The curl press is a great functional training exercise due to its ability to build strength, prep your body for daily dynamic movement demands, and the way it pairs well as a metabolic exercise.
Elevating Real-World strength
If you are an athlete or busy parent, the curl press is a great way to build translatable strength when compared to a traditional curl. In our video (below) we do this from a standing position to incorporate core stability. The movement challenges your torso and arms to control the weights/load as you go through the full range of motion. This will help make you ready to tackle the unpredictable challenges life throws at us (like lifting a cookie jar onto a shelf after sneaking one from your wife and getting a little punch in the gut for doing so ;))
The Curl Press engages multiple muscle groups—biceps, shoulders, and core—in a way that mirrors lifting your child in the air to hear a sweet giggle or lift them onto yoru shoulders to get a better view at the zoo. This isn’t just about having big biceps. Its about creating strong movements that bulletprrof you from injury and help you function better in day to day activites.
If you are an athlete or busy parent the curl press is a great way to build translatable strength when compared to a traditional curl.
Masterful Dynamic Movement
Static, linear exercises are great for building muscle but that’s where they stop. The curl press introduces a dynamic, compound movement that demands, stability throughout to complete the full range of motion. Your core creates more stabilization throughout the movement to bulletproof your spine and your tricep acts as a break as you lower the weights.
Everything is connected. Imagine a body that moves fluidly rather than piece by piece like a Frankenstein monster.
Metabolic Mix
Now, if your goal is to build lean muscle the curl press pairs well with other movements such as squats, lunges, or even cardio intervals. At Hustle we will generally pair this with a lower body non-competing movement and do them back-to-back to maximize work effort and minimize fatigue.
Perform 5 Curl Press each arm and 5 lunges each leg back and forth for 5 min and you get a full body workout, engage a lot of muscle groups, and get your heart rate elevated.
While this is great if you are looking to shed a few pounds; it’s also great at optimizing cardiovascular fitness. The dynamic nature of the curl press kicks your heart rate up and, turns your workout into a perfect mix of strength and cardiovascular endurance.
While you may prefer spending more time in the gym doing seated curls, the curl press will build more functional strength, is a more dynamic exercise that mimics real-life scenarios, and will pair better with metabolic work. Next time you are in the gym give it a try and tell us what you think.