Blast your biceps with these awesome curl variations.
Ask most guys who are serious about their fitness goals. When they think about being in great shape – more than likely the image they have in their heads is of a ripped and striated upper body. It’s what gives a bodybuilder that superhero appearance that so many bodybuilders covet. The building up of the chest, back, and abs are all integral to the process of having a well formed upper body. But the whole picture wouldn’t be complete with some well defined arms.
No matter what stage of the game you’re in there’s no way that an avid bodybuilder wouldn’t want some mountainous biceps to bring together their over all look. If you’re looking to make some major headway in building up your arms then check out these awesome variations for your biceps.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
This exercise is a great variation on your usual bicep curl. By using a seated bench and inclining the seat to just above the 45 degree angle you’ll ensure that you’ll give your arm full range of motion. While performing these be sure to twist your wrist as you get to the top of the curl and within a few reps you’ll be guaranteed to get a great pump. But remember, this exercise is all about form and if your technique sucks then you can forget about reaping the benefits of this great exercise.
21s
This variation is a high rep alternative that is sure to get your biceps burning. The exercise requires a manageable amount of weight in order to complete the 21 reps in one set. Too heavy and you won’t make it through the exercise. Too light and you won’t even feel anything. The first variation starts with your arms fully extended with a barbell or EZ bar in your grips. Curl the bar right up to your stomach then lower it slowly for 7 reps. Then bring the bar up to chest level and curl up to your chin for 7. Lastly, start from the bottom and curl up to your chin for full range of motions for the remaining 7 reps.
Spider Curl
For this variation you’ll need to have a preacher bench to perform the action. Where you would normally be in a seated position at the preacher bench, this exercise requires you to be standing when performing the motion. With the preacher pads right under your arm pits, grab a EZ bar, adjust to a narrow grip and perform the curl. This exercise is great for building up the short head muscles of the biceps and can add some great definition.
Standing Cable Curl
This exercise is a great finisher for your workout. The cable curl can be performed like the standard barbell or dumbbell curl, but it does allow for some variations that can be great for stimulating both the long and short head muscles of the biceps. You can move the shoulders forward to attack the short head muscles or lean backwards to work the long head muscles. You can choose to do a standard 10-12 reps with the movement or work to failure to really thrash the muscles.
What do you think about these bicep variations? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron Facebook and Twitter.