The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Bicep Curl in Strength Sports

From Powerlifting's Fourth Lift to Its Own Championship: The Strange Journey of Competitive Arm Curling

A 15-minute exploration of how the bicep curl went from being a competitive powerlifting movement to a banned exercise to its modern renaissance as a standalone sport

Picture this: It's 1959 in Britain, and you're at a strength competition. The announcer calls for the first event, and it's not the squat or bench press — it's the bicep curl. Athletes line up against a wall, grab their barbells, and begin curling weights that would make modern gym-goers' jaws drop. This wasn't some sideshow; this was serious competition, and the bicep curl was a main event.

Fast forward to today, and the bicep curl occupies a strange place in strength sports. It's simultaneously the most performed exercise in gyms worldwide and one of the most controversial movements in competitive lifting. How did we get here? Why does Russia have two different categories for bicep curls — "classic" and "extreme"? And why are there athletes dedicating their careers to an exercise that most powerlifters dismiss as "arm day fluff"?

The Forgotten Fourth Lift

In the early days of what would become powerlifting, there was no standardized set of lifts. The 1950s and early 1960s were the Wild West of strength sports. Competitions might include any combination of:

Squat
Bench press
Deadlift
Overhead press
Bicep curl
Behind-the-neck press
Continental clean
One-arm deadlift

In Britain, there was even a specific competition format called the "Strength Set" that consisted of three lifts performed in this exact order:

Bicep curl (yes, first!)
Bench press
Squat

The logic was interesting: start with the smallest muscle groups and work your way up to the largest. This prevented athletes from being too fatigued to properly test their arm strength after heavy squatting.

The bicep curl wasn't just an afterthought — it was considered a true test of upper body pulling strength. Athletes would train it as seriously as any other lift, developing specific techniques, programming, and even specialized equipment.

Why the Bicep Curl Got Banned

By the mid-1960s, powerlifting was evolving from a collection of "odd lifts" (exercises that weren't part of Olympic weightlifting) into a standardized sport. The International Powerlifting Federation needed to choose which lifts would become the official competition movements.

The bicep curl didn't make the cut, and for several reasons:

1. Judging Nightmares

Unlike a squat (hip crease below knee) or bench press (bar touches chest, press to lockout), the bicep curl was incredibly difficult to judge consistently. What constituted cheating? How much back lean was acceptable? Could you use momentum at the start? Every federation had different standards, and even within federations, judging was wildly inconsistent.

2. The Cheat Curl Problem

As weights got heavier, athletes got creative. The "strict" curl evolved into what strongmen called "cheat curls" — using hip drive, back lean, and momentum to move massive weights. Some athletes were essentially doing a reverse-grip power clean. Where do you draw the line?

3. Injury Concerns

Heavy bicep curls, especially with the cheating that inevitably occurred, led to a high rate of bicep tears and lower back injuries. The risk-reward ratio was questioned, especially as weights climbed over 200 pounds.

4. Time Constraints

Adding a fourth lift to competitions significantly increased their length. With three attempts per lift, warm-ups, and judging deliberations, competitions were already all-day affairs.

The Underground Survival

Despite being dropped from official powerlifting, the bicep curl never really died. It just went underground.

In the United States, CT Fletcher became a legend in the 1980s and early 1990s by specializing in the strict curl. He won three world championships and strict curled 225 pounds (102 kg) — a weight that most people can't even bench press. Fletcher's famous quote, "I command you to grow!" was actually directed at his biceps during brutal curling sessions.

In the Soviet Union and later Russia, the bicep curl remained part of strength classification standards. But here's where it gets truly fascinating: they developed THREE distinct categories, each testing different aspects of arm strength:

Strict Bicep Curl (Строгий подъем на бицепс)

Most Prestigious Category
Performed seated with full back support
Absolutely zero body movement allowed
Back must remain in contact with support throughout
Most isolated bicep test possible
Lowest weights but highest respect
Similar to preacher curl in isolation level

Classic Bicep Curl (Классический подъем на бицепс)

Performed standing with back against a wall
No hip movement allowed
No backward lean
Strict elbow position
EZ-bar or straight bar allowed
Full range of motion required
Middle ground between strict and extreme

Extreme Bicep Curl (Экстремальный подъем на бицепс)

Standing freely (no wall support)
Controlled body English allowed
Hip drive permitted at the start
Back lean up to a certain angle
Heavier weights possible
More similar to how strongmen train
Tests functional strength

This triple system is genius: it creates a hierarchy of difficulty and prestige. The strict curl is the gold standard — if you can curl heavy weight seated with zero momentum, you have truly strong biceps. The classic is the practical test for most athletes. The extreme acknowledges real-world strength application.

