BICEP CURLS ARE an absolute favourite by male and female fitness heads. And why wouldn’t they be?
They’re relatively easy to do, the target muscle is well isolated and progress is generally made quickly. If you’re a fitness newbie or a seasoned gym rat, you’ll learn the basics of the movement, and you might even pick up a few extra tips.
Getting started We suggest sitting down throughout the movement as it takes your legs out of the equation. Why do we do this? Because we tend — newbies especially — to use the hips and legs as leverage. Remember, we are doing bicep curls and targeting those muscles only.
Dumbbells or barbells are what we suggest using.
Only use a weight that you can manage – if you’re struggling to pick it up, leave it down and go 2kg lighter. You want to complete a set of 10 reps and three to four sets.
We want you to do the exercise slowly. This recruits more muscle fibres and it is harder to do than a more rapid curl.
Lift the weight slowly, and return to the starting position just as slow.
Starting position Sit on a bench and carefully lift the dumbbells or barbell to rest on your thighs, palms facing upwards. Alternatively, have someone place them on your thighs for you.
Action Bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells (or barbell) from your thighs, up towards your shoulders. Slowly return the weights back to starting position. Remember to do the exercise slowly and fully. To finish, return to start position and dead lift the dumbbells back to the floor.
To progress it If you fancy making this exercise slightly harder, instead of sitting on a bench, use a gym ball.
This is beneficial in that it forces you to engage your core muscles more, demands that you concentrate even more, while also improving your balance. It should also lend to slower curls, which is what we want.
Sample program We suggest three times a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday for eight weeks. 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
TIPS
- Avoid swinging the arms. This is for the biceps only, not the shoulders.
- Inhale as you lift, exhale as you return to starting position.
- Keep your back neutral and pressed against the bench.
- If you’re not doing a full repetition, or are unable to, reduce the weight.