Standing biceps block curl. Bending arms on a lower block with a crossbar. Work of muscles and joints

Just from the name of this movement it becomes clear that the target muscle is the biceps. Also, in addition to it, the brachial muscle (brachialis), pronator teres and brachioradialis muscle take part in the work. With strict adherence to the technique of performing the movement, the main load will fall on the biceps. The movement should not be performed if there is damage to the elbow joint or wrist.

How to properly perform biceps curls on a block?

The exercise can be performed in a crossover in a standing or sitting position, as well as on a horizontal bench while lying down.

How to perform crossover curls?

Turn your hands slightly towards you and try to maintain tension in the muscles of the shoulder girdle and wrists throughout the movement. Ignoring this advice will significantly increase the risk of joint dislocation. Tightening your biceps, begin to pull the handles towards you until your hands are in the temple area. In this position, you should pause for one or two seconds.

Make sure that during movement your arms from the shoulder to the elbow joints are in the same position, namely, parallel to the ground. This will eliminate other muscles from working and improve the quality of working out the target muscle.

How to perform arm curls on a horizontal bench?

This option for performing an exercise for training biceps on a block is very convenient, since the body is located in a horizontal plane and is fixed. Instead of a straight one, you can use an EZ-handle.

We have already said that this movement must be performed in the final phase of your lesson. You should not use it as a main one, as it will be more effective after basic movements. You should also use light or medium weights, since the muscles will already be very tired during the previous movements. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions each.

The most common mistakes when training biceps

If a large weight is used, the athlete's body may begin to sway, which as a result significantly reduces the load on the biceps. Try to keep your body level or perform the movement on a bench. Only a slight tilt of the body back is allowed, but not to the sides or forward.

If, when performing other movements on the biceps, when performing curls on the block, the elbow joints remain mobile. At the same time, they should not swing, and only a slight extension forward in the upper extreme position is allowed. It is also necessary to ensure that the exercise is performed with muscle strength, and not due to the movement of the hands.

As with any movement, you need to be careful with your technique. Of course, this primarily concerns beginners, who often rush to progress the load without fully mastering the movement. You must understand that only a technically correctly performed movement can benefit you. Moreover, if you violate the technique and use heavy weights, the likelihood of injury will increase dramatically. Only by performing the biceps movement on the block technically competently can you get the desired result.

Check out the technique of training biceps on a block machine in this video:

Isolated biceps curls are an exercise done with free weights or in a machine. A very popular exercise among bodybuilders, the result directly depends on how correct the technique is. If your lower back, elbow joints or shoulders begin to hurt, then mistakes are probably being made. It can be performed both sitting and standing. In the first option, the barbell will not allow you to produce the full amplitude, so it will be more rational to use dumbbells.

There are quite a few exercises for biceps, and even if you want to do them all in one workout, it’s impossible to do them all, so you should choose a few of them and change them after a couple of weeks. This will prevent the muscles from getting used to repeated movements and producing good results. Let's note the most common and effective exercises:

– in my opinion, it is the most popular and fundamental. The barbell must be grasped with an underhand grip and feet shoulder-width apart. When doing the exercise, you need to press your elbows to your body and minimize their movements, thereby increasing the arc of lifting the barbell. It must be raised as high as possible. It will be equally important to lower your arms to the starting position so that they are fully straightened. When performing the last approaches, you can help a little with small movements of the torso.

Having taken the dumbbells, we immediately shift its center of gravity; to do this, we move our hand so that the little finger touches the inside of the disc. After this, we lower our arms parallel to the body so that the palms look at the side of the thigh. When lifting, you must maintain an even posture and roll your shoulders back. Halfway through the rise, we begin to turn our palms up. Having raised to the maximum point, try to turn your hands to the sides as much as possible, then lower your arms to the starting position until the muscles are fully stretched. When performing, it is extremely important not to raise your elbows and keep them as close to your body as possible. Don't let the trapezoids help you get past the critical point. The technique must be followed if you want to benefit from this exercise.

