Cheat Curl

Body Part: Upper Arms

Muscle: Other

Equipment: Body Weight

Cheat Curl is a standing barbell curl performed with a small amount of hip drive to help the weight move through the hardest part of the rep. It is still a biceps-focused exercise, but the goal is not to turn the lift into a full-body swing. The cheat comes from a brief, controlled body lean or hip extension at the start of the concentric phase, then the arms finish the curl with as much strict control as possible.

This movement is useful when a strict barbell curl has stalled and you want to overload the top half of the curl with clean repetitions. The biceps, forearms, and supporting muscles of the shoulders and upper back all contribute, while the trunk and glutes keep the torso from drifting too far forward. Because the bar starts against the thighs and travels close to the body, setup matters: your stance, grip width, and brace determine whether the rep feels powerful or sloppy.

The best cheat curl looks deliberate. You start tall with the bar in front of the thighs, palms facing up, wrists stacked, and elbows slightly in front of the ribs. A small knee bend and quick hip pop help the bar break free, then the elbows flex to bring the bar toward the upper chest without shrugging the shoulders or throwing the torso backward. On the way down, lower the bar slowly and reset your body position before the next rep.

This exercise works well in arm-focused sessions, upper-body accessory work, or heavier hypertrophy blocks where strict curls are no longer productive. It can help you use more load than a pure strict curl, but only if the extra weight still lets you control the lowering phase and keep the movement centered on elbow flexion. If the bar becomes a full swing, the exercise stops being a cheat curl and becomes a poorly controlled heave.

Treat the body drive as a tool, not a shortcut. The repetition should still finish with the biceps doing the work and the bar staying close to the torso. Use enough momentum to start the rep, then own the rest of the path, breathe steadily, and keep every lowering phase controlled so the set trains strength instead of just noise.

Instructions

• Stand tall with a shoulder-width stance and hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an underhand grip just outside shoulder width.
• Keep your chest lifted, wrists straight, and elbows close to your sides with the bar resting against the front of your thighs.
• Brace your abs and glutes, then take a small knee bend and slight hip hinge so you can create a short, controlled drive.
• Use that brief hip extension to start the curl and let the bar travel close to your torso.
• As the bar passes midrange, continue bending the elbows and bring it toward the upper chest without letting the shoulders roll forward.
• Squeeze the biceps near the top for a moment, then keep the torso still as you finish the rep.
• Lower the bar slowly back to the thighs under control and reset your posture before the next rep.
• Breathe out as you curl up and inhale as you lower, repeating for the planned number of reps.

Tips & Tricks

• The cheat should be small: think a quick hip pop, not a standing row or back swing.
• Keep the bar close to your thighs and torso so the biceps stay loaded instead of the shoulders taking over.
• Choose a weight you can lower slowly; the eccentric is where this curl earns most of its benefit.
• If your lower back arches hard, the load is too heavy or the hip drive is too aggressive.
• A shoulder-width underhand grip usually keeps the wrists and elbows in a strong position.
• Do not let the elbows drift way behind the body at the top; finish the curl with the arms, not with momentum.
• Keep your glutes tight and ribs down so the torso stays stacked as you reset between reps.
• Stop the set when the bar starts bouncing off the thighs or the lowering phase turns into a drop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscle does Cheat Curl target most?

The biceps are the main target, with the forearms, brachialis, and upper back helping stabilize the bar.

Can beginners perform this exercise?

Yes, but beginners should keep the hip drive very small and learn a strict curl first so the movement stays controlled.

How heavy should I train this movement?

Use a load that lets you pop the bar up and still lower it slowly. If the weight forces a big sway or back bend, it is too heavy.

What is a common mistake to avoid?

The biggest mistake is turning the rep into a full-body heave, which shifts tension away from the biceps and onto the lower back.

How is a cheat curl different from a strict barbell curl?

A strict curl keeps the torso fixed. A cheat curl uses a brief body drive to start the rep, then the arms finish the lift under control.

Where should the bar travel during the rep?

The bar should stay close to the thighs and torso and finish near the upper chest, not loop forward away from the body.

Can I use an EZ bar instead of a straight barbell?

Yes. An EZ bar can reduce wrist strain while keeping the same cheating curl pattern.

Is this exercise safe for the lower back?

It can be, as long as the hip drive stays small and the trunk remains braced. If you need to swing hard to move the bar, the setup needs to be scaled back.