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Secret
Training Tip #478 - Braced Incline Curls; a New Biceps Blaster
By Nick
Nilsson
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!
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President
of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical
Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for
more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including
"Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've
Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!"
and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available
at (http://www.fitness-ebooks.com).
He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
