Hugh Jackman has been preparing to resume his role of clawed crusader Wolverine for Deadpool 3 and his gym sessions were no joke.

The Australian actor recently shared a snippet of his training, showing him tackling what looks like a biceps curl mechanical drop set, all while receiving barked orders from his trainer’s dog Andy.

In the clip, Jackman hits a set of standing EZ-bar curls before leaning over and immediately getting to work on a series of bent-over EZ-bar curls using the same weight. 

But what does this achieve? By getting him to switch his body position, Jackman’s trainer Beth Lewis changes the point of the movement at which his biceps are under the most load.

A standard biceps curl will feel most difficult as your forearms pass the point of being parallel with the ground, whereas a bent-over biceps curl is most challenging at the top of the rep. This shifts the stimulus of the move by hitting the biceps from a different angle, delivering a colossal pump.

And the results are on display for all to see: Jackman’s arms look huge. 

Deadpool 3 is released on July 26 this year and it will be Jackman’s first outing as Wolverine since 2017’s Logan. 

Fans are also excited to see him star alongside a similarly-jacked Ryan Reynolds, with the duo having stoked a fake feud for the last 15 years. 

Despite being friends, the pair have taken light-hearted pot-shots at one another since meeting on the set of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. Now they’re set to reconvene in the MCU, audiences are expecting big things (and they’re not talking about Jackman’s biceps). 

If you’ve been spending hours in the gym trying to get bigger biceps with regular biceps curls and chin-ups, and yet remain entirely unsatisfied with the size of your upper arms, the chances are you’ve never heard of the brachialis muscle.

There’s no shame in that – who can keep tabs on all of the hundreds of muscles in the human body? However, the brachialis is one it’s worth getting acquainted with, because it’s a key muscle that any good biceps workout should target.

Your brachialis muscles are found on the outside of your upper arms right next to the biceps. By targeting the brachialis in your workouts, you’ll add mass to your upper arms and help your biceps stand out more. And the best arms exercise that works the brachialis is the hammer curl. Here’s how to do it.

How To Do A Hammer Curl

If you’ve been spending hours in the gym trying to get bigger biceps with regular biceps curls and chin-ups, and yet remain entirely unsatisfied with the size of your upper arms, the chances are you’ve never heard of the brachialis muscle.

There’s no shame in that – who can keep tabs on all of the hundreds of muscles in the human body? However, the brachialis is one it’s worth getting acquainted with, because it’s a key muscle for anyone hitting the gym with the aim of building sleeve-busting upper arms.

Your brachialis muscles are found on the outside of your upper arms right next to the biceps. By targeting the brachialis in your workouts, you’ll add mass to your upper arms and help your biceps stand out more. And one of the best ways to work the brachialis is to add the hammer curl to your training routine. Here’s how to do it.

Hammer Curl Variations

Seated hammer curl

Set up an adjustable bench at 90° so you can sit on the end of the bench with your back against it. Grab your dumbbells and let them hang at your sides with your palms facing each other. Keeping your back against the bench and your elbows tucked in, curl the weights up to your shoulders, then slowly lower them. The advantage of having your back against the bench is that it ensures your biceps are taking the load by preventing you from rocking your body and using momentum to help with the curl.

Rope cable curl

Using a cable machine means that you work against a consistent level of resistance throughout the movement. In the case of the hammer curl this means the same level of resistance at the top of the movement as the bottom. Attach a rope handle to the low pulley on a cable machine. Curl it up with your palms facing one another, keeping your core braced throughout the movement.

Alternating hammer curl with twist

In this variation of the hammer curl you lift one dumbbell at a time and twist your wrists at the top of the movement to hit the biceps from a different angle. Start with your wrists facing one another, then turn them to face you at the top of the curl so the position is the same as when doing regular biceps curls.

If you were to ask every gym-goer what the best biceps exercise is, chances are you would hear varying takes on the dumbbell curl from the vast majority. Granted, the curl has its place and is particularly useful for working on the peak of the muscle. But for adding sheer size to your arms, few moves can better the humble chin-up.

All you need to begin is a pull-up bar and your bodyweight. You’re probably familiar with the pull-up since it forms the cornerstone of most fitness tests alongside the press-up. The chin-up, however, places extra emphasis on the arms.

A traditional pull-up, performed with a wide grip, typically adopts an overhand (pronated) grip, palms facing forward. The primary muscles worked in a pull-up are those in the back, such as the lats and the rhomboids. The pull-up is the natural progression from a standard lat pull-down.

