From the get go, even the most
inexperienced dude who will set foot in the gym will most likely do the bicep
curl as the very first exercise they will ever do. Big biceps are one of the
things that even non-bodybuilding people seem to gravitate to. The barbell curl
is the most basic exercise for the biceps, but it is also been frowned upon by
some as they complain of "not feeling" the movement in their biceps.
They always say they feel pain in their wrists or elbows or front shoulders or,
for some, even their lower back.
Follow these simple tips to make
sure you get the most out of the barbell curl:
1. Make sure you have the proper grip on the barbell.
Every person has a unique bone
structure, and this is also true about our individual wrist structure. The grip width for me might
not work for you. There is a way to determine this. Before you pick up the
barbell, relax your arms and let them hang loose. Now make your palms face
forward. Notice how your forearms moved a few inches away from your body? Now use
that exact grip and grab that barbell. That is your ideal grip width on the bar.
This simple move has saved hundreds of wrists from being injured.
2. Stabilize the elbows and your shoulders by bracing your body.
Here we go again with the body
bracing. It's becoming a trite but I just cannot overemphasize this. Most
people can't seem to keep their elbows in place because they don't practice
tightening up their lats, abs, and butt during the curl. Start by contracting
your abs as if it will receive a blow. Then clench your butt cheeks as if you
are about to have a bowel movement (well, uh, it sounds gross but it is
effective). Then contract your back muscles by pulling your shoulders down to
keep your shoulders from too much movement.
By the way, moving the elbows a
little is fine, as long as you don't use momentum and the swing doesn't absorb
the load which is meant for the bicep.
3. Keep your wrist straight as you curl.
This is a tip that according to
Ironman Magazine was given by Arnold Schwarzenegger to Frank Zane in the 1970's
when Frank told Arnold
he was having problems feeling the curl in his biceps. Arnold's tip paid big time for Frank. The
reason is that most people curl their wrists as they flex their biceps up. The
goal is to work your biceps, not your forearms, so keep you wrist straight and
rigid.
4. Imagine that you are driving yourself towards the ground.
This tip is one I got from Pavel
Tsatsouline's Beyond Bodybuilding. In simple terms, visualize that you are
trying to sink yourself to the ground, this will help focus your effort towards
your biceps and increase the poundage.
5. Use a faster pace for the positive (lifting) phase and a slightly
slower for the negatives
This one is from Charles Poliquin
taken from one of his articles in Ironman. According to him, one study showed
that the biceps brachii (the main belly of the biceps) gets more of the brunt
if the lifting phase is a tad faster than the lowering phase.
Try these on your next workout
and drop me a response.
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