The Modern Renaissance

In the 2010s, something interesting happened: the bicep curl started making a comeback as a competitive lift.

The Strict Curl Championships

Several federations began holding dedicated strict curl championships. The rules were standardized:

Back against an inclined pad (usually at 75-80 degrees)
Feet must remain stationary
No hip movement
Arms must fully extend at the bottom
Bar must touch chest/shoulders at the top
EZ-bar is standard (easier on wrists)

World records started being officially tracked. As of 2024:

Men's record: ~250 pounds (113 kg)
Women's record: ~135 pounds (61 kg)

The Russian/Eastern European Approach

Federations like WRPF (World Raw Powerlifting Federation) and NAP (National Association of Powerlifting) in Russia maintain detailed classification standards for both styles of curls. Athletes can earn rankings from Class III (beginner) all the way up to Elite and International Master of Sport.

The standards are weight-class specific and incredibly detailed. For example, a 75kg male athlete needs to strict curl:

Class III: 35 kg
Class II: 40 kg
Class I: 47.5 kg
Candidate Master: 55 kg
Master of Sport: 62.5 kg
International Master: 72.5 kg

The Streetlifting Movement

The newest evolution comes from streetlifting, where weighted chin-ups and pull-ups are combined with barbell curls in competition. This creates a complete test of pulling strength, combining vertical and horizontal pulling movements.

The Science Behind the Standards

The Soviet/Russian classification system for bicep curls reveals fascinating insights about human strength potential:

The 80% Rule

Generally, a trained athlete's strict curl will be about 40-50% of their bench press. This ratio is remarkably consistent across weight classes. If someone claims they curl 70% of their bench, they're either:

Using significant body English
Have unusually strong biceps
Have an unusually weak bench press

Weight Class Scaling

The standards scale non-linearly with body weight. A 60kg athlete achieving Master of Sport might curl 52.5kg (87.5% bodyweight), while a 100kg athlete needs 82.5kg (82.5% bodyweight). This reflects the principle that relative strength decreases as absolute size increases.

The Gender Gap

Women's standards are typically set at 60-65% of men's standards in the same weight class. Interestingly, this gap is smaller than in pressing movements (where women typically achieve 50-55% of male standards) but larger than in lower body movements (where women achieve 70-75%).

Training for the Curl: Then and Now

The Old School Approach (1950s-1970s)

Heavy singles and doubles
Strict form always
Limited volume (biceps recover slowly)
Barbell only
Often trained after deadlifts (pre-exhausted back)

The CT Fletcher Era (1980s-1990s)

High volume, high intensity
Training to failure and beyond
Multiple exercises per session
"Overtraining is impossible" mentality
Command-your-muscles psychological approach

Modern Russian Method (2000s-Present)

Periodized approach
Separate classic and extreme days
Technical practice with light weights
Heavy singles only in competition prep
Emphasis on tendon conditioning

The Instagram Era (2010s-Present)

Form over weight
Mind-muscle connection
Time under tension
Cable and dumbbell variations
Bicep curl as accessory, not main lift

Why Should Modern Athletes Care?

You might wonder: in an era of functional fitness and compound movements, why does the bicep curl matter?

Injury Prevention

Strong biceps protect the shoulders and elbows during heavy pulling movements. Many powerlifters who neglect direct bicep work eventually suffer bicep tears during deadlifts.

Pulling Balance

Most athletes are anterior-dominant (too much pushing, not enough pulling). The bicep curl, especially when trained strictly, helps balance this.

The Mind-Muscle Connection

No exercise teaches the mind-muscle connection better than a strict curl. You can't hide behind momentum or other muscle groups. It's just you and the weight.

