![]() Your elbows should be just below the knee and your arms should be perfectly straight up and down. Squat down and grab an empty olympic bar and place your triceps on your knees. I usually use it a burnout set or a superset to pair with heavy standing barbell curls. This is my favorite type of concentration curl, and probably one of the most difficult curl variations. After 5-8 reps take about 10 seconds and rotate your palms out and then back in, twisting the dumbbells as you stretch your biceps before cranking out another2 or 3 reps. Lay on an incline at 45 degrees and perform alternating DB curls keeping the elbows back as the weight comes up. This is a throwback to the golden era of bodybuilding and a favorite of my business partner Cory Gregory. Stick to sets of 3-5 reps, and it helps to have a partner count for you so your 5/5/5 count stays consistent. The 5/5/5 denotes the tempo of the exercise, spend 5 seconds curling the weight up, hold in full contraction at the top for 5 seconds, then lower the weight for 5 seconds. This is another great method that can be applied to any type of curl - or any exercise for the matter. Keep in mind you will need to use less weight than a normal DB curl. Begin alternating sides for 5-8 reps, always keeping one DB up and the bicep fully contracted. Curl both DBS up and lock them place at the top. Most of the time when performing alternating DB curls, one db is held at your side allowing the bicep to rest while you curl the other side. This is a great isolation exercise that emphasizes a static contraction at the top of the curl. This variation can be used on barbell, dumbbell or hammer curls. Think of this as adding an extra 1/4 rep pump to the top of each curl. Lower the weight 1/4 of the way then immediately pump it back up before returning to the bottom position. Start by curling the weight all the way up, pausing briefly at the top to squeeze. The most neglected portion of the curl is the squeeze at the top, and that contraction is the money maker if you want an impressive peak on your biceps. Absolutely no swinging from the bottom position. You will need to go a little lighter than normal and shoot for sets of 6 reps. Continue up to the half way point and pause for another 2 seconds, then lower the weight all the way and perform a normal rep. Start by curling the weight up 1/4 of the way and pause for 2 seconds. This killer barbell variation was taught to me by my mentor, the world renowned Dr Eric Serrano. I try to go 20-40lbs heavier than I would normally curl and only do sets of 3 reps. Use these heavy cheat curls to get the weight up then overload the eccentric portion with a 5 second negative. More muscle fibers are damaged - hence opening the door for growth and development - during the eccentric portion of an exercise than any other. But if you use your hips slightly to cheat the weight up and then squeeze and contract the bicep before fighting against gravity as you perform a negative, then we have a winner on our hands. If you are picturing swinging a massive amount of weight up and just letting it fall back down, then I am not a fan of them. The great thing about 21’s is it addresses two problem areas for most curlers - the eccentric, or lowering, portion of the movement by making you put the breaks on half way down, and the bottom portion of the movement where the bicep is fully extended and most people use momentum to get the bar started. End the set with 7 big full range of motion reps. On the 7th rep, stop at the half way point and begin curling all the way up, but now stopping at the half way point on the way down for 7 reps. Start by curling the bar 1/2 way up for 7 reps. This is one of the first curl variations I remember learning as a young teenage lifter, and probably the first exercise of any sort that utilized 1/2 or partial reps. Now at least you won’t be seen doing the same basic bicep routine week in and week out and you cause it as an excuse to curl more than once a week…just make sure not to do it in the squat rack! For all of you closeted curl lovers out there, here are a stone cold dozen curl variations to keep your arm training fresh and the gains a coming. I know, I know, doing sets upon sets of bicep curls is the ultimate “bro-cliche” but who doesn’t want a massive arm pump? Not every workout has to involve kettle bells, bands, and chains…sometimes it feels good to just do some old fashioned weightlifting. 12 Curl Variations to grow monster bicepsĪs a fitness professional that advocates functional training and cross training between many disciplines, I have a dirty secret to share.
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