To perform a chin-up, take a closer, underhand (supinated) grip. Those back muscles you recruit so efficiently in the standard pull-up are still activated, but greater stress is now placed on the biceps. The reason for this is elbow flexion – an underhand grip means your bodyweight is channelled through the elbow joint. As the biceps is the primary muscle that attaches to the elbow joint, it bears the load you are lifting.

How To Do A Chin-Up

Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower. Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs. Retract your shoulder blades to reduce the stress on the shoulder joints. Keeping your body stable and core engaged, pull your body up until your chin becomes aligned with the bar. Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension. Slowly lower to the start position.

Whatever you do, don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers. Instead of being fixated on numbers, get fixated on form. A proper chin-up means getting your chin over the bar at the top, and then lowering until your arms are straight.

See related

• The Best Biceps Workout
• The Biceps Exercises You Need To Get Bigger Biceps

Chin-Up Variations

Neutral / hammer-grip chin-up

Follow the same technique as a standard chin-up, but with neutral grip bars so your palms face each other. This variation works not just the back muscles and the biceps but also the brachialis – the smaller muscle on the outside of the arm. This muscle is often neglected: it may be small, but building it can add thickness and size to your arms.

Negative / eccentric chin-up

This variation is best for when you are looking to build the strength to perform chin-ups. Stand on a bench, step or box that’s high enough to let you grasp the pull-up bar in the top position. Then lower yourself to the floor, taking three to four seconds to perform this phase of the move. Then get back on the bench and go again.

This is useful for novice lifters looking to perform bodyweight chin-ups, or those who have progressed to weighted variations. The lowering phase helps your body to handle a challenging weight, which benefits your strength in the standard chin-up.

Weighted chin-up

Once your blockbuster biceps are no longer satisfied with merely lifting your bodyweight, you can increase the challenge by adding some weight to the exercise. For added style points, wrap a heavy chain around your shoulders, but if convenience is more important to you than looking like a badass (or there are no chains lying around) then you can slip on a weighted vest, a dip belt attached to weight plates or, in a pinch, hold a dumbbell between crossed ankles.

Assisted chin-up

The chin-up, like the pull-up, is an unforgiving exercise and it can be frustrating to have to tap out after just a couple of reps. If that’s the case you can leave off chin-ups for a while in favour of other exercises that build the strength required to complete a full set – or you can simply loop a resistance band over the bar. Place one or both feet into the band to provide some assistance while you get to grips with the exercise. Start with a heavy band for extra assistance and then progress to a lighter one until you don’t need any help at all.

Band resisted chin-up

With assisted chin-ups the band giveth, but with resisted chin-ups the band taketh away. Instead of attaching the band to the bar and using it to aid your ups, affix it to a point beneath you, loop it around your shoulders and use it to provide extra resistance as you perform the move. It’s an easier way to increase the difficulty of the move than wrapping heavy chains around you, especially as resistance bands are far more portable than said chains.

Towel chin-up

If you want to increase your grip and forearm strength try this variation, which involves putting a towel over your bar and holding one end of it in each hand to perform your chin-ups. This is not a move for the faint-hearted, and although everything might seem fine during your sets, you’ll recognise just how taxing the exercise was both immediately afterwards, when you find you can’t hold a dumbbell, and in the days following your workout, when the soreness in your forearms and fingers is truly remarkable.

Think of lifting weights and the image that springs to mind is probably someone curling a dumbbell. That’s in part because it’s such an effective isolation exercise, helping you to bulk up your biceps and bringing a host of other benefits when it comes to nailing other lifts.

Benefits Of Biceps Curls

Think of lifting weights and the image that springs to mind is probably someone curling a dumbbell. That’s in part because it’s such an effective isolation exercise, helping you to bulk up your biceps and bringing a host of other benefits when it comes to nailing other lifts.

How To Do The Biceps Curl

There are biceps curl variations aplenty, but we think the best place to start is the standing dumbbell biceps curl. Remember, you want your biceps to be doing the work – it sounds obvious, but it’s all too easy to enlist other body parts to help shift the weight if you’re not strict with your form.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your thighs, palms facing away from you. Keep your elbows tight to your sides throughout, your chest and head up, and back straight. Maintaining this posture will ensure you’re using your biceps and only your biceps to curl the weights.

Bend at the elbows to initiate the lift, slowly bringing the dumbbells to your shoulders over a count of three seconds. Give your biceps a slight squeeze at the top of the move to promote muscle growth. Lower slowly under control, and squeeze your triceps slightly once you get to the bottom to ensure you’ve gone through a full range of movement.

