7/25/2023 0 Comments Bodybuilding drag curlsNot contracting and squeezing the biceps at the top (losing the peak contraction effect).Ĥ. Leaning back at the top of the curl (uses the hips and lower back, stealing work from the biceps).ģ. Leaning forward at the bottom of the curl (which is like a "wind up" to give momentum to the bar).Ģ. It's also vital to maintain concentration on strict form and avoiding common cheats that are used during any type of bicep curl.ġ. It's important to use your mind to muscle connection and place all your attention on your biceps. Stay focused and concentrate on the form during every inch of every rep.Īt the top, you should consciously contract your biceps and say to yourself, "squeeze" as a reminder. It's tempting to let the elbows come forward the higher your curl the bar up (because it's easier), but you must continue keeping the bar close to your body even at the top of the movement. If you notice that happen, simply repeat the cue again, "elbows back." If your elbows come forward and the bar starts to drift away from your body, you're doing it wrong. You don't want the bar to more than slightly touch your body, but the bar should stay a fraction of an inch from your stomach and chest through the entire range of motion. You do not curl the bar away from the body in a wide arc as you do during the traditional curl. The drag curl exercise got it's name because you almost literally drag the bar along your body as you raise the bar, and again as you lower it. There are three important cues to remember when doing the body drag curl: Without pausing at the bottom, repeat for the desired number of reps.Lower the bar back down through the same path, elbows back, bar close to body.At the top of the curl, mentally focus on contracting your biceps.Your elbows will naturally have to move slightly forward as you curl in front of the chest, but continue to keep your elbows as far back as you can. The original Gironda version of the drag curl calls for curling all the way up to the base of the neck. Curl up to at least your lower to mid chest.As the bar passes in front of your stomach and lower chest, continue to keep your elbows back and the bar close to your body.From the start position with the barbell in front of your upper thighs, begin to curl the weight up, keeping your elbows back, and keeping the bar close to your body.Grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.You have to leave your ego at the door to do this exercise properly.Īlso, because the drag curl is a strict curl, you can't use as much weight as a regular barbell curl, so the drag curl is not as effective for building bicep strength. Many people will have the tendency to go back to their old cheating ways if they don't deeply concentrate on form and feel through the entire set. There are no major downsides to this exercise, but it can be a challenge to maintain perfect form through the entire set. This outer part of the biceps is difficult to develop, so including exercises that activate it more than inner biceps provide an advantage for physique athletes who want balanced arm development. As a result, you increase the tension on your biceps and maximize your muscle growth, even though the stricter form forces you to use less weight.Īnother benefit is that the drag curl places greater emphasis on the long (outer) head of the biceps. (You may not notice that you start leaning back slightly or loosening up the form at the end of a set, because these can be subtle body movements, not intentional efforts to cheat).ĭuring the drag curl, you keep your elbows back and keep the bar close to your body, which eliminates almost all possibility of cheating the weight up with momentum or extraneous body movement. Most people cheat at least a little on the standard barbell curl, even if they don't realize it. The problem with traditional barbell curls is that they are easy to cheat on. Variations of the drag curl use an EZ curl bar, cable attachment or dumbbells.īarbell curls are considered the best exercise for packing the most muscle on your biceps. You need a straight barbell to perform this exercise. The gripping and flexing muscles of the forearms, and the brachialis muscle, which lies underneath the bicep, get secondary emphasis. Because of the elbows-back arm position, it may also help stimulate the long head of the bicep (outer head) to a greater degree, especially with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. The body drag curl targets the bicep muscles of the upper arm. The body drag curl, also known as the drag curl was Invented decades ago by the late bodybuilding trainer Vince "The Iron Guru" Gironda.ĭrag curls are a unique and stricter variation of the regular barbell curl, especially effective for targeting the outer biceps.
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