Standing dumbbell curl exercise. The most effective biceps exercises, how to do them correctly? Dumbbell bicep curls on an incline bench

Biceps is biceps shoulder, which is the most noticeable and expressive of all the muscles of the upper body. Very often, assessing the muscles of the body comes down to demonstrating the biceps, so this muscle requires special attention and careful work. We present to you the top 7 biceps exercises with dumbbells for both home and the gym.

Features of biceps training

The biceps consists of two bundles. Long head located on the outside of the arm and more visible to the eye. The short head is located on the inside of the arm.

Since the biceps is responsible for flexion and extension of the arm at the elbow, then all biceps exercises come down to these movements. The presented exercises will differ in the starting position, hand grip and forearm position.

Tips for doing biceps exercises with dumbbells at home or in the gym:

1. When performing biceps exercises with dumbbells, only your forearms should move. The body remains in a stationary position and does not start working. The tension should only go to the biceps.

2. When performing biceps exercises, control every movement, avoid jerking and swaying. Go through the motions slowly- only in this case the muscles will receive maximum load.

3. During biceps training, the forearm muscles are also involved in the work.

4. You can practice like alternate bending hands with dumbbells, and simultaneously. But for greater efficiency, it is recommended to do exactly alternate arm curls. This will take you more time, but it will help you better feel and work the target muscle.

5. If you want pump up biceps, perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions on each arm with the maximum possible weight. If you just want strengthen muscle and achieve relief, perform 5 sets of 20-25 repetitions with medium weight. Gradually increase the weight of the dumbbells.

6. If you plan to perform biceps exercises with dumbbells at home, then instead of a bench you can use fitball.

7. The size of the biceps is determined including genetic predisposition, so the rate of its growth is very individual.

8. Use different exercises on the biceps to avoid muscle addiction and falls results.

Biceps exercises with dumbbells

Some of those presented below biceps exercises with dumbbells It’s difficult to repeat at home - not everyone has a sports bench. However, you can replace it with a fitball with virtually no loss in the effectiveness of your exercise.

1. Dumbbell biceps curl

The most popular biceps exercise is the dumbbell curl. When performing this exercise, as you exhale, the arm bends, and as you inhale, it extends. The most effective option for performing biceps curls is in a sitting position. In this case, you do not use the muscles of the back and core, but give a targeted load to the biceps. You can perform the exercises with both hands at once:

Or one by one:

Standing biceps curls with dumbbells can also be performed either with both hands at once, or alternately:

Bicep curls with a hammer grip help you engage work the side of the biceps. Unlike the previous exercise, here you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip. As you exhale, lift the dumbbell to your shoulder, and while inhaling, lower it. Please note that the elbows should not go forward, the body remains motionless, the entire load goes to the biceps. During this exercise, you will additionally use and brachialis muscle brachialis, which is located between the biceps and triceps.

Bending your arms with a hammer grip can be done standing, sitting, with alternate or simultaneous movements of your arms:

A concentrated seated press will help not only pump up your biceps, but also in detail work out its form, make a beautiful relief. This biceps exercise with dumbbells at home is the most convenient to perform. Sit on a bench, spread your legs wide, hold a dumbbell in one hand, the other hand lies or rests on your leg. As you exhale, slowly bend your arm with the dumbbell toward your shoulder, and while inhaling, lower your arm. Please note that the hand should be turned away from you - so target muscle will be loaded more:

The Scott Bench Curl is particularly effective. works the lower biceps. Place your hands on the surface of the bench and fix them at a distance of shoulder width. As you exhale, bend your arm, and as you inhale, straighten it. Watch the sensations in your elbow joints; there should be no pain in them.

Curling your arms with dumbbells on a Scott bench can be done with a regular grip:

Or you can do it with a hammer grip:

A similar exercise can be performed on a regular bench:

5. Standing Lateral Biceps Curls

This dumbbell biceps exercise is more technically challenging than the ones above, but it's great. diversifies your workouts. Stand straight, arms with dumbbells at your sides. As you exhale, bend your elbows, lifting the dumbbells up and to the side. Dumbbells should be at shoulder level. As you inhale, lower your arms down. The exercise develops biceps strength and volume. This exercise can be performed while sitting on a bench - this will make it easier for you to maintain your balance.

6. Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls

Set the bench at 45 degrees. Sit down, leaning on your back, arms with dumbbells down along your body. As you exhale, perform simultaneous or alternate biceps curls. As you inhale, return to the starting position. This biceps exercise with dumbbells is useful because during its execution, not only the upper, but also the lower extremity of biceps.

7. Lying biceps curl with dumbbells

This is another isolation biceps exercise with dumbbells. Lie on your stomach with your upper chest at the end of the bench. Hands with dumbbells are lowered shoulder-width apart. As you exhale, bend your arm at the elbow, and as you inhale, lower your arm. Then, as you exhale, bend your other arm. Instead of a bench, you can use a fitball.

Research has shown that the most ineffective An exercise for biceps with dumbbells is the Scott Bench Curl. In this position, the movement is performed with the smallest amplitude and therefore the biceps receives insufficient load.

Dumbbell curls are an isolated exercise for working the biceps. Athletes perform dumbbell curls to increase the volume of their biceps and also develop their peak more strongly. This exercise is an isolated exercise; there is no point in working with heavy weights, since the biceps love a large number of repetitions and a maximum feeling of blood supply. The exercise technique is quite simple, but look around: every second gym goer does it incorrectly, and muscle mass their hands have not increased over the years.

In our article today we will tell you how to pump up your arms using this exercise, how to increase the efficiency of performing biceps curls with dumbbells and what variation of biceps curls would be better suited for your purposes.

What muscles work?

Carrying out this exercise, You load the biceps brachii muscle in isolation, with the bulk of the load falling on it top part, which gives the biceps a more peaked shape.

The stabilizers in this exercise are the forearms and the anterior fascicles. deltoid muscles, brachialis, brachyradilais and carpi flexors.

Types of dumbbell curls

Dumbbell curls have several options. They can be done standing, sitting, using a special Scott bench, or even lying down. Next we will talk in more detail about each type of exercise.

Standing dumbbell curls are the most common variation of this exercise. It is notable for the fact that when performing it, a slight cheating is allowed, which makes it possible to work with a little more weight than, for example, with concentrated curls with dumbbells. The exercise can be performed in different ways:

Alternate (alternate) bending of arms with dumbbells - perform one repetition with the left and right hands in turn. We do not change the position of the hand; at the lowest point we try to stretch the biceps as much as possible;
Standing dumbbell curls with a hammer grip (“hammer grip”) are a more basic movement that also engages the brachialis and forearm muscles. A well-developed brachialis visually “pushes” the biceps outward, which makes the arm larger, and developed forearms increase grip strength and help us work with heavy weights in pulling movements;
Dumbbell Curl with Supination - The movement affects slightly different muscle fibers due to the supination (turning) of the hand while lifting the dumbbell. Can be performed either alternately or simultaneously with both hands.

Bent-over arm curls with a dumbbell are an exercise that requires you to have a strong lower back and extreme concentration on the working muscle. It is recommended to do it with light weight and in a high rep range (12 and above). Bend down almost parallel to the floor, turn the dumbbell slightly and try to lift it towards the opposite shoulder, pausing briefly at the point of peak contraction.

Seated Dumbbell Curls – Position yourself on the edge of a bench and perform alternating or simultaneous dumbbell curls. In this position, it will be easier for you to maintain the correct position of your elbows, and your work will be more productive.

Curling arms with dumbbells while sitting on incline bench– by setting the back of the bench at a slight incline (20-30 degrees), you will feel a strong stretch in the lower part of the biceps at the lowest point of the amplitude. Seated dumbbell curls at an angle should be performed smoothly, with a delay of 2-3 seconds in the lower position, so the biceps will receive maximum stress, which will lead to its growth.

