Bicep work with limited wrist involvement

[medic002]

Basically, I have been curling pretty heavy weights recently (75kg, cable machine) but I keep on getting wrist injuries that take me out for a week or two. So I have been searching round for a good bicep exercise that puts the least possible strain on the wrist. I was thinking of more pulling-type exercises, but they primarily work some area of the back or posterior deltoids, with the biceps only getting a secondary workout.

I was thinking of lat pulls but not all the way down to the chest? but that seemed stupid

[strathmeyer]

I searched 'pull up with ab straps' and this may be what you're looking for. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS5IKU1XFvU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

[ephs]

from what i've learnt in the last months: stop doing curls and start doing pull ups and barbell rows

[Dub]

Have you thought about maybe doing something to the wrist pain instead of just going around it? If you are going heavy on some curls, so you might want to consider the following:
- Doing actual wrist and grip strengthening forearm exercises.
- Finding variations to curls that are more challenging on smaller loads.
- Getting out of that cable machine. This tought just occurred to me, I was thinking the strength curve and the pulling force and momemtum the cable has. The plain of motion is also quite simple and fixed. Free weigths might give it a different feeling.

[hoosegow]

Squat - it is the best bicep building exercise.

[Matt Z]

I agree with what was already said about pull-ups and rows. Also, dumbbell curls may put less stress on your wrists than barbell curls.

[xshawnxearthx]

BB and ez bar curls put weird strains on my left wrist that I sprained a few years back. I switched to DB and haven't had a problem....especially with hammer curls.

[Oscar_Actuary]

cable curls with rope

lots of rowing and deadlfts

and ground beef

[robertscott]

concentration curls, two second pause in the contracted position, 3 second negative.

[Jungledoc]

...with the biceps only getting a secondary workout.

So, what's wrong with that? It's still working your biceps. So what if something else is getting work at the same time? And besides, why wouldn't you want to work your back? Pull. Pull up. Pull down. Pull in. Pull.

[medic002]

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I will try it with dumbbells see if it helps. I already row and do chin-ups but some more couldn't hurt :D

...with the biceps only getting a secondary workout.

So, what's wrong with that? It's still working your biceps. So what if something else is getting work at the same time? And besides, why wouldn't you want to work your back? Pull. Pull up. Pull down. Pull in. Pull.

The reason was that my biceps and brachialis are the only major muscle group that doesn't get some sort of isolation exercise. I do a lot of back work and I don't particularly want to get any more out or proportion. But you are, as ever, correct.

[hoosegow]

The don't need isolation work. You want big arms, squat.

[robertscott]

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I will try it with dumbbells see if it helps. I already row and do chin-ups but some more couldn't hurt :D

...with the biceps only getting a secondary workout.

So, what's wrong with that? It's still working your biceps. So what if something else is getting work at the same time? And besides, why wouldn't you want to work your back? Pull. Pull up. Pull down. Pull in. Pull.

The reason was that my biceps and brachialis are the only major muscle group that doesn't get some sort of isolation exercise. I do a lot of back work and I don't particularly want to get any more out or proportion. But you are, as ever, correct.

don't listen to these people. Doing back exercises to bring up your biceps is dumb. There's a reason why every single person with decent arms does direct arm work...

[Oscar_Actuary]

The don't need isolation work. You want big arms, squat.

thanks Mark.

[medic002]

The don't need isolation work. You want big arms, squat.

I have to ask, I really can't see how squatting strengthens the arms?

Have you thought about maybe doing something to the wrist pain instead of just going around it? If you are going heavy on some curls, so you might want to consider the following:
- Doing actual wrist and grip strengthening forearm exercises.
- Finding variations to curls that are more challenging on smaller loads.
- Getting out of that cable machine. This tought just occurred to me, I was thinking the strength curve and the pulling force and momemtum the cable has. The plain of motion is also quite simple and fixed. Free weigths might give it a different feeling.

Sorry I should have answered this. I am stepping up the wrist/grip work but at the moment they are too still to weak.

I changed to the cable machine because, surprisingly, it was less stress on the wrist then using a barbell