It started with reading some George Jowett. What should you do with rounded shoulders? Jowett provided the answer. And a big part of that answer was the curl and press.

Now, I’d stopped doing a lot of curls but kept strong through pull ups and stuff. But now that I’m doing the curl and press, I see what Jowett is talking about. There is a whole new strength and power in my shoulder area. A whole new awareness.

Your arm and shoulder is practically under tension the whole time. The grip is working, too. So your entire arm plus shoulder plus back gets in on the action, as you pull to keep your shoulders down and tucked in. I feel my stronger arms every time I pick something up. My wrists are stronger, too.

Like other things, there is growth as you progress. But you can be careless, too, and not pay attention and let form slip. So a slower pace and disciplined movement brings a ton of benefit.

This old video I recorded shows the movement.