Q: I’ve seen lots of recommendations, even in some studies, for preacher curls as a great biceps builder. Where does it fall in Positions of Flexion? Is it a stretch exercise?
A: You do get some biceps elongation loading, but to fully stretch the biceps, the upper arm should be behind your torso, as in an incline curl…
You can use the preacher curl as your first ideal exercise; however, there are a few stipulations and cautions…
1) Work one arm at a time due to bi-lateral deficit—using one-limb exercises activates more muscle fibers in the target muscle that two-limb moves
2) Don’t rest at the top, as there is zero resistance; in fact, you may want to stop short at the top to keep some resistance on the biceps
3) Use an incline bench, which will stop the dumbbell before your arm is fully extended, a dangerous tendon-popping point that can occur with standard preacher benches and some machines.
That last point is very important. Hyperextending your elbow at the bottom can over-stress the biceps tendon and rip it from the bone.
Nobody wants their biceps mimicking a rolled up window shade. That’s one reason biomechanics expert and Drug-Free Mr. Universe Doug Brignole excommunicated preachers. But I think they can be performed safely and with excellent biceps-bulging results…
One of my favorite POF biceps routines is the following:
Midrange: One-arm preacher curls or one-arm cable curls
Stretch: One-arm cable rope hammer curls, arm behind torso
Contracted: Concentration curls
I can’t use incline curls anymore due to my bum shoulder, so I opt for the one-arm rope hammer on the cable machine, keeping my arm slightly behind my torso.
The thumbs-up hammer grip also minimizes the pull on the biceps tendon, which I like because at 64, brittle is becoming more of a physical quality than a snack.
Your Efficient Mass-Building Handbook: For complete mass workouts that include Speed Sets, the ideal exercise for each muscle, and the best stretch and contracted add-on moves, get your copy of Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Recommended
Use This One Hormone Trick to DOUBLE Your Fat Loss
Don’t follow another fat-loss strategy until you’ve read this…
If you’re struggling to burn belly fat no matter how much cardio you do or how “clean” you eat, then listen up… Because you’re likely committing one of these 3 feminizing fat loss fails… And they’re killing any chance you have of achieving your most impressive physique to date.
Even though these 3 Feminizing Fat Loss Fails have probably been a part of your fat-loss programs in the past, here’s the good news… They don’t have to define your fitness journey anymore because…
Starting today, you can take a revolutionary new approach to getting lean without damaging your metabolism, shriveling up your male hormones, or spending endless hours on the treadmill…”
–> Click here to discover the hormone trick that will turn your body into a fat-burning furnace.