Objective Progress Tracking

Unlike many exercises where form can vary, a strict curl against a wall is utterly objective. The weight either goes up or it doesn't. This makes it excellent for tracking true strength progress.

The Cultural Divide

The bicep curl reveals a fascinating cultural divide in strength training:

The Western View

In America and Western Europe, the bicep curl is often dismissed as:

"Beach muscle" exercise
Not functional
For bodybuilders only
Waste of training time
Risk of injury not worth reward

The Eastern European View

In Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other former Soviet states, the bicep curl is:

A legitimate strength test
Part of official classification standards
Worthy of dedicated training
A measure of upper body development
Connected to overall athleticism

This divide reflects deeper philosophical differences about strength training. The West tends toward minimalism and functionality. The East maintains a more comprehensive, systematic approach to strength development.

The Future of Competitive Curling

Where does the bicep curl go from here?

Standardization

Organizations like the IPF are watching the strict curl championships with interest. If the movement continues to grow, we might see truly international standards and competitions.

Technology

New equipment like the Rogue Curl Bar and specialized curl benches are making the movement safer and more standardized. Electronic judging systems could eliminate human error in competition.

Integration with Other Sports

CrossFit has notably excluded bicep curls, but other functional fitness organizations are beginning to include them. The argument: if you need to lift something in real life, you'll use your biceps.

The Classification System Goes Global

The Soviet/Russian ranking system for bicep curls is being adopted by federations worldwide. Having clear, objective standards for progression motivates athletes and provides structure to training.

Training Guidelines for Modern Athletes

If you want to test yourself against the standards, here's how to approach it:

For Beginners

Start with the empty bar
Focus on strict form against a wall
3 sets of 8-12 reps
Train biceps twice per week
Use both straight bar and EZ-bar

For Intermediate (Aiming for Class I)

Test your max monthly
Periodize: hypertrophy → strength → peaking
Include both strict and cheat variations
Add weighted chin-ups for variety
Focus on eccentric control

For Advanced (Aiming for Master of Sport)

Specialized bicep programs
Work with experienced coaches
Competition-specific peaking
Injury prevention protocols
Mental preparation for max attempts

The Philosophy of the Curl

At its core, the bicep curl represents something profound in strength sports: the tension between pure performance and aesthetic development, between functional movement and isolated strength, between Western minimalism and Eastern comprehensiveness.

The exercise that was once a competitive powerlifting movement, then banned, then resurrected, tells the story of strength sports itself. It shows how traditions evolve, how different cultures approach physical development, and how even the simplest movements can become sophisticated tests of human capability.

Whether you see the bicep curl as a legitimate strength test or just "arm day fluff," the numbers don't lie. The athletes achieving Elite and International Master of Sport rankings in the strict curl are phenomenally strong. They've dedicated years to perfecting a movement that most dismiss as simple.

Conclusion: Respect the Curl

The next time you see someone doing curls in the squat rack (the ultimate gym sin, supposedly), consider that they might be training for something more than beach muscles. They might be following a tradition that goes back to the earliest days of strength sports, pursuing standards that have been refined over decades, and testing themselves against objective measures of human capability.

The bicep curl's journey from competitive lift to banned exercise to specialized sport mirrors the evolution of strength training itself. It reminds us that there's more than one way to measure strength, more than one tradition worth preserving, and that sometimes the simplest exercises hide the most complexity.

In Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states, athletes continue to pursue bicep curl classifications with the same seriousness that powerlifters chase total PRs. They understand something that perhaps the West has forgotten: every display of strength has value, every muscle group deserves attention, and the systematic pursuit of physical development includes even the humble bicep curl.

So whether you choose the classic style (back against the wall, strict as a military inspection) or the extreme style (controlled cheating that would make CT Fletcher proud), know that you're participating in a tradition that's older than modern powerlifting itself.

The bicep curl is dead. Long live the bicep curl.

Want to test yourself against the standards? Check out the classification tables for your weight class and see where you rank. From Class III to Elite, there's a goal for every level of strength. Just remember: in the classic style, if your back leaves the wall, it doesn't count. The Russians don't play around with their standards.