Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks

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

Incline dumbbell curls are similar to seated dumbbell curls only this time, you will be using a incline bench to perform the exercise. This causes a nice “stretch” of the biceps at the bottom of each repetition and leads to a stronger contraction in the lifting part of each rep. Try putting the bench at various angles (30, 45, and 60 degrees, etc.) to hit your biceps from multiple angles and really fry them. You can change the angle of the bench from set to set or from workout to workout to keep things fresh. Add incline dumbbell curls to your routine for more complete bicep development.

Performance: Set an incline bench to your angle of choice. Lie back on the bench while grasping a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders. Keep your elbow and upper arm still, slowly curl the weight upward, turning your hand as you lift so your palm faces your shoulder by the end of the rep. This helps to hit the bicep from multiple angles throughout the course of each rep. Pause and squeeze the bicep at the top of the motion, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. You should feel a nice stretch in your biceps at the bottom of the rep. Repeat with your other hand if performing alternating curls; you can also perform this same movement with both arms at the same time.

Muscle Emphasis: primary emphasis on the bicep, secondary stress on the brachialis and forearm flexors

Seated dumbbell curls are identical to standing dumbbell curls except you are seated while performing them. The seated position allows you to further isolate the biceps muscles and helps remove the tendency to use your back to lift the weight up. To make things harder and put even more focus on your biceps, keep your legs/knees close together while performing the exercise. Then, if you try to incorporate your back to help your biceps, you’ll have the tendency to tip over. I like to do these in alternating fashion (one rep/one arm back and forth), but you can also perform seated dumbbell curls using both arms at the same time or even unilaterally (finish all of your reps for one arm and then move on to the other one to finish your set).

Performance: Sit at the end of a flat or upright bench with your arms fully extended and a dumbbell in each hand (neutral grip). Slowly curl one (or both) of the weights upward toward your shoulder, supinating your wrist as you do so (your palm should be facing your shoulder at the top of each rep). After you fully contract the biceps, squeeze at the top, then slowly return the weight to the starting position, keeping tension on the biceps throughout. Focus on keeping your elbows and upper arms stationary throughout the exercise which will eliminate any unwanted help from other muscle groups (shoulders, etc.).

Muscle Emphasis: primary emphasis on the bicep, secondary stress on the brachialis and forearm flexors

Dumbbell movements allow you to more effectively isolate the muscle being worked. Conversely, most dumbbell movements also require the incorporation of various stabilizer muscles which typically makes exercises with dumbbells more difficult to perform. Standing dumbbell curls are a particular favorite of mine because not only do they allow you to really focus on the bicep of each arm and squeeze it to death, twisting the wrist through the movement also allows you to go from a neutral grip (palm facing your hip/thigh, bottom of the rep) to a supinated grip (palm facing front of your body, top of the rep). This fuller range of motion more effectively stresses every fiber of the bicep muscle.

Performance: Stand erect while holding two dumbbells at your side, palms facing inward. Keeping your wrists aligned with your forearms and your upper arm stationary, curl one (or both) weights toward your shoulder. Pause and squeeze your bicep at the top, then slowly return to the starting position, and repeat for reps.

Muscle Emphasis: primary emphasis on the bicep, secondary stress on the brachialis and forearm flexors

The squat of bicep exercises, the standing barbell curl is a great mass-builder and is a great choice for the foundation of your biceps routine. Try to lift heavy on this one, but never so heavy that you are unable to keep proper form or lose focus on the exercise’s movement or the muscles being worked. You can also perform standing barbell curls with an E-Z curl bar (cambered bar) if you already have or want to prevent wrist injuries. The nature of the bar reduces supination (twisting) of the wrists which slightly reduces the amount of stress on the biceps, but it’s worth it to prevent injury.

Performance: With your knees slightly bent and your feet about hip-width apart, take hold of a barbell (or E-Z curl bar) with a shoulder-width, underhand grip (if using the E-Z curl bar, be sure your grasp the bar so your wrists are turned inward). Let the bar hang to your thighs. Keeping your abs tight and your elbows fixed in position, slowly curl the bar in an arc toward your shoulders as you exhale. At the top of the movement, pause and squeeze your biceps, then slowly lower the bar back down. Don’t let the bar touch your thighs at the bottom of the movement in order to keep continuous tension on your biceps throughout the exercise.

Muscle Emphasis: strong emphasis on the biceps muscle, secondary stress on the forearm flexors