Picking The Right Weight

A lot of people in the gym want to look like their biceps can move mountains. That’s great, unless you pick a weight that’s so heavy it results in bad form, which isn’t going to help muscle development in the long run. As the biceps curl is an isolation movement, it’s vital to pick a weight that doesn’t force you to bring other muscles into the move. For instance, if the struggle to get the weights to the top is too great, more often than not people start to swing their back to get a helping hand from momentum. Do not do this. It should be all biceps.

To build muscle – hypertrophy is the technical term – select a weight that allows you to complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps with good form, with the third set feeling difficult.

Biceps Curls Variations

The dumbbell biceps curl will take you far but once you’ve mastered it, adding the tweaks below to your repertoire will only enhance the benefits.

Seated dumbbell curl

If you find you’re having trouble keeping your back straight, using a bench set at a high incline will help by providing support for your back.

Barbell curl

The benefit of using a barbell is that you can load up more weight. The downside is that it’s all too easy to load up too much weight and your form will start to suffer. If you notice that you’re starting to enlist your back or anything else to aid the movement, dial it back down to something more manageable.

EZ-bar curl

According to a study in the Journal Of Life And Environmental Sciences, using an EZ-bar is the best means of activating your biceps. The wavy handle is designed to put your wrists in a more natural position. This means you can add more weight with less chance of jeopardising form than when you use a barbell.

Cable curl

Using a cable machine rather than free weights for your curls means that the muscles are placed under continuous tension throughout the exercise. You can use a variety of attachments, including an EZ-bar or rope, but the standard move uses a straight bar handle, which should be attached at the bottom of the cable machine. Stand facing the machine, grab the handle in both hands and curl it up to your shoulders. Pause for a moment, then lower the handle under control, being sure to resist the pull of the machine as you do.

Concentration curl

The key to getting the most out of this one-armed curl variation is to focus closely on your form and tempo. Do that and you’ll find that it helps you build muscle as fast as or faster than any other curl. You can do the concentration curl standing, but it’s most commonly done sitting on a bench.

Holding your dumbbell with your palms facing out, bend forwards so the elbow of the arm holding the weight is by your knee, with your other arm placed on the other knee to help stabilise yourself. Curl the dumbbell up to your shoulder slowly, pause at the top, then lower it under control. As a unilateral move, the concentration curl will also help you identify and work on any imbalances in the strength of your arms.

Hammer curl

The hammer curl is a fine addition to your arsenal of moves because it also works the brachialis, a muscle just to the side of your biceps. Training your brachialis will help your overall lifting, and will also add that finishing touch to the look of your arms.

The only difference with the biceps curl is that you keep your palms facing throughout the move. Simple but effective.

Preacher curl

If you’ve ever wondered what the isolated version of an isolation lift looks like, it looks like the preacher curl. You’ll need a preacher bench to do this exercise, but you can use either dumbbells, a barbell or an EZ-bar.

Rest your upper arms over the preacher bench with your palms facing upwards. Slowly lift until your forearms are vertical, then lower again for a three-second count.

Reverse curl

People love to perform curls with their palms facing them, or even with their palms facing each other for the popular hammer curl, but when was the last time you spied someone curling in the weights room with their palms facing away from them? This reverse variation of the classic curl is well worth adding to your arsenal, because it not only works the biceps from a slightly different angle but also increases your forearm and grip strength. Given that your grip can be a limiting factor in all sorts of exercises, from deadlifts to pull-ups, it’s something that’s well worth improving.

Zottman curl

This variation is a real test of your grip strength. Start with your palms facing towards one another. Rotate your palms to face towards you as you curl to your shoulders, making sure your elbows remain pinned to your sides. At the top of the curl, rotate your hands so that your palms are now facing away from you – this is where it gets fun. Lower slowly, over a count of between three and five seconds. Once you get closer to your starting position, turn the palms to face one another again.

Spider curl

If you’ve ever performed a set of preacher curls, only to realise afterwards that you approached the bench from the wrong side, then you’ve done the spider curl. For this variation you lie chest-down on the slanted part of the bench, where your arms normally go, and curl the bar on the other side. Why would you do this, we hear you ask? Well, the position used in the spider curl increases the range of motion of the exercise over a standard preacher curl, allowing you to work the full length of the biceps.

