse curls. Although they don’t seem to be as commonly practiced as they once were, reverse curls are an excellent arm-building exercise which you should make a part of your routine.

When you switch your grip from palms-up to palms-down you bring the brachioradialis into play, which doesn’t receive as much stress from standard curls. The brachioradialis is the muscle that runs from the outerside of your upper arm down through your forearm and serves to flex your arm at the elbow, along with your biceps. When developed fully the brachioradialis lends an impressive look of thickness to your arm, drawing a connection between the upper and lower arms.

I recommend adding three sets of 12 reps of reverse barbell curls to the end of each biceps workout. Expect to see results within 2-3 months.