An Exploratory Study of Biceps Brachii Electromyographic Activity During Traditional Dumbbell Versus Bayesian Cable Curls

Abstract

Although previous studies have examined various factors that influence biceps brachii activation, such as grip position, load, and exercise variation, to our knowledge, no prior studies have compared muscle activation during a traditional biceps curl and a Bayesian cable curl. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the differences in biceps brachii muscle activation between these two training modalities. Data from eleven volunteers (age: 25 ± 6 y; weight: 86 ± 13 kg; height: 177 ± 8 cm) were included in the analysis. Muscle activity was assessed using the normalized root mean square (RMS) values obtained from surface electromyography (sEMG). A within-subjects, counterbalanced design was utilized where all participants completed both testing conditions in a randomized order to control for potential order effects. Participants visited the laboratory and fitness center on two occasions. On the first day, anthropometric measurements were obtained, along with one repetition maximum (1-RM) for both the dumbbell biceps curl and the Bayesian curl. On the second day, participants performed an isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), followed by electromyographic assessment of muscle activity during the dumbbell biceps curl and the Bayesian curl, each performed at 80% of their respective 1-RM. When the normal distribution was confirmed via the Shapiro–Wilk test (p > 0.05), a paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. On the other hand, when normality was not confirmed, the Wilcoxon test was utilized. Statistically significant differences (p = 0.003) were observed in the EMG amplitude (%) between the biceps curl (111.46 ± 26.80) and the Bayesian curl (93.39 ± 15.65) with a large effect size (d = 0.82). Based on the EMG analysis, the dumbbell biceps curl elicited significantly greater muscle activation compared to the Bayesian curl, suggesting that the conventional movement places a higher mechanical and neuromuscular demand on the biceps brachii.