I workout at home, so I don't have access to a preacher curl stand. I do have a Weider home gym that has a squat rack and bench. If I set the bench to incline and lean against it (chest to bench), and grasp the curl bar with my elbows on the bar that determines the inclination of the bench, (could you follow that?) would that be a decent substitute? I've never used a preacher stand, so I don't know exactly how my body should be properly positioned. I've heard it mentioned on this board enough to believe it may help my 13.5" biceps. Thanks for any replies.
Preacer curl question
- Thread starter ajntorinj
- Start date
That sounds like what is called a spider curl. A very effective exercise at getting an intense contraction in the biceps. A preacher curl would have you standing in the other side of the incline bench with your arm hanging over the bench and supported by the back rest. You can continue what you are doing and add in incline curls immediately after for an intense burn
Fausto
HST Expert
ajntorinj
You should try some suppersetting, two exercises will do initially, no rest or max 30 secs.
Variations are endless: here's some.
Preacher d/b on other side of incline bench/incline d/b curls
Arnold curls (d/b's)/EZ standing curls strict
EZ standing curls strict/incline d/b curls
Preacher curls (as above)/reverse close grip chinups to chest
Incline d/b curls/standing alternated d/b zotmman curls
Preacher curl/reverse preacher curl
Hell, I could go on forever, but any two of the above for a cycle will see you to another level, with the proper nutrition and maybe creatine, you could be looking at 14.5" after a cycle, no jokes, just watch your progression, get as close as possible to your 1RM and use 65% for 15's,75% for 10's, 85% for 5's and 95% for the negs, you will have to see some real growth.
Fausto
You should try some suppersetting, two exercises will do initially, no rest or max 30 secs.
Variations are endless: here's some.
Preacher d/b on other side of incline bench/incline d/b curls
Arnold curls (d/b's)/EZ standing curls strict
EZ standing curls strict/incline d/b curls
Preacher curls (as above)/reverse close grip chinups to chest
Incline d/b curls/standing alternated d/b zotmman curls
Preacher curl/reverse preacher curl
Hell, I could go on forever, but any two of the above for a cycle will see you to another level, with the proper nutrition and maybe creatine, you could be looking at 14.5" after a cycle, no jokes, just watch your progression, get as close as possible to your 1RM and use 65% for 15's,75% for 10's, 85% for 5's and 95% for the negs, you will have to see some real growth.
Fausto
fausto
i train at home and i am at my 5 reps max and negatives.i would like to do some supersetting for some bodyparts.what combo could i use for chest delts triceps quads hams?
so as i understand you for example i do my 5 reps with ez curl 30 s rest then incline hammer curl 5 reps again?
also superset for negatives?am confused?is it that i perform 5 negatives reps for ez curl at 95% rm 30 s rest 5 negatives reps with hammer curls?
btw do you obtain good gains with these types of supersets?
i train at home and i am at my 5 reps max and negatives.i would like to do some supersetting for some bodyparts.what combo could i use for chest delts triceps quads hams?
so as i understand you for example i do my 5 reps with ez curl 30 s rest then incline hammer curl 5 reps again?
also superset for negatives?am confused?is it that i perform 5 negatives reps for ez curl at 95% rm 30 s rest 5 negatives reps with hammer curls?
btw do you obtain good gains with these types of supersets?
I like the sound of that, Fausto. I haven't had much success with mass in the areas with are hit with isolation movements, like the biceps, lateral deltoids and traps (some success, but not enough to hide my collar bones). Should supersets (or just 2 sets in general) should be used with these groups? Thanks.
Hi, aj!
Good form is at least as important as exercise selection, especially for isolation motions. Make sure you are keeping your rep speed slow enough that you are not using momentum to do part of the job. Try to feel tension on the targeted muscle throughout the motion... avoid locking out at the top or dropping the weight onto your joints at the bottom.
