BetterU News Issue #24 Home -> BetterU News Archive -> Issue #24 - January 4th, 2004 Secret Training Tip #478 - Braced Incline Curls; a New Biceps Blaster Learn how a simple technique that you can use in the gym or at home can instantly transform the Incline Dumbell Curl into an exercise in extraordinary biceps. The Incline Dumbell Curl is an excellent exercise for building the biceps. It places a great stretch on the muscles at the bottom of the movement and results in a strong contraction at the top. I've found a way to make it even better! Bracing your upper arms when you train your biceps is a great way to increase the strictness of the exercise, ensuring you are placing more tension on the target muscles while keeping you from cheating on the movement. When applied to the incline curl, bracing can not only increase the strictness of the exercise, it can add a dimension to the exercise that cannot be found any other way -- you can actually turn the exercise into an incline preacher curl! To do this exercise in the gym, you will need a power rack or Smith machine (there will, of course, be a link to pictures of how to set-up and perform this exercise at the end of the article). Set a flat bench in the rack and set an Olympic bar to about 6 inches above the level of the bench. Place the bar back against the uprights of the rack to keep it from moving as you'll be leaning back into the bar during the movement. Pick up two dumbells and sit on the bench with your back to the bar. Sit about 6 inches in front of the bar. Lean back into the bar and brace your upper arms just above the elbow against the bar. Don't rest them on the bar - brace them against the bar. This is very important as if you rest them on the bar, you will lose much of the tension of the exercise. You may need to adjust where on your arm you place the bar - it can also be placed higher up on the arm if the lower position is uncomfortable. Starting with your arms straight and stretched, begin the curl movement with both dumbells. Keep your upper arms against the bar at all times as you curl the dumbells. The bar will act as your pivot point for the curl, forcing maximal tension on the biceps throughout the movement. If you are doing this in the rack, be careful you don't bang the dumbells into the side safety rails. This exercise can also be done one arm at a time. Squeeze your biceps hard at the top, then lower the dumbells back down under full control. When you come to the bottom of the movement, let your arms fully extend while still maintaining tension in the biceps. This will stretch them out fully as well as giving you the most tension on the next rep (trust me!). After several reps of this exercise, you should feel a very strong pump in your biceps. This exercise is excellent for increasing the tension on the biceps through all aspects of an incline curl. Give it a try the next time you do your biceps! Start Note the position of the bench, the bar and the body in this exercise. The bar should be set about 6 to 8 inches above the bench you are sitting on and braced against the back uprights of the rack. The bench is set flat, not on an incline. The incline comes with your body leaning back. You should be sitting forward on the bench and leaning back onto the bar to get the incline. Your arms should be braced on the bar just above the elbows. Finish At the top of the movement, your arms are still braced against the bench but not resting on it. Resting the arms on the bench may release some of the tension. Squeeze hard at the top then lower under control. Let the pressure from the bar increase the stretch on your biceps as you come to the bottom, being absolutely sure you keep tension in the biceps all the way and back up. This picture shows where on your arm the bar should be braced. If you experience any pain with the position, you can drop your arm down and brace the bar higher up on your arm. This exercise is only just the beginning... "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" is waiting for you. Learn unique and innovative exercises targeted to bringing you rapid results as quickly as possible. If you thought this exercise is good, wait until you read a book filled with 195 pages of stuff like this for your whole body! Click here for more information. Want more articles like this? Subscribe to BetterU News now! E-Mail : Want More Powerful Fitness Information? Read another issue of BetterU News now!