I don’t know if anyone of u have tried this…but the other day I was doing incline dumbell curls using a 4-6 RM load…and I did 3 reps doing a regular supinated hand grip dumbell curl and instantly switched to a hammer curl during the set…so I was able to maintain tension…so 3 reps incline curl…3 reps incline hammer curl…I did that for a total of 3 sets…so u can say I got the best of both worlds …and man did it feel good…what do u guys think about this???
What do I think of it? Hmm…I think you should be doing Chin-ups instead! When you do Chin-ups instead of dumbbell curls you not only work your Biceps, you also work your lats, grip, abs and many other areas as well.
I hope that you take this in the manner in which it was written (that is to be helpful). Incline dumbbell Curls and Hammer Curls are okay. It’s just that when you want some superior results in a faster time frame you will do Chin-ups instead.
For example, let’s say that it takes you :30 seconds to complete one set of Incline Dumbbell Curls and :30 to complete one set of Chin-ups. Which :30 has been spent more wisely? The :30 where you work a multitude of muscle groups, as well as the one single muscle you most want to work, or the one which works only one muscle?
Furthermore, performing Chin-ups (palms up) will work your intended muscle far better than an incline curl will. I rarely do direct arm work, when I worked out with a friend who wanted to do some Barbell Curls I had no problem with them.
He put 100lbs. on the bar for our first set and I performed 10 reps quite easily. We kept adding weight until we go up to 135lbs. for a few reps. I can’t begin to tell you how surprised my training partner was when I told him I rarely perform Barbell Curls.
Chin-Ups for larger, stronger and better shaped biceps!
Good Luck,
Zeb
Thanks Zeb…yea I agree with u all the way…the chinup and it’s variations are a large part of my routine…they are superior to curls and u do not need direct arm work if u do chinups…but my post was about changing the grip of an excercise during the set to make use of 2 excercises in one set…
Rav:
Yes, sorry about not addressing your post directly.
I only spent the time that I did because I want you and everyone who reads the post to understand what should be a priority in your training.
Way to be Zeb! Solid advice.
But, if you’re like me and you’ve already got plenty of back goodies lined up at the start of the training session, then I strongly recommend the Incline DB curl for a bicep isolation.
It’s my absolute favorite bicep movement, especially with hands tilted back to eliminate the forearms when you really want to focus on those biceps.
I know I do, as well as others, get a more concentrated and intense contraction with the incline curls vs. standing or barbell. I noticed a lot more development in my biceps once I added this to my training.
I have yet to try this with a hammer grip, since my other bicep isolation is, indeed, the hammer curl. Looks like I’ve got something new to experiment with next Friday. 