This Curl Variation Helps Your Train All Your Arm Muscles

You’d be hard pressed (er, pulled) to find someone who doesn’t think biceps curls are the best exercise for building bulking biceps. But going about your work from another angle with this curl variation from Jeff Cavaliere, C.S.C.S., creator of Athlean-X training program, can help you to work all of the muscles in your arm for even better results.

Called a cross-body reverse curl, in this movement you’ll take up your dumbbells in a pronated (overhand) grip with your palm facing down, instead of the usual supinated (underhanded) or neutral grip you’d use for standard biceps or hammer curls.

You’re switching up your grip and movement path for more than just variety’s sake. Rather than lifting the weight straight up, squeeze your muscles to lift the dumbbell across your torso. You’ll actually wind up targeting different muscles thanks to the changes. “[It’s] a good way to [hit] the two best bicep helpers: the brachioradialis in the forearm and the brachialis in the upper arm,” writes Cavaliere in an Instagram post showcasing the movement. If you only stick to classic hammer curls workout after workout, you’ll be “forgetting about the supporting cast,” he says.

View this post on Instagram

Your arms will never look their best unless you remember to train ALL the muscles in your arm. Makes sense right? But you’d be surprised at how often the biceps and triceps become the co-stars and we forget about the supporting cast!! Don’t. Here’s a good way to never miss out on the two best bicep helpers – the brachioradialis in the forearm and the brachialis in the upper arm. Use this cross-body reverse curl. It will shift slightly more work to the brachialis than the traditional hammer curl but more importantly…hammer the muscles that aren’t getting the workload needed now! Remember, all muscles matter. Train them. Even a few sets will go a long way I promise ?? #allmusclesmatter #reversecurls #forearms #biceps #brachialis #trainthemall #trainthemallhard #gains #athleanx #jeffcavaliere #teamathlean

A post shared by ATHLEAN-X™ | Jeff Cavaliere (@athleanx) on Jan 4, 2020 at 7:43pm PST

When you make the move to the cross-body reverse curl, maximize the strain (and therefore gains) on these “supporting” muscles by actively gripping the bell, really emphasizing the squeeze.

Just as importantly, hold the dumbbell at the top of each rep for a half-second. This increases the time your muscles are under tension, ultimately building bigger, stronger arms.

Cavaliere uses a relatively light weight bell here, alternating arms. You should do the same—especially as you’re just starting out with the movement, you should focus more on the form than on the weights. While he doesn’t give a rep recommendation, we suggest trying this at the end of an arm workout for 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps for each arm.

Men’s Health Subscription

SHOP NOW

Source: Read Full Article