Biceps training: spider curls!
There are many variations in biceps exercise, such as barbell, dumbbell, standing, sitting, leaning, inclined plank, and different grip distance changes will have different emphases!
Today I want to introduce you to a good curl training: spider curl (Spider curl)
Features of the Spider Curl!
The spider curl is performed in front of the body, so the short head of the biceps is more activated.
Electromyography (EMG, Electromyography) shows that the long head has relatively large activity in the early stages of elbow flexion (when the hand is straight), and then the activity decreases as the muscle contracts and becomes shorter. The short head is more active in the later stage (when it is about to bend to the apex).
The starting position puts the shoulders in a flexed state and the long head becomes shorter. A shortened long head is less active. You can focus on the short head of the biceps
Although the movement does not seem to change much, compared with other bicep curls, the spider curl (Spider curl) can not only prevent excessive misuse of body shaking and borrowing force, but the most important difference is actually that the movement is near the completion of the high altitude. In this position, you can still feel considerable tension in your biceps.
In the ordinary bicep curl, at the high point of the movement, the weight is supported by the elbows, and the biceps do not have to exert any force. I believe many people have experience with this. Therefore, the spider curl can better maintain the tension of the biceps during training movements and enhance the training effect.
Action Tutorial
1. While sitting on a chair, you can also stand in a standing position, with your chest leaning on the inclined board, your upper arms on the inclined board, holding dumbbells/barbells with both hands behind your back, and keeping your arms straight to keep your body stable.
2. Contract the biceps, curl the dumbbell/barbell to the highest point, and pause.
3. Then slowly restore, fully extend the arms, and move slowly; when the dumbbell/barbell reaches the lowest point, the elbow joint should be slightly bent, and the barbell should be controlled with force, but do not fully extend.
Key Tips:
1. Keep your lower arm firmly against the mat. Can restrict movement of other muscle groups. Better Biceps Isolation
2. You can also practice standing by adjusting the height of the mat. Stand with your feet apart and shoulder level to keep your body in the most stable state
3. You can also train with one hand. It is easier to maintain stability and balance with one arm.
4. Don’t stay at the bottom: when your arms straighten down, immediately contract your biceps. You can increase a lot of strength by stretching your arms
5. Weight selection: The weight used each time should enable you to repeat the action at least 10 times. If your arms feel stuck to the bottom and difficult to bend, then reduce some weight