Incline Dumbbell Curls – Place the back of the bench at about 45 degrees and lie on your stomach down on it. At the same time, raise the dumbbells to your biceps with both hands towards your head, trying not to change the position of your elbows during the approach. The negative phase of the movement is no less important - in no case do we drop the weight down, but control it at every centimeter of amplitude. The exercise is perfect for people with back problems, as there is no axial load on the spine.

Concentrated arm curls with dumbbells – isolated exercise to work out the peak of the biceps. In terms of biomechanics, it is similar to bent over curls, but here we work even more isolated, since the elbow of the working arm rests on the knee or lower thigh. Perform the exercise cleanly; there is no point in cheating here.

The Scott Bench Curl is a similar exercise to the concentrated biceps curl. However, this requires a strong focus on the negative phase of the amplitude; this will stretch the biceps well and help achieve a stronger pump. If in your gym no Scott bench, this exercise can be performed on a regular bench with an adjustable incline level - just put the back at a right angle and lean your triceps on it.

Benefits of exercise and contraindications

The exercise is great for working out those areas of the biceps that are difficult to “hook” when working with a barbell or on block machines. Working with dumbbells does not require such strong concentration on correct position body, as when lifting a barbell for biceps, and it is easier for us to establish a neuromuscular connection with the working muscle.

Any variations of dumbbell curls are not recommended for athletes who have suffered elbow or elbow injuries. shoulder joints and ligaments. When lifting a dumbbell, too much stress is placed on the incompletely healed area, which often leads to recurrence of the injury.

Exercise technique

Regardless of what type of dumbbell curl you perform (standing, sitting, bent over, etc.), the technical principles are always the same. Compliance correct technique will help you better concentrate on working your biceps and protect you from possible injuries.

In the starting position, the arm is fully extended, the back is straight, and the elbows are located as close to the body as possible or are fixed (as with concentrated curls or biceps curls on a Scott bench). The exception is the bent-over dumbbell curl - here the elbow does not have any support and we cannot press it against the body. However, this does not mean that you can move your elbow forward or backward - this is fraught with injury.
Lifting the dumbbell is done while exhaling. Many people misunderstand the name of the exercise. The bending of the arm should represent exactly the bending of the arm, and not the throwing of the dumbbell upward with the effort of the whole body. It is important for us to properly load the biceps, and not to throw the dumbbell into a vertical position at any cost.
The negative phase of the movement should be accompanied by inhalation. The movement should be smooth, it is important to focus on the feeling of stretching in the biceps.

Features and common mistakes

If this exercise does not lead you to noticeable progress in increasing the size of your arms, then you are doing something wrong. There are two options: hire personal trainer and practice the technique of performing this exercise under his guidance, or carefully read this section of our article and take into account the information received.

Newbie mistakes

Using heavy dumbbells with the belief that the heavier the apparatus, the faster the muscles will pump up. Working with heavy weights will make the task much more difficult - you will not be able to feel the contraction and stretching of the biceps. In addition, you are unlikely to be able to do enough repetitions. The recommended repetition range for biceps curls is 10-15 reps.
Excessive cheating. Helping yourself with your core is only permissible when performing the last 2-3 repetitions, when the muscle has almost reached failure. If you start throwing the dumbbell up from the first repetitions, helping yourself with your shoulders and back, then the working weight is too heavy.
Incorrect elbow position. It is strictly forbidden to bring your elbows forward when alternately lifting dumbbells for biceps with supination - this is traumatic for the elbow joints.
Using an athletic belt unnecessarily. Do not use a special belt if you do not have lower back problems. The axial load here is very small, and you definitely won’t get injured. However, the movement requires the correct breathing rate; following the sequence of inhalations and exhalations at the waist is much more difficult.

Technical features

If you have taken into account and corrected all the errors described above, now take into account a few simple tips regarding the technical features of performing the exercise. They will help you achieve maximum benefits.

