If
you want GREAT biceps...and I
mean biceps that fill out your
T-shirt (guys) or look great in
a tank top (ladies), this superset
is going to become one of your
best friends...it's incredibly
effective for targeting the biceps
with extreme tension and stretch
in a combination movement that
will your arms twitching (in a
good way).
This
technique is what I call an "in-set"
superset, where instead of doing
one exercise all the way through
first, then going to the next
one, you will instead alternate
reps of two different exercises
that may share a common position
(this is the easiest way to go).
By
alternating reps of two different
exercises (which changes the angle
of tension on the muscle fibers),
you target more overall fibers
in the target muscle in one set,
leading to greater overall tension
and muscle growth.
It's
an incredibly powerful technique
and one of my favorites!
This
variation of the technique is
going to throw in an additional
challenge...you're going to be
alternating a stretch-focused
exercise in with the other exercise.
In this case, you'll be using
an incline dumbell curl alternated
with a seated dumbell curl.
The
incline dumbell curl exercise
really puts a great stretch on
the biceps, when done correctly.
We're also going to adjust the
movement (body position and tempo)
to focus on that stretch position,
maximizing muscle fiber recruitment
when you go back to the seated
dumbell curls.
The
other main reason to do stretch-position
exercises is fascial stretching.
Fascia
is the tough sheet of connective
tissue that surrounds your muscles
and keep them pretty much in place.
One theory of muscle growth plateaus
holds that this fascia constricts
further growth so in order to
achieve that growth, you have
to actively stretch the fascia
to give the muscle room to grow.
I've
found this to be pretty much right
on the money...with targeted stretching,
I believe you CAN achieve significantly
greater muscle growth.
And
that's what THIS exercise is going
to target...
First,
set up an incline bench and grab
a couple of light to moderate
weight dumbells. You DO NOT want
to go heavy on this one...going
to heavy will ensure you don't
get very many reps, which will
decrease the time under tension
in the exercise. We want moderate
weight and TOTAL control, to maximize
the combined effects of the exercises.
Sit
about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up on
the inclined face of the bench
and set your feet on the seat.
The
reason for this will be clear
when you switch to the incline
curl.
Perform
TWO reps of the seated dumbell
curl exercise, keeping your palms
forward all the way up and down.
DO NOT rotate your hands during
the exercise - this immediately
takes tension off the biceps and
we want to make sure and keep
it on.
As
you come down to the bottom of
that second rep, lean back and
lay your upper back over the top
end of the incline bench.
Lay
back until you are as far back
as you can. This position opens
up your rib cage while the dumbells
pull your shoulders back and down,
dramatically increasing the stretch
on the biceps. If you've never
tried incline dumbell curls with
this setup, you're going to be
in for a shock with how much better
it works!
HOLD
that stretch position for at least
3 to 5 seconds, letting the weight
pull your biceps into that stretch
position.
Now
curl the dumbells up, again keeping
your palms forward.
Lower
them back down into the stretch
position then sit up and back
into the seated dumbell curl position.
Repeat
the sequence, doing two reps of
seated dumbell curls alternated
with one BIG stretch rep of the
incline dumbell curl.
Aim
for at least 3 to 5 reps on the
stretch exercise.
Remember,
perform these with STRICT form
and tight control. There should
be NO momentum here at all. If
you resort to momentum, lighten
the weight or it'll defeat the
purpose of the technique.
One
thing I will tell you up front...this
technique is NOT comfortable.
In fact, it's extremely UN-comfortable.
That's why it works so well...fascial
stretching isn't a fun thing to
do but the benefits of it definitely
make up for the discomfort.
When
you're done, you will most likely
have achieved a MASSIVE pump as
blood rushes into the bicep muscles.
This
exercise combination is one of
the effective bicep-builders you
can do...you'll get fascial stretching,
comined with increase muscle fiber
activation, combined with serious
muscle tension. Your biceps WILL
respond.
