How to Do Incline Curls to Really Mass Up Your Biceps FAST!

Discover a secret technique for performing Incline Dumbbell Curls that will blast your biceps into next week! This simple change in position on the bench will shock you with how effective it is.

By Nick Nilsson

The longer I train, the more I realize that even what you might normally think of as a basic exercise can be done MUCH more effectively with some very simple changes!

The Incline Dumbbell Curl is the example of this I'd like to share with you here.

The Incline Curl is one of THE most effective biceps-building exercises you can do. It puts a great stretch on the biceps at the bottom and can be a key exercise for major muscle growth.

And the standard way of setting up and performing the Incline Curl is just fine! There's nothing inherently wrong with lying back on an incline bench, letting your arms hang down beside you, and then curling the dumbbells up to the top position.

This "normal" way of doing the Incline Curl is effective and time-tested. But you're NOT reading this article because you want to settle for "normal" results!

So here's the simple technique for maximizing the results you get with the Incline Curl...

Position Change

"...this position results in an increased stretch on the biceps lies in the positioning of the chest and shoulders."

You're NOT going to sit on the seat of the incline bench as you normally would. First, pick up your dumbbells and straddle the incline bench. In that standing position, move your butt all the way back onto the bench. Lean back on the incline face of the bench and then set your FEET on the seat of the bench (knees bent).

The top end of the bench should hit you just below the shoulder blades. Now arch your back over the top end of the bench as though you were trying to wrap your back over and around the bench end.

Turn your palms forward and keep them facing forward throughout the exercise for best results. In this bottom position, you should feel an increased stretch on the biceps beyond what you normally get with the Incline Curl.

The reason this position results in an increased stretch on the biceps lies in the positioning of the chest and shoulders. The biceps attach in the shoulder joint. When you're in the standard position on the incline bench, your shoulders are braced on the bench, and you can't fully open up your chest.

You do get a good stretch, but it's not a MAXIMUM stretch, which is the key to massive results with this exercise!

When your shoulders are up and off the top end of the bench, the weight of the dumbbells pulls your shoulders back and down, opening up the chest and increasing the stretch on the biceps at the bottom.

Performing the Movement

Perform the exercise as you normally would an Incline Dumbbell Curl. Start the movement with a deliberate squeeze of the biceps, curl all the way up to the top, doing your best to keep the upper arms vertical (they may move up and forward a bit). Hold for a second at the top.

Now comes the payoff... on the way back down, DO NOT let your palms turn inwards. Keep them facing FORWARD all the way down to the bottom. This keeps full tension on the biceps all the way to the bottom, which is the most beneficial part of the exercise.

For an extra shot of tension, try to "push" your elbows forward as you lower the dumbbells.

Lower the dumbbells under complete control. For an extra shot of tension, try to "push" your elbows forward as you lower the dumbbells. To do this, imagine you're trying to push a button with your biceps—it takes a bit of practice to get this feeling, but it's definitely worth pursuing.

As you lower the dumbbells to the very bottom, let them pull and stretch your shoulders backward and down, opening up the chest. This increased tension from the negative portion of the movement coupled with the greater stretch potential of your body position will give you an INCREDIBLE muscle-building stimulus. Take advantage of it, and don't lose the stretch tension in your biceps!

Feel for that stretch, then curl up again with a deliberate movement. When you go to choose weights for this exercise, start with weights that are lighter than you would normally use. When you apply stretch and tension to the biceps like this, it's a humbling experience in terms of the amount of weight you can use.

But it is definitely a GROWING experience!!

For more pictures and video of this technique in action, click here.

About the Author

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books, including Muscle Explosion! 28 Days to Maximum Mass, Metabolic Surge—Rapid Fat Loss, The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of, Gluteus to the Maximus—Build a Bigger Butt NOW! and The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of, all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST, available at fitness-ebooks.com!

• Healthy Recipes: Backyard Grill
• Back to Issue 90 Table of Contents
•