Biceps
Biceps Curl
Start in a standing position with your feet spaced approximately hip-width apart, and maintain engagement in your abdominal muscles for stability.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, allowing your arms to hang down by your sides with your palms facing forward.
Ensure your upper arms remain steady and your shoulders are relaxed. Begin bending at the elbows, lifting the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Alternatively, for a wider range of motion, you can raise the dumbbells up to eye or forehead level. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
Exhale as you lift the weights.
Return the dumbbells back to the starting position, lowering them with control.
Hammer Curl
Begin by standing with your legs straight, ensuring they are not stiff or locked, and align your knees directly under your hips. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, allowing your arms to rest at your sides with the weights positioned next to the outer thigh. Keep your palms facing towards your thighs, with your thumbs pointing forward and your shoulders relaxed.
Bend at the elbow, raising your lower arms to pull the weights towards your shoulders. Keep your upper arms stationary and ensure your wrists are aligned with your forearms.
At the top of the movement, hold the position for one second. Your thumbs will be close to your shoulders, and your palms will be facing inward, towards the midline of your body.
Lower the weights back down to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the descent.
Drag Curl
Start by grasping a barbell using a palms-up grip, positioning your hands shoulder-width apart. The barbell should rest across your thighs.
Ensure your chest is upright, shoulders are relaxed and pulled down, and maintain a forward gaze.
Engage your biceps by pulling your elbows backward, initiating the movement and "dragging" the barbell towards your body, aiming to bring it up towards your shoulders.
Once the barbell reaches the lower chest or upper abdominal area, pause momentarily, allowing your muscles to contract.
Gradually lower the barbell along the same path, maintaining control and following the same trajectory, until you reach the starting position. Reset your position and repeat the exercise.
Muscles Worked
Biceps: The long and short heads of the biceps are the primary muscles engaged during the drag curl exercise, responsible for the main movement.
Forearms: The forearm muscles are actively involved in all curl variations, aiding in elbow flexion and providing grip strength during the exercise.
Brachialis: Located beneath the biceps, the brachialis muscle acts as a robust elbow flexor, assisting the biceps in bending the elbow. Additionally, the brachialis contributes to the width and thickness of the upper arm.
EZ-Bar Curl
Stand tall with an EZ curl bar in your hands, gripping the wide outer handles. Your palms should be facing forward, and the bar should be slightly tilted inward due to its shape. Keep your elbows close to your sides. This will be your starting position.
Now, while maintaining stable upper arms, exhale and curl the bar forward, focusing on contracting your biceps. The movement should be isolated to your forearms.
Continue lifting the bar until your biceps are fully contracted, and the bar reaches shoulder level. Pause briefly at the top to squeeze the biceps.
Inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Set up an incline bench at approximately 55-65 degrees, choose the weight you want from the rack, and sit with your back against the pad, maintaining an upright position.
Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip (palms facing up), take a deep breath, and curl both dumbbells towards your shoulders.
When your biceps are fully contracted, gradually lower the weights back to the starting position.
Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
Incline Dumbbell Curl Tips
Ensure that the elbows remain in front of the body throughout the movement. Additionally, be mindful of keeping the shoulders stable and avoiding any forward shifting as you lower the weight.
Keep a slight bend in the elbows at the bottom of the exercise to maintain tension on the biceps.
Incorporating a slow and controlled eccentric phase of the exercise can enhance tension and improve the mind-muscle connection.
Spider Curl
Adjust the bench to a 45-degree angle and position yourself with your stomach and chest pressed against the support. Maintain your head slightly above the bench.
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand using a supinated grip, ensuring that your palms are facing upward. Place your arms at your sides, allowing them to extend downward and in front of you.
While keeping your torso against the bench, contract your biceps as you flex your elbows to raise the dumbbells until they align with your shoulders.
Gradually return to the starting position by extending your elbows until your arms are fully straightened.
Machine Curl
Prepare for the machine bicep curl by adjusting the seat height and selecting your desired weight on the stack.
As you sit on the machine, ensure that your upper arms rest comfortably on the padding. If necessary, make adjustments to the seat for proper alignment.
Hold the bar with an underhand grip, maintaining a shoulder-width distance between your hands.
Gently bend your elbows to lift the weight and create tension in the biceps.
Gradually curl the weight upward, aiming for maximum range of motion, and contract your biceps at the top of the movement.
Pause briefly, and then slowly lower the weight back down.
Continue the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
Machine Curl Tips
Ensure that you perform the exercise with a complete range of motion, allowing the weight to reach its maximum extension without making contact with the stack.
Maintain a slow and controlled tempo throughout each repetition, emphasizing proper form and technique.
If you have a training partner, the bicep machine can be advantageous for executing heavy negative curls, where you focus on the lowering phase of the movement under controlled resistance.
Cable Curl
Ensure that the cable is adjusted correctly by attaching it at the bottom using the sliding adjustment mechanism. The metal grip of the cable should extend enough for you to comfortably hold it in your hands with your arms fully extended and palms facing upward.
Assume a standing position with a slight bend in your knees, ensuring that your feet are firmly planted on the floor. Engage your abdominal muscles, maintain a straight back, and keep your head in a steady position while looking forward.
Exhale as you curl the cable weight upward toward your chest. Focus on moving only your forearms, allowing them to rise from the elbow.
Hold the top position of the contraction for one second, feeling the tension in your biceps.
Inhale as you lower your forearms back to the starting position. Stop before the weights return to the stack, maintaining tension on the cable throughout the entire movement.