Building bigger biceps is top of many men’s gym wish list. But you only need to look around the next time you’re in the weights room to realise that their wishes haven’t come true. One of the main reasons is that sticking to simple dumbbell biceps curls every time you work out just won’t get the job done. Your body is very good at adapting quickly to what you ask it to do, so to force your biceps to grow bigger and stronger you need to push them outside of their comfort zone and shock them into growth. Read on for four moves that promise faster gains, world-renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin’s advanced exercises that build bigger biceps, followed by top advice on how to make your biceps training more effective. But first…

Daniel Venture Explains How To Build Bigger Biceps

The fitness model, personal trainer and WBFF Pro, pictured above, knows how to train his biceps and triceps.

“So many men always fall into the trap of picking up a pair of too-heavy dumbbells and attempting to do three sets of ten badly-performed biceps curls hoping for bigger arms,” Ventura says. “But to build bigger biceps and triceps you have to focus on perfect form, moving through a full range of motion and, crucially, never lifting too heavy. The key to adding arm size is to getting a good pump through lifting lighter for longer – and executing every rep as perfectly as possible.”

Don’t go too heavy

“Your arms take a beating when you go heavy on back and chest days, so you don’t need to lift heavy weights when training the biceps or triceps directly,” says Ventura. “In fact, I like to go light but do a lot of reps. Take biceps curl – at the end of a session I use a pair of light dumbbells to do 60 biceps curls without rest to get a huge pump. You can do it with cable rope triceps press-downs too – it’s a great arms-building finisher to end a workout.”

High reps for starters

“You can also start your session with one of these very high-rep sets to pre-fatigue your biceps and triceps before the main workout. It’s a great way to get the muscle full of blood, and can help reduce elbow pain by ensuring the muscles and tendons are thoroughly warmed up ahead of the session.”

Hold the position

“A slow eccentric [lowering] part of the lift, taking three to four seconds to return to the start, is a great way to increase the time under tension on your biceps or triceps. I also like to add a long isometric hold, where you hold for four to ten seconds at the peak contraction of each rep. You might have to reduce the weight to be able to do these, but it forces your muscles to work overtime to manage and control the weight, and that’s what gets results.”

Get the range right

“A common mistake is failing to move the biceps or triceps through a full range of motion: it’s essential for building the biggest possible muscles. Partial reps can be great - I often superset a set of full biceps curls with a set of half-reps to really fatigue the muscle – but full-range reps done under control must be your priority.”

4 Biceps Exercises To Sub In For Dumbbell Curls

1. Chin-up

Using an underhand grip is a better way to recruit the biceps, which is good news for your arm size. Do three to four sets of six to eight reps, with each one slow and controlled.

2. Underhand row

Get into the start position for a barbell bent-over row but with a hip-width underhand grip to shift focus and activation to your biceps. Row the bar to your sternum, then pause and squeeze your biceps for extra time under tension. Do three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.

3. EZ-bar curls

The curved bar reduces strain on your wrists, allowing you to lift heavier and through a greater range of motion than with dumbbells or barbells. Squeeze your biceps at the top of each rep and fully straighten your arms at the bottom. Do three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.

4. Spider curls

The increased range of motion in this curl variation boosts the benefits for your biceps, as does keeping them under tension for longer periods than with the classic curl. You can perform the move with a barbell or an EZ-bar, and you’ll need a bench set at a 45° angle. If you have access to one, you can use a preacher bench, approaching it from the opposite side than you would for preacher curls so your arms rest on the flat pad which would otherwise support your chest.

Lie face down on the 45° bench and hold the bar so it hangs underneath you with your palms facing up. Slowly curl it up, squeeze your biceps at the top of the move, then lower back to the start. Having the bar hanging beneath you is what gives the spider curl the greater range of motion, but it also means you have to be especially vigilant with your form to avoid using muscles other than the biceps. Make sure your upper arms stay perpendicular to the ground throughout and that you lift the bar moving only your forearms.

Charles Poliquin’s Key Moves for Bigger Biceps

Few people knew more about strength training than distinguished coach Charles Poliquin. Here are his five favourite biceps exercises.

“There are dozens of biceps exercises,” says Poliquin. “The trouble is, unless you’re involved in this business full-time, you tend to adopt a few exercises and do them over and over again to the exclusion of all others. 

“This is simply a list of five of my favourites. Obviously, many of them will be familiar to you. However, you may want to read the descriptions anyway because you might discover a new way to do that particular movement or you might find that you’ve been doing it incorrectly.”

