Lee Priest Breaks Down Common Biceps Curls Pitfalls and the Right Way to Use Cheat Reps
Lee Priest, a seasoned bodybuilder with decades of competitive experience, recently broke down the biggest biceps curl mistakes. He pinpointed common errors and shared when cheat reps can effectively drive muscle growth.
Priest noted two frequent slip-ups with biceps curls: lifters often rely on excessive body momentum during reps and choose weights that are too heavy.
“Using too much weight and swinging,” Lee Priest shared. “You don’t want to swing. You just want to do it properly. Use the arms and get a good squeeze. Don’t pull it out too far where you got to use your front delts.”
[Related: Lee Priest “Not Impressed” With Chris Bumstead In Open: ‘I’m Sorry, He’s Not That Good’]
Lee Priest’s Crash Course on Biceps Curl Mistakes and When to Use Cheat Reps
Even when using body momentum, Priest warns lifters against carelessly tossing the weight up, as it reduces the critical tension needed for muscle growth.
Priest’s quick overview of biceps training mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t swing the weight
- Be mindful of curling heavier weight
- Don’t pull weight out too far or risk recruiting front delts
“If you’re going heavy, you might get to here, then you might need to lean a little bit, then you can. You’re just leaning back to squeeze it but don’t use body momentum to throw the weight up because then you’re taking the tension off the muscle, and it’s not going to help.”
While Priest cautions against relying on body momentum to power through heavy curls, he argues that cheat reps, when used strategically, can drive significant results.
“If you’re going to cheat, cheat a little bit to add stress to the muscle, not take it away,” he adds.
As for his preferred grip, Priest favored a narrower hand placement when using a straight bar.
“Sometimes, closed [grip] feels a bit scrunched in.”
Lee Priest, renowned for his impressive, well-defined arms, built his success on the pro bodybuilding stage in the ’90s and early 2000s. His IFBB Pro card renewal in late January 2025 stirred social media chatter. Some fans suggested a comeback was on the horizon. Others saw it as a simple response to the IFBB’s new policy on inactive competitors.
Lee Priest’s advice boils down to mastering control in biceps training: avoid swinging heavy weights and focus on tension to maximize growth. For fans, his insights offer a practical takeaway—cheat reps can work, but only if you lean in slightly to increase muscle stress, not reduce it.
Photo Credit: YouTube: Sam’s Fitness – Gym Equipment
