PART 1 – PART 2 – PART 3 – PART 4 – PART 6
“21’s”:
“21’s” are a mixture of partial and full range movements. They are a great test of endurance and develop and shape the whole bicep. The exercise is called “21’s” because it combines 3 sets of 7 reps each.
1. From a standing or seated position using a barbell, holding it at arm’s length, arms at your sides.
2. Curl the weight upward stopping halfway as your forearms become parallel to the floor, then lower the weight to the starting position once again. Do this for seven reps and then, without stopping:
3. Curl the weight up all the way this time stopping half the way down, doing seven reps of this partial movement.
4. Last, do seven full range curls, this is the hard part so if exhaustion sets in at this point, finish the set with seven full range dumbbell curls. You may want to do this exercise in front of a mirror in order to see that you are lifting the required range.
Incline Dumbbell Curls:
This will develop muscle mass and bicep peaks simultaneously. When doing the movement to the front it is a basic biceps exercise. However, if you do it to the outside it becomes a specialized exercise for the development of the inner biceps.
1. Sitting back on an incline bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Keep elbows well forward throughout the movement, curling the weights forward up to shoulder level. Lowering the weights under full control, pausing at the bottom to keep from using the momentum to swing up on the next rep. You may get the best results from this exercise by pronating and supinating your wrists while doing the movement. Turn the wrists so the palms face each other at the bottom, then twist the weights as you are lifting so the palms turn upward then outward, at the top of the movement your pinky finger should be higher than your thumb.
Seated Dumbbell Curls:
To shape, build and define the biceps, do a standard curl with dumbbells rather than a barbell. This means you will be using a little less weight. The arms are left free to move along their natural range of motion while achieving a greater degree of contraction. You can cheat a little with this exercise too, just like barbell curls, but keep it to a minimum!
1. Sitting on the end of a flat bench or against the support of an incline bench adjusted to an upright position with a dumbbell in each hand and the hands held straight down at arm’s length turning the palms toward the body.
2. Steady the elbows to act as unmoving pivot points curling the weights forward and up. Twist your palms forward as you lift so the thumbs turn to the outside and the palms face up. Lifting the weights as high as you can give the biceps an extra flex to gain the utmost contraction. Lowering the dumbbells all the way down the same arc, resist the weight all the way down until the arms are extended to their fullest with the biceps stretched as much as possible. Twist the wrists as you raise and lower the dumbbells. This will cause a fuller contraction of the biceps and develop the inner biceps and build separation between the biceps and triceps. You can do this exercise standing as well as sitting. Standing will give you the freedom to use a little heavier weight but the movement will not be as strict.