1. One-arm dumbbell preacher curl

“Most biceps exercises require some assistance and stabilisation work by other muscle groups, but the preacher bench was designed to isolate the biceps,” says Poliquin. “Most gyms have standing and sitting preacher benches. I prefer the seated version because it minimises cheating. 

“Sit on the bench with one arm fully extended. Use your free hand to lock your triceps in position. As you curl the weight, keep your neck aligned by looking straight ahead. You want to keep tension on the muscle throughout each rep, so don’t curl the weight up until your forearm touches your biceps, but make sure you do lower the weight all the way back to the start.”

2. Incline dumbbell curl

“This is a simple, common exercise and the most effective for isolating the long head of the biceps, but I see it done incorrectly time and again,” says Poliquin. 

“Recline on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms fully stretched out. Curl the dumbbells up together while keeping your elbows still, at least through the first 90˚. Keep your palms facing up at all times so your elbow flexors are well stretched. Here’s a tip: if your head comes off the bench no matter how hard you try to keep it down, roll up a towel and place it between your neck and the bench. You’ll find it increases your strength. 

“I recommend the incline dumbbell curl as a staple of your arm workouts, especially if you want to do specialised work for the long head of the biceps. Just make sure you change the angle of the bench every six workouts so your muscles don’t adapt.”

3. Dumbbell concentration curl

“The concentration curl can be performed in a standing or a sitting position but I prefer the latter,” says Poliquin. “When you’re standing, your nervous system has other responsibilities such as maintaining balance, but if you sit down it has its full attention on the movement. 

“Sit on a bench, lean over and grab your dumbbell. Sit back and rest your triceps against your inner thigh. Keep a slight arch in your back while leaning over the dumbbell. Make sure to curl the dumbbell slowly and deliberately until full range is completed – the dumbbell should be near your pectoral muscle. It’s crucial that you lower the dumbbell until your arm is fully extended.”

4. Close-grip chin-up

“If your arms haven’t grown for a while, you might want to consider doing this move more often,” says Poliquin. “It’s a surefire mass builder. Grasp the chin-up bar with a close grip. The palms of your hands should be facing you about 8-12cm apart. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Do this very slowly – it should take about 15 seconds or so. Then, slowly lower yourself to the start position.

“You won’t get many reps in the bag, but that doesn’t matter because you want to expose your muscles to the maximum amount of tension. And don’t short-change yourself by not coming all the way down. Range of motion is critical.”

5. Seated Zottman curl

“This is one of the best upper-arm builders,” says Poliquin. “It feels uncomfortable at first, so it may take a few workouts to get used to this movement. 

“Grasp two dumbbells and sit on a flat bench. Fully extend your arms downward and keep your palms facing forward. Begin curling the weight, but keep your palms extended away from your body – the tendency is to curl the wrist upwards, but I’m asking you to extend the hand backwards. Once you reach the top, rotate your hands so your palms are now facing downwards and straighten the wrists so, in effect, you’re ready to do the eccentric portion of a reverse dumbbell curl. Slowly lower the dumbbells, keeping your elbows glued to your sides throughout the entire exercise.”

See related

• The Best Biceps Workout
• The Simplest (And Most Effective!) Dumbbell Biceps Workout You Can Find
• A Rest-Pause Biceps Workout

How To Get The Most Out Of Biceps Exercises

Put it on lockdown

Sure, you want to use big weights, but wrenching every rep up with a back spasm does nothing for your arms. “Lock everything else down,” says strength and conditioning coach Joel Dowey. “If you’re standing, keep your back to a wall – this will minimise use of your legs and hips. Doing preacher curls? Lock down your shoulder blades by squeezing them together before you start the set. Any movement from anywhere else takes the focus away from your target muscles.”

Think in angles

Endless curls won’t cut it. “Isolate your biceps muscles from different angles,” says Dowey. “When targeting your biceps brachii, for instance, shoulder position – whether they’re extended or flexed – comes into play for shortening or lengthening the muscle fully. To work the muscle hard through a full range of motion, you need to mix your moves up – do incline bench curls as well as standing, preacher and high cable curls.” You don’t have to do them all in one session.

Go full-fat

“Thick-handled training is the best thing that most people aren’t doing,” says Dowey. “Use Fat Gripz or something similar on virtually any bit of kit to thicken the bar. The added motor unit recruitment from the forearms increases recruitment in the biceps. Also, you won’t ever get a pump like it.” If you forget yours, one of the gym’s mini-sweat towels wrapped around the dumbbell handle works almost as well – though it’s even more taxing when your sets go long.

