| |
| |
|
Muscle Building Information |
|
|
|
Get A Grip! Get More Out Of Your Biceps Curls
Would you like to know how to get more out of every single dumbell curl you do? Amazingly enough, you can do this simply by changing where you grip the dumbell. First, I'm going to tell you what the trick is, then I'm going to tell you exactly how and why it works. Then I'm going to finish by telling you how to make the trick so powerful it'll blow your mind! In a nutshell, instead of gripping the handle in the middle (as is normally taught), grip the handle with the thumb and forefinger side of your hand pressed up against the inside of the dumbell plates. There will be a space of several inches between your pinky and the other side plates. To take full advantage of this change in your grip, start the curl with your palms facing in to your thighs, otherwise known as a neutral or hammer grip. As you curl up, rotate your forearm so that your palm is facing up at the top of the movement. You should feel a strong cramping in your biceps. For pictures demonstrating exactly how to execute this technique go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue7-bicep-tip.htm Here's how and why it works: The biceps muscle has two main functions. The first is flexing the elbow (in essence, bringing the forearm closer to the upper arm like when you bend your arm to scratch your nose). The other function is called supination, which is a biomechanical term for forearm rotation. Supination occurs when you turn your hand from a palms-down position to a palms-up position. The traditional dumbell curl without forearm rotation addresses the flexing function of the bicep. Rotating your forearm as you curl the dumbell up invokes the supination function of the bicep, working more of the muscle mass of the bicep and giving you a stronger contraction. Holding the dumbell off-center essentially adds resistance to the supination function of the bicep muscle. If you think about it, when you hold your hand in the middle of the dumbell, the two ends are balanced like two identical-weight people on a see-saw. You get very little, if any, resistance on the supination. By holding the dumbell off-center, you tip the balance of the dumbell towards the pinky side of your hand. Your bicep must then work against resistance to accomplish the supination, adding in more resistance to the curl movement. This resistance translates into more efficient work for the bicep and, ultimately, more results for you! --- Now I'm going to tell you how to adapt this trick into something that will make your jaw hit the floor on the first rep you do. You've learned about supination and adding resistance to the supination movement by holding the dumbell off-center. You've felt the difference this makes in your biceps. Now imagine how much more effective this trick will be if you add actual weight for resistance instead of just shifting your hand over! In order to accomplish this, you're going to need one of two things: do-it-yourself dumbells with which you can add or remove weight or Plate Mates (TM), which are small magnetic weight plates that stick to the metal of the dumbell. The execution is simple: make a dumbell with more weight on one end than the other. That's it. For example, place 20 pounds of weight on one end and 25 pounds of weight on the other. Grip the dumbell in the middle when you use it, making sure that the heavier end is on the pinky side of your hand. If you are using Plate Mates (TM), stick a few of them onto only one side of the dumbell to accomplish the same imbalance. Now when you curl up and supinate, your bicep is going to have that added resistance on the supination movement. The cramping sensation you get on the very first rep as you come to the top and squeeze the muscle hard will show you just how powerful this technique is. The pump you get in your biceps after your set will seal the deal! You will also notice that your forearm and grip are getting a lot of work with this trick. This is just icing on the cake and will not decrease the tension on your bicep in any way. Note: If you are using dumbells that weigh less than 30 pounds total, I would recommend you use a 2 1/2 pound plate on one side rather than a 5 pound plate. Any more than 30 and you should use a 5 pound plate. Being a dedicated trainer myself, I love to hear how well my tips work for other people. It would be really gratifying to hear from you about how this technique worked for you or any suggestions you might have as to how to make it more effective. You can send your comments to me at betteru@fitstep.com. And, when your biceps are so pumped and sore that you can barely brush your teeth the next day, be sure to tell everyone who will listen to you who did this to you: Nick Nilsson at Fitstep.com! For more information about the anatomy of the biceps, go to http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Anatomy/Biceps.htm?news About The Author Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Build-Muscle - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
An Amazing Technique That Can Make Your Gains Skyrocket While Others Have Reached A Sticking Point! If you clearly understand and apply the principles involved in natural bodybuilding, you will experience very rapid muscle gains. However, over a long term, eventually a 'sticking point' or plateau in your training may be reached. Protein or Carbohydrates? This has got to be the biggest controversy in modern bodybuilding. Bodybuilders will say you've got to consume loads of protein to pack on quality muscle mass and increase strength. Abdominal Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders. The abdomen contains the muscles that most beginners struggle with because they take a long time to develop and need a low level of body fat to be seen. The abdominal muscle group consists of three main muscles: 1. Personal Training: 3 Powerful Ways to Position Yourself as an Expert Regardless of what profession you are in, it is critical that people believe that you know what you are talking about! You won't find very many successful lawyers whose clients never win in court, or popular doctors whose patients are continually misdiagnosed. This concept obviously applies to personal trainers as well, and making sure you are viewed as an expert in your field is as important as having the knowledge to begin with. Barbell Exercises That Suit Beginners The aim for beginners to weight training must be to lay the foundations for the intensive workouts that their bodies will eventually be subjected to. Obviously successful bodybuilding involves bringing together disparate elements such as nutrition and rest but choosing the right exercises is crucial. Comeback Bench Program For those who are not familiar with my name, I am a National Level Strongman competitor in the United States. I lift stones that weigh just under 400 pounds, flip a 900+ pound tire routinely, and lift logs overhead. Four Powerful Tricks for Successful Lucid Dreaming By definition, Lucid Dreaming means "conscious awareness during the dream state." But how can this be? Every book I've ever read on dreaming has described the dream state as being an entry into the unconscious, so how can you possibly be conscious during dreaming, and be able to enter your dreams. BMI Calculator Results BMI, Body Mass Index, is the most popular and simple way that health professionals use to determine if you are a healthy weight. This article concerns how to interpret your results. Six Minute Abs Six minutes out of your day. All you need is a level floor. What Causes Muscle Growth? In order for muscles to grow, three things are required: 1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers. Exercise The Right Way - The Triceps Pushdown Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes. Get On the Ball: Core Stability Have you heard the term, focus on the core? No, we're not talking about the inside of a golf ball; we're talking about the inner muscles that make up the abdominal region, hips and lower back. Most people focus their attention on the muscles that are more visible and easy to train, such as biceps, pecs and back, however, the most important muscles that act as our foundation are often over looked. Exercise The Right Way - The Bent-Knee Sit-Up Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiiders' training regimes. Exercise The Right Way - The Flat Bench Press Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. Bodybuilding: Effective Ways To Handling Criticism It's important to set the way we'll respond to different critics throughout the journey of achieving our personal and bodybuilding goals. As are other areas of life, Bodybuilding is a sport of opinion. They Dont Know Squat! There seems to be much confusion amongst trainers and trainees as to whether squats should be performed all the way down or just half way. In most gyms today, a common instruction during squats, deadlifts, and lunges (as taught by many personal training organizations) is not to allow the knees to travel beyond the toes. Back Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders From a bodybuilder's perspective one of the most important body areas is the back. Not only can it be visually impressive but a strong back is essential for intensive training and day to day living. Know All about Power Push Ups Push ups are the most convenient way to build up your chest, shoulders, arms and upper back. It can be performed at any place, and you don't need to carry your gym with you wherever you go. Muscle Building Training Tips For Beginners (*) Proper bodybuilding exercises technique.First steps in muscle building training are easy. Know Your Muscle Building Exercises - The Chest Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. That's how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning you'll understand what works best for you.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
