Dumbbell concentration curls are particularly good if you want to isolate this muscle group. By Jennifer Blow, • The short head of the bicep is on the medial side of the arm and can produce movements specific to itself which the long head cannot replicate. The dumbbell curl remains one of the favourite movements among gym-goers of all ages, gender or even body types thanks to its universal appeal as well as its direct impact on the arm muscles. This idea of supination will increase muscle contraction and make them work harder. If you curl with your elbow in front of your body, as in the concentration curl and the preacher curl, you target your brachialis, and your biceps and brachioradialis act as synergists. Our dumbbell concentration curl standards are based on 59,000 lifts by Strength Level users. Alternate dumbbell curls should be performed in a very strict form, elbows tucked to the body, no cheating whatsoever. Biceps Curls. Dumbbell strength standards are based on the weight of each dumbbell, not the weight of two added together. This can put excess strain on your shoulder joint and is a sign that the weight may be too heavy. Posted on. Alternative Names: Dumbbell concentration curl, concentrated bicep curl, seated concentrated curls, db concentrated curls Type: Strength Experience Level: Beginner Equipment: Dumbbell Muscles Targeted: Biceps, forearm Mechanics: Isolation Average Number of Sets: 3-4 with 10-12 reps each Variations: Standing, cable concentration curls Learn how to correctly do One-arm Concentration Curls to target Biceps with easy step-by-step expert video instruction. For extra engagement, you can twist your wrists. When finding a preacher curl alternative it’s all about getting the right angles. Back in the days of Arnold and Mike Mentzer, all bodybuilders did concentration curls. This is the ultimate preacher curl substitute because it uses the incline bench as the padding to isolate your biceps. Ensure your elbows stay in the same place throughout the entire exercise. Sit down with your back firmly on the bench. Our last workout that requires minimal equipment and will allow you to mimic preacher curls at home is an incline bench curl. Your email address will not be published. #2 Seated Dumbbell Curls | The same approach is used here, as well, starting with 10 reps at the bottom half with one arm, 10 with the other, then 10 on each side in the top half, and finishing with a full-range sequence. And both the barbell curl and EZ bar were found to be superior to the dumbbell curl for activating these two muscles.. Dumbbell Exercises The 75+ dumbbell exercises on this application are grouped by main muscle groups and are represented by their muscle names and are accompanied by fully animated illustrations and complete textual instructions. By doing this you’re able to increase the range of motion for a larger stretch in your muscle fibers. 3) As you exhale your breath, elevate  the dumbbell in a curling movement until it has reached a point of full contraction. Holding a dumbbell at arm’s length with your right hand (palm facing forward), make a fist with your left hand and brace the back of your right elbow against the back of your left wrist. Although there are many biceps exercises that you can do, this particular exercise does more than most of them because as its name implies, it is able to concentrate the movement on the bicep while excluding all other muscles. Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. This will help stabilize your body while keeping your balance. Energy If you’re going to understand what makes up an effective preacher curl alternative, you must first understand the basic mechanics of the movement. Follow @healthygymhab, Top Women’s Powerlifting Singlet Made Specifically For Females, 6 Best Sissy Squat Alternatives and Variations 2021, Our 5 Favourite Wall Ball Alternatives & Substitutes, Compound Exercises For Arms: 8 Best for Massive Pumps, The Best Deadlift Chalk: Powder Vs. Take the previously mentioned facts, find out what works for you and watch them biceps grow! Its no wonder studies have ranked this exercise number one for bicep strength training and growth. However, it’s important to note isolation exercises have various pros and cons and it’s often suggested that clients use them at the end of their workouts. Your upper arms should be locked in place. Although preacher curls are a great exercise, if you’re training at a more commercialized gym then you might not have access to a preacher curl bench or machine. Furthermore, due to the fact that the biceps are a much smaller muscle group in comparison to the back, legs or chest; they can recover quicker, meaning you can train them frequently. By Abdelmonemi, • Because of this, you may have to either go on your tippy-toes or squat down when completing this exercise. Next time you are training biceps or more relevantly the concentration curl, try out some of the following methods; drop-sets, supersets, 21’s, eccentric reps, cheat reps. With the arm that isn’t being used or the ‘resting arm’, place it on the inner thigh of the leg. The twisting standing dumbbell curl features an extra movement to help give your biceps an added challenge. This increased negative motion is what makes this an effective preacher curl alternative. All you’ll need to begin is a workout bench that can be put at an incline position and some dumbbells. Ensure that your elbows don’t fall behind the line of your body. You can perform Dumbbell concentration curls in a variety of ways: sitting, standing or in a kneeling position. It is impossible to be a … Sit comfortably on a bench with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. This will in turn, increase focus on the short head of the bicep and overload this muscle at the bottom of the movement. This will result in less stimulus being placed on the muscle and therefore less likelihood of activation and growth. Zottman Curl. Nevertheless, if you’re just trying to do preacher curls at home or if you’re looking to target your biceps in a different way, we’ve got you covered! Nevertheless, whether you’re trying to do alternative preacher curls at home or you’re just trying to target your biceps in a different way there should be an effective option. The top of the pad should be right around your upper chest level, The starting position will be with your arms parallel to the floor, Begin by curling your arms upwards until you reach the top, Pause before returning to the starting position, Position the bench at a 45 degree angle and grab your weights with your palms facing away, Place the back of your arm firmly against the bench, Slowly extend your arm lower until it’s almost touching the bench, Pause for a second before returning upwards as far as you can, Begin by setting the cable machine to the lowest level and attaching the EZ bar, Grab the bar with your palms facing up at shoulder width apart, Take one step back and squat down until your butt reaches your heels, Place the back of your arms onto your knees, Slowly curl your hands towards your body until fully contracted. Concentration curls (advanced) Advantages: The so-called concentration curls are by far … By Lauren Dawes, • If you’re too short and the bench is above your upper chest this exercise will not work. Your palm should be facing away from your thigh. The best way to think about this is this; your muscles do not know how much weight is on the bar, they only know how much tension they are under and thus how much they are contracting. EZ bar curl. However, it’s equally important to use non-isolation exercises as well. Fortunately, biceps can imply a whole host of overload training methods which can help in a variety of ways; to bust plateaus, crank up the intensity for time spared sessions or to simply mix up your training! Like earlier workouts, all you’ll need is a workout bench and some dumbbells making it another great exercise for preacher curls at home. While moving to more frequent workouts can help you build extra size on your arms, to really get them up there in size will require pulling out all the stops. Research shows that varying your workouts and targeting muscles in different ways will increase overall strength and muscle adaptions. You would first begin by placing your elbows and upper chest against the pad while holding the bar. Start with your arm extended and curl the dumbbell toward your opposite-side pec. Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl 60 Day Transformation Kickoff Video; This workout is another two-way lift, meaning that your arms are stressed on the positive and negative of the reps. All you’ll need for this effective preacher curl alternative is a double cable machine and compatible single grip bars. Due to the fact that this part of the bicep is most commonly people’s ‘lagging part’, it would be worth considering starting your workout with an exercise that targets the short head of the bicep. Your forearms and hands should be the only parts moving. This makes it an even more effective exercise for simulating preacher curls. Set Up: For the seated concentration curl, you’ll need a gym bench and a dumbbell that you’re comfortable with lifting. By Shannah Hatch, • Cheat Curls. Hammer curls will be far more intense, especially on the negative, so make sure you can properly grip the weight.