In This Series

• Biceps Curls Guide
• Dumbbell Curls
• EZ-Bar Curl
• Barbell Curl
• Concentration Curl
• Hammer Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Reverse Curls
• Zottman Curl
• Spider Curl

As we all know, one of the reasons that spiders are so scary is the bulging biceps they boast at the top of each of their eight legs. So you can hide and hope not to come across an arachnid, or you can fight fire with fire by bulking up your own biceps using the spider curl.

While all biceps curls are done with the same intention – to get bigger biceps – not all biceps curls are equally effective. The spider curl is particularly effective because it allows for a greater range of motion than most curls and ensures the biceps muscles are under tension for a long period.

How To Do The Spider Curl

You’ll need a barbell and a bench set at 45°. Lie face-down on the bench with your torso and stomach pressed against the back rest. Hold the bar under you using a supinated grip (palms facing up) with your hands shoulder-width apart. Slowly curl the bar up and pause for a second at the top of the move and squeeze your biceps, then lower the bar under control.

You can also use an EZ-bar or dumbbells, and you can perform the move on a preacher bench if you have access to one. If you do, approach the preacher bench from the side opposite the one you would normally and rest your arms on the flat pad where your chest would usually be.

In either scenario, having your arms hanging beneath your body is what allows for the greater range of motion of the move, but it does mean you have to exercise a lot of discipline to ensure you don’t enlist other muscles in the curl. Make sure your upper arms remain perpendicular to the ground throughout and only move your forearms as you curl the weights up and down. If you let your upper arms drift forwards your shoulders will do some of the work and take attention off the biceps, and you’re doing this for the biceps, right?

In This Series

• Biceps Curls Guide
• Dumbbell Curls
• EZ-Bar Curl
• Barbell Curl
• Concentration Curl
• Hammer Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Reverse Curls
• Zottman Curl
• Spider Curl

Even if you have no intention of doing so, it’s easy to cheat in the gym. At the end of a tough set, you often find you recruit less fatigued muscles to shift the weight to the detriment of your form, or you can take advantage of momentum just to get through those final few reps.

This is definitely something that’s true of the biceps curl, where a little sway can go a long way in building momentum. But if you’re doing curls, it’s natural to assume you’re shooting for bigger biceps, so stop cheating yourself and add the concentration curl to your repertoire.

The position of this exercise more or less eliminates your ability to cheat with your curls, and since you’ll be working each arm individually it also stops your weaker side (if you have one) from letting your stronger side do more than its fair share when curling a barbell or EZ-bar.

In addition, the slow and steady pace of the exercise makes for greater time under tension which helps you to really put the squeeze on your biceps. You might find that you need to use lighter dumbbells than you expect because of this, or do fewer reps, but that doesn’t matter – the key is that you’re putting your biceps to work properly, and the results will follow in the shape of sleeve-busting upper arms.

See related

• The Best Biceps Workout
• The Biceps Exercises You Need To Get Bigger Biceps
• The Simplest (And Most Effective!) Dumbbell Biceps Workout You Can Find

How To Do The Concentration Curl

Sit on a bench that’s set at a height so your knees are bent at 90° with your feet flat on the floor. Pick up a dumbbell in your right hand and place the back of your upper right arm on the inner part of your right thigh. Your arm should be extended holding the weight off the floor.

Slowly curl the weight up, only moving your forearms – the position of your upper arm on your thigh will help you keep it still during the exercise. At the top of the move, pause for a beat and squeeze your biceps, then slowly lower the weight back to the start. Do all your reps on one arm, then switch to the other.

The forearms are neither the easiest nor the most exciting part of your body to train. They don’t look good in beach photos and only impress in social situations when you get a chance to show off your awesome grip strength with a firm handshake.

That doesn’t mean you should neglect them, however, because a strong grip will be a major boon when you attempt all manner of other lifts, not to mention life-or-death situations. Should you ever find yourself hanging from a ledge, you’ll definitely regret spending all your time on squats when you could have been building stronger forearms.

If you’re still not convinced of the merits of forearm training, the Zottman curl might be a good way to ease yourself in, because the exercise also helps build bulging biceps while working your lower arms. In fact, because you rotate the dumbbell as you perform the curl you hit the entire biceps group of muscles. That’s greater functional strength and bigger mirror muscles courtesy of one simple arm exercise. Why isn’t everyone doing Zottman curls?

