Secret
Training Tip #149 - Get
a Grip! Squeeze more results from every single
rep of your dumbell curls just by changing how
you hold them.
If you like training biceps you absolutely MUST
read this tip! You will feel the difference on
your very first rep!
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Would
you like to know how to get more out of every single
dumbell curl you do? Amazingly enough, you can do this
simply by changing where you grip the dumbell.
First,
I'm going to tell you what the trick is, then I'm going
to tell you exactly how and why it works. Then I'm going
to finish by telling you how to make the trick so powerful
it'll blow your mind!
In
a nutshell, instead of gripping the handle in the middle
(as is normally taught), grip the handle with the thumb
and forefinger side of your hand pressed up against
the inside of the dumbell plates. There will be a space
of several inches between your pinky and the other side
plates.
To
take full advantage of this change in your grip, start
the curl with your palms facing in to your thighs, otherwise
known as a neutral or hammer grip. As you curl up, rotate
your forearm so that your palm is facing up at the top
of the movement. You should feel a strong cramping in
your biceps.
Here's
how and why it works:
The
biceps muscle has two main functions. The first is flexing
the elbow (in essence, bringing the forearm closer to
the upper arm like when you bend your arm to scratch
your nose). The other function is called supination,
which is a biomechanical term for
forearm rotation. Supination occurs when you turn your
hand from a palms-down position to a palms-up position.
The
traditional dumbell curl without forearm rotation addresses
the flexing function of the bicep. Rotating your forearm
as you curl the dumbell up invokes the supination function
of the bicep, working more of the muscle mass of the
bicep and giving you a stronger contraction.
Holding
the dumbell off-center essentially adds resistance to
the supination function of the bicep muscle. If you
think about it, when you hold your hand in the middle
of the dumbell, the two ends are balanced like two identical-weight
people on a see-saw. You get very little, if any, resistance
on the supination.
By
holding the dumbell off-center, you tip the balance
of the dumbell towards the pinky side of your hand.
Your bicep must then work against resistance to accomplish
the supination, adding in more resistance to the curl
movement.
This
resistance translates into more efficient work for the
bicep and, ultimately, more results for you!
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Now
I'm going to tell you how to adapt this trick into something
that will make your jaw hit the floor on the first rep
you do.
You've
learned about supination and adding resistance to the
supination movement by holding the dumbell off-center.
You've felt the difference this makes in your biceps.
Now
imagine how much more effective this trick will be if
you add actual weight for resistance instead of just
shifting your hand over!
In
order to accomplish this, you're going to need one of
two things: do-it-yourself dumbells with which you can
add or remove weight or Plate Mates (TM), which are
small magnetic weight plates that stick to the metal
of the dumbell.
The
execution is simple: make a dumbell with more weight
on one end than the other. That's it. For example, place
20 pounds of weight on one end and 25 pounds of weight
on the other.
Grip
the dumbell in the middle when you use it, making sure
that the heavier end is on the pinky side of your hand.
If you are using Plate Mates (TM), stick a few of them
onto only one side of the dumbell to accomplish the
same imbalance.
Now
when you curl up and supinate, your bicep is going to
have that added resistance on the supination movement.
The cramping sensation you get on the very first rep
as you come to the top and squeeze the muscle hard will
show you just how powerful this technique is. The pump
you get in your biceps after your set will seal the
deal!
You
will also notice that your forearm and grip are getting
a lot of work with this trick. This is just icing on
the cake and will not decrease the tension on your bicep
in any way.
Note:
If you are using dumbells that weigh less than 30 pounds
total, I would recommend you use a 2 1/2 pound plate
on one side rather than a 5 pound plate. Any more than
30 and you should use a 5 pound plate.
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Start
Position
Note
the palm facing into the body in a neutral grip
at the start.
This
allows you to rotate your forearm (supinate) as
you curl it up.
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Middle
Position
The
hand is offset towards the thumb and forefinger
as far as it will go.
This
offset is what gives you resistance during the
supination movement, which is what makes this
exercise innovation more effective.
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Top
Position
At
the top, the forearm is rotated as completely
as possible, with the pinky pointing almost directly
towards the face for maximum contraction
Be
sure to note the funny tan line - it is not essential
to performing this exercise properly but is kind
of entertaining nevertheless.
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The
Offset Dumbell
If
you look on the left side of the dumbell there
are two 10 pound plates and one 5 pound plate
(25 pounds total).
On
the right hand side, there are only two 10 pound
plates (20 pounds total).
This
difference in weight on the sides will ensure
you get extra resistance during the supination
movement of the dumbell biceps curl.
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