Many beginners are often interested in what is more effective for training their arms: dumbbell curls or hammer curls. The answer is simple: both exercises are equally effective if done technically correctly, but hammers also load the forearms and brachialis. Perform both exercises to ensure uniform muscle development and maintain aesthetic proportions.
Make your arm workouts more varied - this will give good stress your biceps. Vary the order and number of exercises with each workout.
Maintain the same tempo of the exercise throughout the entire approach - this will make it easier for you to concentrate on contracting your biceps.
The more isolated the movement, the better for biceps growth. Try this technique: When performing a concentration curl or Scott curl, use an open grip and rotate your wrist slightly away from you - this will keep the biceps under constant tension and prevent it from relaxing at the bottom. Of course, the weight of the dumbbell should be light.
To mentally prime yourself for isolated biceps work, try doing a few sets of strict biceps curls with a barbell or dumbbells. To do this, stand with your back vertical and lean on it with the back of your head, back and buttocks. Have you noticed how much harder the movement has become? Now imagine that all this load falls not on your arms, but on your lower back and shoulders. Still think that you are building biceps and not something else?

Good day, dear readers, admirers and other individuals! As usual, on this mid-day there is a technical note on the project, and today we will talk about seated dumbbell curls for biceps.

After reading, you will learn everything about the muscle atlas, its benefits and technique, we will also find out how good this exercise is and whether it is worth including it in your training program.

So, make yourself comfortable, let's start off easy.

Seated dumbbell curls for biceps. What, why and why?

How I love to see new faces in the gym, especially newcomers, because it’s just a balm for the soul, or rather tar :), - everyone does whatever they want and it’s not right. They pump up their abs to get rid of their belly, they do bend-overs with dumbbells to narrow their waist, they do deadlift with a question back, etc., etc. This time my attention was drawn to a group of young people who, apparently, wanted to get some nice biceps and, therefore, were doing dumbbell curls while sitting. I thought, before doing it, at least go to the internet, or even better, ferrum-body and read about the technique, but then I caught myself thinking that we don’t have this exact exercise in our bins. Without hesitating for long, I took my hands to my feet, flew home with my pen and scribbled down this note. What came out of this skating :) now we’ll find out, let’s go.

Note:
For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Muscle atlas

Seated dumbbell curls are one of the best isolation exercises for developing the biceps brachii muscle. The main motor units are the biceps, brachialis/brachialis and brachyradialis/brachioradialis.

Muscle ensemble exercise includes:

targeted – biceps brachii muscle;
synergists – brachialis/brachioradialis muscles;
stabilizers - anterior delta, wrist flexors.

Full muscle atlas presents the following picture:

Advantages

By performing the seated dumbbell curl exercise, you can expect to receive the following benefits:

development of strength and muscle volume of the upper arm;
muscle toning and tightening (especially relevant for girls) without pumping your arms with a large number of repetitions with low weight;
stretching the long head of the biceps and contracting it with greater force;
tightening the biceps of the lagging arm with asymmetric muscle development;
less stress on the wrists when working with a barbell;
improving the peak shape of the biceps due to supination of the hand at the top point of the movement;
development of the brachioradialis/brachialis muscles that push out the (last) biceps.

Execution technique

Despite its apparent simplicity, the exercise has its own characteristics. The step-by-step execution technique is as follows.

Step #0.

Sit on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand and lowering them to arm's length. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible. Turn your palms so that they look at each other at the lowest point (neutral grip). Direct your gaze in front of you. This is your starting position.

Step #1.

Keeping your upper arm stationary, begin lifting the dumbbell with an isolated contraction of your biceps while rotating your wrist away from you. Once the dumbbells reach shoulder level, perform additional supination. (extroversion) brushes Hold this shortened position for 1-2 accounts. Slowly and in a controlled manner, begin to lower the dumbbells down, rotating your wrists and bringing them back to a neutral grip position. Repeat the specified number of times.