How To Do The Zottman Curl

Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still and turning your hands so your palms face up as you lift. Pause at the top of the movement and slowly rotate your grip so your palms are facing downwards. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using this overhand grip, counting for three to five beats as you lower the weight to make sure you’re not moving it too quickly. When the dumbbells are close to your thighs again, turn your hands so your palms are in the starting position facing one another. You can perform Zottman curls with both arms at the same time, or alternate the arm you lift with.

Zottman Curl Benefits

Named after early-20th-century American strongman George Zottman, this curl variation offers a more comprehensive approach to building bigger arms than the standard biceps curl.

“I absolutely love Zottman curls and have been on a mission to get everyone to incorporate them into their routine,” says certified strength coach Melissa Kendter.

Zottman Curl Variations

Reverse curl

If you’re ready to go full forearm with your curl, then skip the rotation part of the Zottman and do a reverse curl. Holding dumbbells with your palms facing you means you target the brachioradialis (which links the biceps to the forearm) and the upper forearm muscles, with less focus on the biceps.

Hold dumbbells in a reverse grip with your hands hip-width apart. Slowly lift them to your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Pause at the top of the lift, then slowly lower.

Zottman preacher curl

Combine these two classic curls by resting your arms on a preacher bench during the exercise. In doing so you’ll be putting all the focus on your biceps, with the rotation during the movement ensuring you’re hitting them from different angles.

Set up on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on it, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders with your palms facing away from you. Slowly lower the weights until your arms are fully extended, then turn your palms around so they are facing you and curl the weights back up to your shoulders.

In This Series

• Biceps Curls Guide
• Dumbbell Curls
• EZ-Bar Curl
• Barbell Curl
• Concentration Curl
• Hammer Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Reverse Curls
• Zottman Curl
• Spider Curl

Bigger biceps. That’s the promise of preacher curls. While we like to go into great detail about the benefits of a particular exercise, there’s really no need with the preacher curl. If you want to sculpt guns worthy of Navarone, add this move to your workouts.

It’s not an exercise that should replace the standard biceps curl in your training schedule, but rather one that works alongside it to provide variation to your curling routine, since it hits the biceps in a different way.

To do the preacher curl you need a preacher bench, which for the vast majority of people means heading to a gym. Although if your home gym is so well-stocked that it includes a preacher bench, then we salute you. The preacher bench is designed so you sit with your upper arms resting on a slanted surface that slopes down away from you. Along with the preacher bench you’ll need some kind of weight. You can use a barbell, dumbbells or an E-Z bar, while some gyms have a machine designed for preacher curls.

You should be using lighter weights for the preacher curl than you do for biceps curls. Because the bench forces you into an unstable position, slow, controlled movements with perfect form are essential. If your form is off, at best you’ll get little benefit from the exercise and at worst you’ll risk injury.

How To Do The Preacher Curl

Sit on the preacher bench and adjust the height so your armpits are just touching the top of the sloped section. Hold the weight using an underhand grip (palms facing up) with your arms extended and your upper arms resting on the bench. Curl the weight up, keeping your upper arms on the bench, until your forearms are vertical. Pause for a second at the top of the curl, then slowly lower the weight until your arms are fully extended once again. Count for three beats as you lower. Make sure your feet are planted on the ground, and that your torso and shoulders stay still throughout the movement.

See related

• The Biceps Exercises You Need To Get Bigger Biceps
• The Best Arm Exercises For All Levels Of Gym-Goer

Preacher Curl Variations

Thumbless overhand preacher curl

In a world where you can’t use thumbs for your curls, the man with the strongest grip is king. This thumbless variation on the classic preacher curl not only builds handshake-dominating power, but will also improve the strength of your forearms. It’s best to use an EZ-bar for this exercise, though you can also use dumbbells or a barbell, and naturally make sure you’re adept at the standard preacher curl before removing a digit from the equation.

Set up as normal on the preacher bench, holding the bar in an overhand grip using just your fingers. Curl it up to your shoulders until your forearms are vertical. Pause here and squeeze the bar with your fingers, then lower it slowly.

Zottman preacher curl

The rotating grip used in the standard Zottman curl means that it hits both your biceps and your forearms hard. When you do the Zottman curl on a preacher bench the focus moves to the biceps, which are worked from different angles, but you’ll also still get a handy forearm strength boost from the move.

Set up on the preacher bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders with your palms facing away from you. Lower the weights slowly until your arms are fully extended, then rotate your hands so your palms face towards you and curl the dumbbells back up to your shoulders.

