💪 Dumbbell Strict Curls

• Form: Done with a rigid torso, no swinging or body momentum.
• Muscles Targeted: Primarily biceps, with minimal assistance from other muscles.
• Benefits:
  • Maximum isolation of the biceps.
  • Better for muscle hypertrophy (growth) and strict strength development.
  • Lower injury risk when done with proper form.
• Drawbacks:
  • Limits how much weight you can lift.
  • Fatiguing for the biceps alone, especially with high reps.

Ideal for: Building biceps size and strength with clean, controlled reps.

💥 Dumbbell Cheat Curls

• Form: Involves using body momentum — a little swing of the hips or back — to lift heavier weights.
• Muscles Targeted: Biceps still work hard, but there’s more involvement from the shoulders, hips, and lower back.
• Benefits:
  • Allows heavier weight and overload of the biceps (especially in the eccentric/lowering phase).
  • Useful for advanced lifters pushing past plateaus.
• Drawbacks:
  • Higher risk of poor form and injury, especially to the lower back.
  • Less isolation of the biceps.
  • Can become a crutch if overused.

Ideal for: Strategic overload at the end of a set or advanced techniques like forced reps.

🧠 Key Tip:

Use strict curls for the bulk of your training. You can incorporate cheat curls sparingly, usually at the end of a set to eke out a few more reps once your strict form starts to fail — but keep them controlled.