In the picture version, all this disgrace looks like this (option No. 2 – alternate version):

In motion like this:

Variations

Besides classic version seated dumbbell biceps curls, there are several variations of the exercise, in particular:

alternate rise on the bench at an upward angle;
simultaneous rise on a bench at an upward angle;
hammer grip raises (simultaneous/alternate).

Secrets and subtleties

To get the most out of the exercise, follow these guidelines:

do not spread your elbows, keep them close to your body throughout the entire movement;
do not throw the dumbbells up with your hands, lift the apparatus only by contracting the biceps;
when lowering the dumbbell, do not fully extend your arm, maintaining constant tension;
slowly ( 2-3 counting) straighten your arm and bend it faster;
before working approaches, perform 2-3 warm-up exercises with reduced weight;
at the top point, make an additional rotation of the brush;
stay for 1-2 bills at the top in a reduced position;
breathing technique: to contract (lift the projectile) - exhale, return to IP - inhale;
numerical training parameters: number of approaches 2-3 , reps 10-12 .

We're done with the theoretical side, now let's look at some practical points.

Is seated dumbbell curl an effective exercise?

According to the results of studies of electrical muscle activity (EMG), seated dumbbell lifts are in the top 3 best exercises for the biceps brachii muscle. In particular, the places were distributed as follows:

seated concentrated curls with dumbbells - 97% ;
curling arms with dumbbells while sitting on a bench at an upward angle - 88% ;
standing barbell curl (close grip) – 86% .

The data suggests that if you want best results in arm development, then seated dumbbell curls should definitely be included in your PT.

Dumbbell raises while sitting or standing. Which option is better?

Few people know, but most muscles are strongest when they are in a slightly stretched position, and the arm muscles are no exception. Those. when the hand is behind the body (elbows pulled back) the biceps turns out to be stretched - its length exceeds normal (when the arms are located along the body). From a biomechanical point of view, this position is the most advantageous for starting repetitions, because allows you to generate more force per one muscle fiber and lift more weight.

Therefore your training program must necessarily contain a biceps exercise from an extended position, for example, lifting dumbbells while sitting on a bench at an upward angle.

Actually, this was the last dark information, let's sum it up and say goodbye.

Afterword

Today we have expanded our technical pantheon of notes with an article about seated dumbbell bicep curls. Definitely, the exercise deserves the closest attention, and to start paying attention to it, let’s go to the gym, practice and draw appropriate conclusions. How are you still here? :)

That's all for now, see you soon!

PS. Do you use biceps curls in your workouts?

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it as your status social network- plus 100 points for karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

For building mass and creating shape biceps.

Performing standard dumbbell curl Instead of a barbell, you work with slightly less weight, but your arms have freedom of movement and you can achieve even greater muscle contractions. As with barbell curls, you may cheat a little during this exercise, but try to keep it to a minimum.

Exercise technique

Sit on the edge of a bench or lean your back against the support of an incline bench set in an upright position. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms along your sides, palms facing your body.
Keeping your elbows still and hinged, lift the dumbbells forward and up, rotating your wrists so that thumbs looked outward, and palms were directed upward during movement. Lift the dumbbells as high as you can and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement to achieve maximum contraction.
Lower the dumbbells downwards in a smooth, wide arc, keeping your arms fully extended and your biceps stretched

Don't sit across the bench. In this case, for fear of touching the edges of the bench with dumbbells, you will involuntarily lean forward. If you are working with heavy dumbbells, bending forward will cause your back to round, which can lead to spinal injury. Therefore, always sit only along the bench (on its short edge).
Keep your torso straight and don't sway. All movement occurs only in the elbow joint. The rest of the body must remain motionless at all times.
Hold your breath while lifting the dumbbells. It helps to keep correct posture and allows you to develop more powerful biceps strength.
Fix your elbows at the sides of your body and do not move them. By pointing your elbows forward as you lift the dumbbells, you relieve the stress on your biceps.
Simultaneous dumbbell curls are much more effective than alternating curls. As you lift the dumbbells one at a time, you involuntarily lean towards your working hand. If at the same time you still round your back, then lower back injury cannot be avoided.
Use fairly light dumbbells, otherwise you will have to jerk to move the weight. In addition, heavy dumbbells cause the elbows to rise.