Benefits Of The EZ-Bar Curl

If you want bigger biceps then the tools you use, rather than the exercises you select and the variables you manipulate, could be key to faster muscle growth. Using an EZ-bar, which has an undulating handle, will stimulate greater muscle activation in your biceps than either a barbell or dumbbells, according to a study in the Journal Of Life And Environmental Sciences. If your gym doesn’t have an EZ-bar, you should use a barbell, which produced more muscle activation than dumbbells.

How To Do The EZ-Bar Curl

An EZ-bar curl is, well, easy. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold an EZ-bar in an underhand grip with your arms extended and then curl the bar up towards your chest, keeping your elbows in to your sides. But it’s also easy to get the finer points wrong – nail your form with these tips.

EZ-Bar Curl Form Tips

1. Strong wrists

EZ-bars have an undulating middle section which allows a semi-supinated grip. This allows the biceps to be effectively isolated while using a joint-friendly grip. You want to keep your wrists in the strongest position possible, and turning them in towards your body “locks” the joint and keeps it stable. If you are an experienced lifter you can cock your wrists away from your body to lessen the role of the forearms and place greater emphasis on the biceps. Always warm up first and don’t lift too heavy because it places significant strain on the wrists.

2. Bring in the biceps

To get bigger biceps you need to make sure that they are doing as much of the lifting as possible, so you must eliminate any momentum to make your muscles do more work. Start with your arms fully straight, with triceps tensed, then initiate each rep by squeezing your biceps. Don’t start by swinging your elbows forwards. Keep the tension on your biceps and continue to squeeze the bar as it rises. Once at the top of the move, squeeze your biceps hard, then lower the bar slowly, straightening your arms fully at the bottom before you start the next rep.

3. Tight elbows

For a standing curl your elbows should remain tight to your sides for the duration of each rep. If your elbows move up or forwards, this takes tension away from your biceps, and you want these muscles to do as much of the work as possible for maximum growth. If you’re seated at a preacher bench, then your elbows and the backs of your upper arms need to be flush against the padding throughout. If you can’t lift the bar without your elbows moving, whether standing or seated, the weight is too heavy. Reduce it.

4. Retracted shoulders

When standing, retract your shoulder blades and raise your chest to keep your torso as upright as possible. Doing so prevents your upper back and shoulders hunching forwards, which creates poor posture, increasing the pressure on your joints and decreasing the range of motion through which you can move the bar. When seated, you also want to keep your shoulders back to prevent leaning forwards over the bench to maintain the safest lifting posture possible.

5. Level head

Always ensure your head is held high throughout the set, and keep your head and neck aligned by focusing on raising your chin. It can be very tempting – especially when a set gets hard – to let your chin drop towards your chest, but it places pressure on your neck and upper spine, which intensifies when lifting the bar and can lead to the shoulders rolling forwards too. Stand in front of a mirror so you can watch your form and focus on keeping your chin up and your head and neck aligned.

EZ-Bar Curl Assistance Moves

Add these exercises to your workouts to target the key muscles involved in a EZ-bar biceps curl so you can lift more weight.

EZ-bar reverse curl

Stand tall with your shoulders back and feet close together, holding an EZ-bar with an overhand grip with your hands just outside your hips. Keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the bar up towards your chest, stopping just before your forearms reach vertical. Avoid rocking to generate momentum.

Zottman curl

This move targets all the muscles on the front of your upper arm in every rep, using both heads of the biceps – brachii and brachialis – on the way up, and the brachioradialis when you go palms-down for the descent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl them up to chest height, then twist your palms to face downwards before you lower, shifting the focus to your forearms.

Incline biceps curl

Sit on a bench set to an incline between 30˚ and 45˚, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your back flat against the bench and your elbows close to your sides, curl both dumbbells up to shoulder height. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the move, then slowly return to the start.

Want bigger arms in a hurry? Think bodyweight, not bodybuilding. While a recent study from the American Council on Exercise found that curls are excellent for acitivating your biceps muscles, it’s actually supination – having your palms facing out – that’s the key to fast growth because it allows for more maximal force development. And for supination, moves don’t get much better than the biceps planche.

‘This challenges the biceps to fire when the elbow joint is hyperextended,’ says veteran trainer Chad Waterbury. ‘When you combine that with the intense anterior deltoid activation, you create a stimulus to the biceps muscles that they rarely encounter with traditional resistance exercises.’ Result? A straighter path to bigger biceps. 

How to do it

Sets 5 Time 5sec Rest 90sec

Start with your hips high, hands at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock, fingers pointing slightly backwards. Push your body as far forwards as you can without moving your hands and feet. Keep your elbow joints hyperextended throughout, especially at the end position.