Concentration curls are *the* exercise for adding peaks to your biceps. I recommend putting them at the end of your workout to put that final pump into your guns. There are a couple of variations to concentration curls; you can do them either seated or standing. You can also use a cable stack with a D-handle and pulley as opposed to a dumbbell. I prefer the standing version (described fully below) because 1) I saw Arnold doing them in Pumping Iron and 2) I really feel the burn in my bi’s when I do concentration curls this way. I also prefer *not* to twist my wrist from a neutral to supinated grip, but you should experiment with both ways to see what you like best.
Performance:
Standing Version: Grasp a dumbbell in one hand and place the other on either a dumbbell rack, high bench, or your own thigh for support. Bend over and brace your torso at roughly a 45 degree angle to the floor. Hang your weighted arm straight down to the floor. The key here is to keep your elbow and upper arm immobile during this exercise so that all of the work is being done by your bicep muscle. Keeping that in mind, slowly curl the dumbbell upward, squeeze your bicep tightly at the top, and then return the weight to a position slightly higher than the starting position to keep your biceps under continuous pressure. Repeat for reps.
Seated Version: Grab a dumbbell, sit at the end of a workout bench with legs slightly spread, and place your elbow against your inner thigh. Let your arm hang straight down. Slowly curl the weight upward as you exhale, squeeze your bicep hard at the top of the rep and then lower the weight in a slow controlled movement to a little short of the strarting position (this will help to keep your biceps under constant tension). You can use a palms up grip throughout or turn your wrist from a neutral to a palms up grip as you complete each rep.
(As mentioned, low cables may also be utilized to perform concentration curls).
Muscle Emphasis: entire bicep, especially the center peak
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