SEATED CONCENTRATION CURL

1. Sit down on a flat bench with a barbell or E-Z Bar in front of you in between your legs. Your legs should be spread with the knees bent and the feet on the floor.
2. Use your arms to pick the barbell up and place the back of your upper arms on top of your inner thighs (around three and a half inches away from the front of the knee). A supinated grip closer than shoulder width is needed to perform this exercise. Tip: Your arm should be extended at arms length and the barbell should be above the floor. This will be your starting position.
3. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps.
4. Slowly begin to bring the barbell back to starting position as your breathe in. Tip: Avoid swinging motions at any time.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: 

                          This exercise can be performed standing with the torso bent forward and the arm in front of you. In this case, no leg support is used for the back of your arm so you will need to make extra effort to ensure no movement of the upper arms. This is a more challenging version of the exercise and is not recommended for people with lower back issues. You can also perform as described here but without using a bench. So for this version you will be kneeling and the weight of the barbell will help to balance you.

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STANDING CONCENTRATION CURL

1. Taking a dumbbell in your working hand, lean forward. Allow your working arm to hang perpendicular to the ground with the elbow pointing out. This will be your starting position.
   
2. Flex the elbow to curl the weight, keeping the upper arm stationary. At the top of the repetition, flex the biceps and pause.
   
3. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
   
4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
   

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OVERHEAD CABLE CURL

Exercise Description and Instruction:

                          This arm exercise utilizes the cable pulley to isolate and keep tension on your biceps from a different angle than you can normally hit the biceps with using dumbbells or a barbell.

 

Perform This Exercise:

1. Attach a stirrup handle to each side of a high pulley on a cable machine.
2. Grasp the handles with an under hand grip (palms facing up) and stand with your feet shoulder width apart and extend your arms fully to each side.
3. While keeping your elbows steady, curl your wrists towards the sides of your head.
4. Contract your biceps and pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.

Variations:

                  While there aren't any variations of the high cable curl, view some of our other cable exercises for your biceps.

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E-Z BAR CURL

EXECUTION

                            Just like a normal barbell curl, but with an EZ Curl bar. Position your hands so they are on the curve that allows your palms to face inward toward one another. As always, perform this exercise in a slow and controlled fashion, flexing both biceps at the peak of the movement for a one-count. Return to the start position and repeat.

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DUMBBELL ALTERNATE BICEPS CURL

Starting Position

Stand with feet slightly apart, knees slightly bent, abs tight. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip. Lock elbows into the side of your torso and rest weights in your hand, on the front of the thigh.

Action

INHALE: Curl one dumbbell to your shoulder.

EXHALE: Lower dumbbell to starting position, then curl the dumbbell in your opposite hand.

One curl on each side equals one rep.

Special Instructions

Keeping abs tight will help protect your lower back. If your body leans backward as your curl up the weight, then the weight is too heavy. Keep elbows pressed into your sides for support and to isolate the biceps. This exercise can also be done in a seated position.

Key points to remember

• Ensure your elbows remain stationary and to the sides of your body during the entire exercise.

• The bar should be moved with a smooth action with no jerky movements.

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CABLE PREACHER CURL

1. Place a preacher-curl bench in front of a low-pulley cable station. Attach a rope to the cable and grab an end with each hand. Rest your upper arms on the pad in front of you with your palms facing each other. 

2. Keeping your back straight and your upper arms pressed against the pad, bend your elbows to curl the rope up toward your shoulders. Pause, then slowly lower your arms to the starting position.

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BARBELL CURL

• Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at a shoulder-width grip. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and the elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.

• While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: Only the forearms should move.

• Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.

• Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.

• Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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ALTERNATE HAMMER CURL

Exercise Instructions

1. The alternate hammer curl is a great exercise for the biceps and the forearms. Set up by grasping a set of dumbbells and standing straight up with the dumbbells by your sides.

2. You should be using a neutral grip, meaning your palms are facing your body.

3. Bend your arms slightly to keep the tension on the biceps.

4. Keeping your body fixed and elbows in at your sides, slowly curl up the dumbbell of your weakest arm (for most people this is their left arm).

5. Squeeze the bicep at the top of the movement, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

6. Repeat the same movement for the other arm. This is one rep. 

7. Now repeat to complete the set!

​Hammer Curl Tips:

1. Keep the tension on the arm that is not moving the weight. Both biceps should be tense for the entire set.

2. Keep the rep timing slow and controlled.

3. Always work your weakest arm first.

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