Cheat Curls

Setting up the cheat curl correctly

The cheat curl is the most controversial bicep exercise because the cheating is intentional. Done with control it produces eccentric overload. Done without control it produces injuries. The setup and execution decide which.

1. Stance and grip

Stand with feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the barbell in a supinated grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Hands turned outward to match wrist position. The arms hang straight down at the start with the bar resting against the thighs.

2. The controlled hip drive

Begin the rep with a deliberate hip extension. Drive the hips slightly forward to help start the bar moving. This is the controlled cheat. The hip movement should be subtle and deliberate, not a wild swing. The hip drive helps overcome the bottom sticking point of the curl.

3. The curl

As the hips drive forward begin the bicep curl. The bar travels up in an arc. The biceps take over as the bar passes the hardest sticking point. The elbows stay relatively pinned at the sides though slightly more forward drift than strict curls is acceptable.

4. The peak contraction

At the top of the rep the biceps fully contract. Hold for half a second to one second. The trunk returns to upright after the cheat. The peak contraction position should look exactly like a strict curl peak with the bar at chest height and elbows at the sides.

5. The controlled descent

This is the most important phase. Lower the bar under strict control over three seconds. The eccentric is what makes the cheat curl productive. The biceps handle the heavy descending load even though they could not lift it strict on the concentric. Without the controlled eccentric the cheat curl is just an injury risk.

What cheat curls train

The cheat curl trains the same muscles as a strict barbell curl but at heavier loads through the eccentric portion. The result is bicep eccentric overload that can drive hypertrophy beyond what strict curls allow.

Biceps brachii (eccentric)

Primary mover during the eccentric phase. The biceps can handle approximately 30 to 40 percent more load eccentrically than concentrically. The cheat curl exploits this by using hip drive to get heavy loads to the top position then training the biceps with the heavy eccentric on the way down. Schoenfeld and colleagues have shown eccentric loading drives significant hypertrophy.

Brachialis

Loaded heavily during both concentric and eccentric phases. The brachialis sits beneath the biceps and contributes to elbow flexion regardless of loading direction. Heavy cheat curls produce significant brachialis hypertrophy stimulus.

Spinal erectors and lower back

The hip drive during the concentric phase loads the spinal erectors. This is the cost of the cheat curl. Done with control the erector loading is manageable. Done without control the erector loading becomes excessive and injuries follow.

Forearm flexors and grip

The forearm flexors hold the heavy barbell. Grip becomes a meaningful factor on cheat curls because the loads are heavier than strict curls. Most lifters can complete sets without strap assistance up to roughly 100 percent of strict barbell curl weight.

Five errors on cheat curls

The cheat curl is one of the easiest exercises to do wrong. The cheating that makes the lift productive can quickly become the cheating that makes it dangerous. These are the errors to watch.

Excessive hip swing

The hip drive should be subtle and deliberate. Wild trunk swing turns the lift from a controlled overload into an injury risk. The hip movement helps start the bar moving and helps overcome the sticking point. Beyond that the biceps should do the work.

Dropping the eccentric

The eccentric is what makes the cheat curl productive. Without the controlled descent the cheat curl is just a momentum exercise. Three seconds on the way down every rep. If you cannot control the descent the load is too heavy. Drop weight.

Rounded lower back

Lumbar flexion during the hip drive can produce back injury. The lower back should stay neutral throughout the cheat. The hip movement is hip extension not lumbar extension. Filming from the side helps spot lumbar flexion in the trunk movement.

Using cheat curls as the main exercise

Cheat curls are an overload tool, not a main exercise. They should sit alongside strict curls in a programme, not replace them. Lifters who only do cheat curls develop poor strict curl strength and accumulate back fatigue over time.

Going too heavy too soon

The cheat curl invites ego loading because the bar can be moved with momentum even when biceps strength is insufficient. NSCA Essentials recommends loading that allows controlled movement. For cheat curls this means loads that allow controlled eccentric. Most lifters work with 110 to 130 percent of strict barbell curl weight.

Sets, reps and where cheat curls fit

Cheat curls are a specialised overload tool. They sit at the end of a bicep session as an eccentric overload finisher after the main strict curl work has been done.

Eccentric overload: 3 to 5 reps

The primary use case. 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps at 110 to 130 percent of strict barbell curl weight. Three minutes rest between sets. Each rep uses controlled hip drive on the concentric and strict three second eccentric. This is overload training, not strength training.

Hypertrophy: 5 to 8 reps

Higher rep cheat curls work as a hypertrophy stimulus. 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps at 105 to 115 percent of strict barbell curl weight. The cumulative eccentric load across multiple reps drives hypertrophy. Reset position between every rep.

Frequency

Once per week is enough for most lifters. The eccentric load and the trunk demand mean cheat curls produce more recovery cost than strict curls. Two sessions per week is possible if total volume is managed and other bicep work is reduced.

Programme placement

Place cheat curls at the end of a bicep session after strict barbell curls and isolation work. They function as the heavy finisher. Avoid placing cheat curls before back exercises because the residual lower back fatigue will compromise rowing and pulling.

When to use cheat curls

Cheat curls are most useful for advanced lifters whose strict curls have plateaued. For beginners and intermediate lifters strict curls produce sufficient stimulus. Add cheat curls when strict curls stop producing measurable progress over 8 to 12 weeks of consistent training.

More on bicep training

For the strict standard version, our Barbell curls guide covers the foundation lift that cheat curls build on. EZ bar curls are the wrist friendly strict alternative. And the Drag curls page covers another variation that biases the long head of the biceps.