There is a big guy in my gym that moves a HUGE amount of weight on his EZBar curls. He thrusts his hips forward (glutes), swings his elbows forward (front delts), then the biceps "catch" the weight and swing it on up. His bicep development is NOT impressive nor are his biceps particularly strong except in that short range of motion.
If your goal is to build biceps, do your best to make sure it is the biceps doing the work!
Kate
Good form is at least as important as exercise selection, especially for isolation motions. Make sure you are keeping your rep speed slow enough that you are not using momentum to do part of the job. Try to feel tension on the targeted muscle throughout the motion... avoid locking out at the top or dropping the weight onto your joints at the bottom.
There is a big guy in my gym that moves a HUGE amount of weight on his EZBar curls. He thrusts his hips forward (glutes), swings his elbows forward (front delts), then the biceps "catch" the weight and swing it on up. His bicep development is NOT impressive nor are his biceps particularly strong except in that short range of motion.
If your goal is to build biceps, do your best to make sure it is the biceps doing the work!
Kate
Looks like more good advice the Queen of Form! I always think of my scapulae during my bent-over row thanks to you, Kate, so I'll have to keep these tidibits in mind, as well. One question: you say not to 'lock out' at the top of a movement. I'm assuming that you mean that the lift should be fluid and that the muscle should be in constant, albeit controlled, motion during the lift, without pause or rest at the top, correct? I ask because some say to pause at the top. When does one know when to do one or the other, or is it personal preference? Thanks again.
Fausto
HST Expert
Shakeel
Suppersetting means nothing but another set with little or no rest, regardless of whether you are doing negs or not.
By the way I also train at home with a couple of "disciples".
You understand correctly, and yes it helps for sure, just another angle of attack as I see it.
Ajtorinj
As Kate says it is absolutely imperative that any set you do is done purposely, as slow as you can manage, without being too slow that is and with good from, it is no use cheating to lift more weight, but rather lift your intended weight with form and guts!
Suppersetting helps as you keep the muscle longer under tension, and hit it from another angle, but many a guy/girl with argue with that...it is a personal preference...Kate is right in saying that form is all important because it is and you might get good enough growth by performing your normal sets properly...wait I am not getting on your case...just following up on what Kate said.
Try it, that is all I can say.
Fausto
Suppersetting means nothing but another set with little or no rest, regardless of whether you are doing negs or not.
By the way I also train at home with a couple of "disciples".
[b said:
You understand correctly, and yes it helps for sure, just another angle of attack as I see it.
Ajtorinj
As Kate says it is absolutely imperative that any set you do is done purposely, as slow as you can manage, without being too slow that is and with good from, it is no use cheating to lift more weight, but rather lift your intended weight with form and guts!
Suppersetting helps as you keep the muscle longer under tension, and hit it from another angle, but many a guy/girl with argue with that...it is a personal preference...Kate is right in saying that form is all important because it is and you might get good enough growth by performing your normal sets properly...wait I am not getting on your case...just following up on what Kate said.
Try it, that is all I can say.
Fausto
Hi, aj! This makes more sense if you focus on what your body is doing instead of what the bar is doing.[b said:
Holding the muscle in a fully contracted position keeps the load on the muscle... unloading the muscle and letting the joint support the resistance will give the muscle time to rest.So I would say yes, pause at the top but make sure the bicep is doing the holding.
Kate
Stud_From_Wsburg
New Member
I just read an article in muscle & fitness about when diff. muscles were involved in a biceps curl, and the main work of the biceps brachii is done at the top of a curl (90 to 135 degrees), so I thought if I was origionally just going to do 2 sets of ez bar curls, could I instead do 1 set of them, then add a little weight and do ez bar curls while sitting on a bench. I would have the bar resting on my legs then curl up there. Would that help me emphasize the biceps brachii then versus having them working in tandem in the earlier part of a normal curl rep with the brachioradialis and brachialis? This could also work for u, ajntorinj, if I'm right at all about this.