Incline Dumbbell Curls: Why Are They So Good For Building Biceps?
Answer:
The extended time the biceps spend under tension because of their disadvantaged position, and the phenomenal stretch they receive whilst under this tension makes incline dumbbell curls a superbly effective biceps exercise.
Building biceps is far more than increasing poundage…
Building biceps (in fact, any muscle) is more than simply increasing the poundage. Stretching the muscles out – particularly while the muscles have a pump – is known to achieve phenomenal results by stretching the muscle, putting it under much more pressure to grow. Many bodybuilders who achieved incredible and freakishly huge body parts are known to have exploited this stretching phenomenon – Tom Platz with his quads, and Arnie with his chest, to name just two.
Incline dumbbell curls also increase time under tension…
When you increase the time your muscles spend under weighted tension, you increase the extent to which they fatigue under the weight. More muscle fatigue (with the right intensity and volume) means more muscle growth.
Regular standing dumbbell curls aren’t nearly as effective as incline dumbbell curls because when the dumbbell is lifted, when it reaches a certain point (above 90 degrees – forearms parallel to the floor) the biceps are no longer under much tension, but the shoulders come into play more and tension is lost. This is ineffective.
With incline dumbbell curls – and preacher curls – the constant stretch in the biceps means they are under much greater tension from a leverage point of view, and the biceps need to work harder because the shoulders can’t do as much to assist in this position.
If you’ve never tried incline dumbbell curls before, I highly recommend you try them in your next workout. You’ll find you can barely lift anywhere near the amount you can whilst standing, but you’ll also notice you have never had a bicep workout like it. What’s that tell you?
