Hi all, sorry about the dumb question but it's been bothering me since yesterday.

Long story short,
-Usually do preacher curls with decent weight, but don't extend my arms out 100%. (locked elbows)
-Extension is around 75-80% as I have been told that locked joints is never good and it's a good idea to hold some degree of tension in weight training.
-I feel my biceps are pretty decently developed in terms of looks, size and strength. (so this technique has always worked for me)

-Got a lecture from a friend that I MUST extend 100%.

-how do you all do your preacher curls? Do I need to unlearn everything I've known about this workout? I just hate getting lectured/advice from people that I feel don't know what they're talking about when it comes to fitness matters.

Thx in advance.

 

I go pretty close, but never ever lock my elbows. That's gotta be terrible for you, especially with higher weights...

 

I would say 90%. I'm not sure why he would say you MUST need to go 100%. You would put too much strain on your elbows.

 

with preacher curls? I don't lock my elbows, but I DO come pretty close... but I DO lock on seated dumb-bell curls...

 

I agree. I come close but never actually lock out. 100% sounds like a good way to injure yourself.

 

Hmm, maybe not 100% but I guess it's more like the 90% range is what he was going for.

he was definitely locking his elbows and swaying/using a lot of back/shoulders when he was doing them though.

I guess i just hate getting lectured/advised by certain people =/.

 

It can almost be compared to locking your knees while doing leg press... (even though one's a "pull" muscle and the other is a "push" muscle, either way, I don't lock my knees when I do leg press or squats)

 

if he is using his back/shoulders/not his arms, he has on too much weight. the preacher curls are for your arms, use other excercises to work on the other body parts.

 

the funny thing is he had almost no weight on the bar.

he just had really really shitty form =/.

 

Sounds like he has no idea what he is talking about then.

 

no you shouldn't lock. if you are hearing little pops or creaks (which is possible even without weight), you could be damaging the cartilage. it breaks off and just hangs out in the joint cavity and doesn't really heal.

 

I would think locking your arms out doing preacher curls would give you a high chance of hyperextenting at your elbows. I straighten out, but don't lock, I see some people putting lots of weight on and only extending half way, they say how much they can lift, but with bad form it's all talk.

 

which reminds me, I see people in the gym all the time locking their knees on the leg press machines..... I don't claim to know as much about working out as many of you guys on here, do, but I know enough that locking your knees with 600+ pounds pushing back onto them CAN'T BE GOOD. I cringe everytime I see people doing that.

 

You're right. With most resistance excercises, you don't want to lock out...risks hyperextending the joint. Stopping short of lock out also keeps the muscles loaded so they get more work.

 

I see similar stuff, usually the younger kids with the leg press. They'll kick the weight out, then lock for a second I would hate to see how their knees are if they keep that up.

 

I usually avoid preacher curls as it doesn't seem to work for me, I usually feel soreness around my bicep, near my elbow. Actually I don't really do bicep-specific exercises as most of the back exercises I do incorporate my biceps.

 

...what's even worst is when people like that don't understand the importance of the placement of the feet (on the platform, of the leg press/hack squat)... You never want to "plant" your feet so low where... when you lower the platform, you knees go over your toes... (in other words, when you lower, you should still be able to see the tip of your toes)... that puts sooooooo much stress on the knees! It's painful just to watch... especially when they have a shit load of weight...

 

i always use the bicep machine. and like everyone else said, it is almost 100% extension. just make sure that pinch your bicep at the end of the curl there, Tyson(Tim).