– the bench allows you to perform isolated biceps curls with a more strict technique than regular curls. Leaning your chest against the machine, lower your arms down, while they remain slightly bent. Thus, even at the lowest point the tension will remain. You should not tilt your torso back when lifting, but when you reach the top point, specifically tense your muscles. Then lower it to the starting position, in a half-bent state.

– the exercise will allow you to create maximum biceps height on the inside. This exercise is often done at the end of a workout; it will pump up the biceps muscle.

Sitting on a bench, place your free hand on any stationary object or on your knee. Then take a dumbbell in your other hand and bend it towards the deltoid muscle. Then slowly lower the hand to the starting position until the muscle is fully stretched.

– attach the free crossbar to the cable of the device. Grasping it with an underhand grip, place your hands approximately shoulder-width apart. Then we lift them up until they are slightly below the chin. We constantly strain our biceps, especially at the top point. After which, we slowly lower our hands down.

Isolated biceps curls- This is not such a common exercise, and it is done quite difficult in a crossover. We get into the simulator, set a comfortable weight on the blocks. Your arms should be parallel to the floor. Bend your forearm towards your shoulder, pulling the handle of the block. Try to perform the exercise at the same pace for each hand.

There is no point in listing all possible biceps exercises. They all start from the basics of technology:

1. Do not use your elbow under any circumstances; always leave it in its original position.
2. Keep your arms as close to your body as possible and do not move them away as you rise.

For maximum convenience, it is best to stand in front of a mirror and monitor the execution. Most biceps exercises are done using a barbell or dumbbell. You can resort to the use of modern simulators. The main thing is not to stop at the same exercises, constantly replenish your arsenal. On the same Scott bench you can do exercises with dumbbells, only now your arms work separately. Constantly imagine and develop new exercises for your body.

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Bending arms from the lower block in a crossover - video

Weight and reps for beginners

Load by muscle group

Description of the exercise

Main features

Greetings, dear comrades! And today we’ll talk about overhead biceps curls on the upper block.

Wednesday on the calendar 18 October, which means it's time for a technical note on . After reading, you will learn everything about the muscle atlas, the advantages and technique of performing the exercise, we will also find out the degree of its effectiveness and the advisability of including it in the training program.

So, take your seats in the auditorium, we are starting.

Overhead biceps curl on a pulley. What, why and why?

As you know (you know, right? :)) the AB project already has a fairly extensive technical base - the most significant exercises used in training have been considered. Most of them are familiar to you firsthand, and some of them you have to deal with for the first time. Most likely, our current object of study - the exercise of biceps curling overhead on the upper block - belongs to the category of “what the...?”, i.e. rarely used, and that's good. For the more valuable our material will be.

Note:
For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Muscle atlas

The exercise belongs to the isolated class and is aimed at working the biceps brachii muscle.

The muscle ensemble includes the following units:

• targeted – biceps;
• synergists/auxiliary – brachialis, brachioradialis.

A complete muscle atlas looks like this.

Advantages

By performing the overhead biceps curl exercise on an overhead pulley, you can expect to receive the following benefits:

• isolated biceps workout;
• formation of the peak of the biceps;
• formation of hand relief;
• constant presence of the target muscle in work (without turning off at the extreme points of the trajectory);
• good stretching of the muscle in the negative/eccentric phase;
• exclusion of the anterior delta from work (removing the load from the frontal beam).

Execution technique

Bicep curls overhead on the upper block are exercises of entry-level difficulty. The step-by-step execution technique is as follows:

Step #0.

Go to the crossover machine and set the desired weight on each side of the blocks. Adjust (if the machine allows it) the height of the pulleys and make sure that they are located slightly above shoulder level. Taking the handles of each block in your hands, take the middle position in the simulator. The position of the arms and legs is as follows: the arms are slightly bent and parallel to the floor, and the legs are shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.

Step #1.

Inhale and as you exhale, slowly and under control, by contracting the biceps brachii muscle, bring your arms towards your head (until your forearms touch your biceps). As you inhale, return your forearms to the IP position. Repeat the specified number of times.