Training

To whom: Everyone, from beginner to master.
When: In the middle of a biceps workout. Before seated dumbbell curls, perform heavier biceps curls (with a barbell or standing dumbbells).
How many: 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Sport

Strong arm flexor muscles are important in gymnastics, rock climbing, tennis, golf and baseball. For example, in wrestling and martial arts, when you grab or hold an opponent, the success of the technique you perform is largely determined by the strength of the biceps muscle. IN Everyday life your biceps work whenever you carry a load in front of you.

This is the best isolation exercise for training your biceps. Many consider it an alternative to barbell curls and put this exercise first in their biceps training. Let's try to figure out if this is so, but one thing is for sure: if you want to pump up your biceps, do alternating arm curls with dumbbells!

The exercise is performed while standing, and the athlete must be able to feel the biceps well, control weight, coordinate the work of the torso and be able to contract the target muscle group. In other words, this exercise requires experience from the athlete; it is not for beginners, but for those who “rocking is their home.” But, if you learn to perform alternate curls with dumbbells, you will significantly increase the volume of your biceps in a couple of months.

Work of muscles and joints

The biceps consists of two heads: internal and lateral, the first is longer, the second is shorter. It is precisely because of the difference in length that they exist various exercises on the biceps. The internal beam is longer and stronger, so it should be pumped with a longer amplitude and with greater weight. The short biceps bundle needs a less deep range of motion and, since it is weaker, it needs to be pumped with lighter weights.

Alternate curls of the arms with dumbbells pump both bundles at once, but what’s up, the biceps is responsible for bending the arm, as well as for turning from right to left. You can turn your wrist in any direction to make sure these words are true, and also notice that when you turn your wrist towards your shoulder, the biceps tenses more. And alternating arm curls with dumbbells involve not only lifting the dumbbell up, but also performing supination, i.e. turn the hand towards the shoulder, which allows you to pump the biceps by performing two movements at once, which, accordingly, loads it more.

Alternating arm curls with dumbbells - diagram

1) Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, your back arched and your knees slightly bent.
2) Pull your shoulders back and bring your elbows forward so that they are at the level of your abs, while your hands and dumbbells should be turned towards you with your palms.
3) As you exhale, begin to lift the dumbbell up right hand up, while simultaneously turning the hand, so that at the top point the little finger should look at you.
4) Fixing the dumbbell in the peak contraction biceps, it can be lowered down, while simultaneously turning the hand to its original position - with the palm facing you.
5) Repeat the same movement with the other hand after you return the dumbbell to its original position.

Alternating Arm Curls - Notes

1) It is very important not to rush, so as not to reduce the amplitude. You should raise your arm up, as if stretching it forward as much as possible, so that it is not short.
2) The elbows must not be moved under any circumstances; they must be fixed at one point, otherwise the load will shift to the shoulders.
3) Correct breathing- one of the most important rules during alternating dumbbell curls, as with all biceps exercises.
4) To better concentrate on the biceps, you should look at it, but at the same time keep your head straight, so it is best to do the exercise in front of a mirror.
5) Raising your arms at the same time is strictly prohibited, otherwise it will be almost impossible to perform supination.

Anatomy

The biceps consists of two bundles that are anatomically different from each other, both in length and strength. Since alternating arm curls with dumbbells are designed to pump both beams at once, the stronger, longer beam should first be fatigued on a Scott bench. Pre-fatigue will allow both beams to be brought to failure at the same time, which, in turn, will allow you to avoid overworking the short beam and not underworking the long one.

The joints are in an anatomically comfortable position when performing alternating dumbbell curls, so there is no need to worry about them. At the same time, the spine is also not under load, since the athlete arches his back; in fact, this exercise does not involve the use of large training weights, as a result of which the spine cannot be damaged in any case. In general, to pump up your arms, heavy weights Not needed!