Dan Mackey above
Dan Mackey below.
The straight-bar barbell curl is one of the best biceps power developers there is. For building size and power it is unbeatable. Granted, this movement only attacks the low biceps strongly on the lowering of the weight; nevertheless, if more guys would do these properly in their routines, they wouldn't have to do so many different exercises and sets to build the biceps. Five or six sets really does a number!
Barbell curls strengthen the arm so that you can handle heavier weights in other arm movements. The cross fibers of the belly of the biceps are tremendously thickened -- enabling more violent(!) contractions to be sustained. If the movement is done properly it will also strengthen the origin and insertions of the biceps. In a similar manner the Brachialis Anticus is thickened which, in turn, thickens the arm from the inside out, giving the biceps mass and and adding to overall arm size.
Sometimes the Brachialis can cause a problem by taking over for the biceps; the biceps aren't stimulated sufficiently and never attain peak development. The end result is a flat bicep or a "half-bicep" (signified by the obvious gap between insertion and elbow joint). Usually this comes from [genetics?] swinging the bar up and cheating, which carries over into your dumbbell curls, etc. In this manner the arm is slightly thickened and power is built, but there will definitely not be complete and maximum development. This lack of muscularity and height is due to the dominance of the upper biceps and brachialis leaving the low and inner biceps to fend for themselves. Most arms fall into this category.
West Coast bodybuilders use a fairly strict style in their arm workouts, only cheating on the last few "burns." This way the arms are worked from origin to insertion allowing for maximum development, flexibility and size.
In searching for ultimate strictness they have discovered a host of exotic curls and extensions which are very rewarding, yet I find the best way of adding weight to these movements is not to loosen up my style on them (disaster), but to add a few sets of good old barbell curls to my routine.
I've seen guys handle 185-250 lbs. in our gym with very little cheat. If you try our method you will soon be using husky poundages with very little body assistance. Your arms will have to do 80-90% of the work.
I discovered this method of curling as an accident partially through the infamous instruction of Dan Mackey. Asthma was the motivating factor in my choosing to lift weights. During my preliminary stages of lifting I found it difficult to do more than 6 or 8 reps in most exercises because I couldn't get enough wind, especially in barbell curls.
The upper body becomes a brace during curls and the trapezius and other muscles constrict the thoracic and abdominal cavities causing a definite limiting of oxygen. Everything is compressing the lungs causing the lifter to hold his breath during a set of curls unless he takes the pressure off the lungs by cheating (there goes my form).
There goes my firm.
This, coupled with my inability to take in a lot of wind at one time drove me bananas!
To avoid this situation I developed the habit of dipping at the knees (see photo one above), with the bar resting across my thighs at the end of each rep. This allowed me to breathe freely between reps whenever I needed the extra air and to start each rep from a dead stop. Finally, I took a tip from Dan which added the complete strictness and isolated biceps reaction I needed to avoid the old cheat curl, a.k.a. reverse clean approach . . .
At the beginning of the rep (after the knee drop), slightly bend forward and allow the elbows to come up and forward isolating the biceps even more (photos 2 and 3). By this time you should be sitting into the curl more of less. Your legs are slightly bent taking all of the support work off the upper body and letting it play its role as a bracing agent in the leverage of a curl (photo 4 - elbows in, pointing forward and wrists up, fully flexing the biceps.).
When the elbows are left at the side of the body the bar can only travel so far and then stops short of maximum contraction. When the elbows are allowed to come up there is a greater range of motion for the bar.
In the final position of this type of curl you will note that the upper arm bone (humerus) is parallel at a 45-degree angle to the upper leg bone (femur), see photo 5.
Obviously as you get heavier in the weights you use you will loosen the style byh not getting into the forward lean so much.
DON'T GO BACK TO THE CHEAT -- USE THE KNEE DROP AT THE END OF EACH REP.
Your arms will swell, Swell . . . SWOLE like never before if you master this technique tweak.
TO RECAP
1) After each rep let the bar dead hang at the thights.
2) Dip slightly at the knees and lean back slightly.
3) During the dip take that precious extra breath, your lungs will be freed.
4) Come erect and start each rep from a dead stop.
5) Lean forward slightly.
6) Lock the wrists and allow the elbows to travel forward and up.
7) Don't let the elbows flare out.
8) Squeeze the and tense the heck, "H" and/or hell outta them biceptuals.
9) Do 4-6 sets of 6-8 reps.
10) Try a few single attempts occasionally.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
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