In picture form, all this disgrace looks like this:

In motion like this:

Variations

In addition to the standard version of bending your arms overhead on the upper block, there are several variations of the exercise:

• bending while sitting on a bench;
• alternating bends with one hand.

Secrets and subtleties

To get the most out of the exercise, follow these guidelines:

• When performing the exercise, do not move your elbows, only your forearms move;
• in a stretched position, do not straighten your arms completely;
• bring the contraction until your forearms touch the biceps;
• perform the extension phase slowly and under control, and the flexion phase quickly and explosively;
• during execution, do not tilt your body forward/backward, but keep it straight;
• breathing technique: exhale - when bending/contracting, inhale - when extending/returning to the IP;
• numerical training parameters: number of approaches 3 , number of repetitions – 12-15 .

We're done with the theoretical side, now let's look at some practical points.

Is the overhead biceps curl an effective exercise for the biceps brachii?

Research data (American Council on Exercise, University of Wisconsin, USA, 2016 ) according to electrical activity among the eight most popular biceps exercises showed the following results:

• Concentrated dumbbell curl for biceps – 96 ;
• reverse grip pull-ups - 81 ;
• bending the arms on the upper block - 81 ;
• lifting the barbell (EZ bar) with a wide grip – 75 ;
• curling arms on a Scott bench - 68 .

Conclusion: The lat curl is one of the best exercises for working the biceps heads. In addition, unlike its “brothers”, it has an important unique property - the creation of constant tension in the target region, which allows the muscle to work without switching off at the extreme points, thereby creating a better pumping effect.

How can a girl avoid pumping up her arms?

I don’t want hands like a man’s, how can I avoid pumping them up? - this question very often comes to the mail of the AB project. I must say that this is a very correct question, and here's why. For the most part, the trainers in the gyms are men, and when forming an exercise regimen for girls, they “stick in” the exercises that are closest to them. Often this is curling the arms with a barbell on a Scott bench.

This approach of selecting men’s exercises for women’s purposes is not entirely correct, so young ladies should ask/demand their mentors to include more isolated, block-lever exercises in PT on their hands.

Actually, we’re done with the content, let’s summarize.

Afterword

Biceps curls overhead on the upper block are a rare, but very effective (especially for girls) exercise for working the biceps brachii muscle. If you have never used it in your PT until now, then be sure to try it, otherwise why did we write this article :).

That's all, thank you for the pleasant company. See you soon!

PS: Do you have blocks in your hall? Do you use it?

PPS: did the project help? Then leave a link to it in your social network status - plus 100 points towards karma guaranteed :)

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

In addition to exercises with a barbell, you can also use block exercise machines to develop your biceps. The result will be worse if you work only with them, but when combined with free weights, the effectiveness will be even greater than when using only free weights.

Working on a block is suitable for giving the biceps relief and clarity, forming a visible line of separation between its two heads.

Working muscles

Shoulder biceps.
Auxiliary: brachialis muscle, muscles of the anterior surface of the forearm.

• Attach the limiter to the mark corresponding to the selected weight, attach a handle in the form of a long horizontal stick to the cable passed through the lower block - it will replace the barbell for you.
• Grab the handle with an underhand grip (palms facing you) - this way there is less chance of it slipping out of your hands. Starting position: standing with the handle in outstretched arms, the cable should be taut, the loads raised.
• The exercise is analogous to barbell curls when training biceps, and is performed in approximately the same way, with the only difference that you are holding the handle of the machine in your hands, and not the bar of the barbell. Begin to bend your elbows, pulling the handle towards your chest.
• Keep your elbows pressed to your sides at all times, although this is more difficult to do than when working with a barbell. Having bent your arms, immediately begin to straighten them back. When moving down, watch the speed of lowering your hands, do not let it be too high. Simply put, do not throw your arms down limply, make sure that your biceps are tense at all times. The exercise is performed in an incomplete amplitude; you should not fully extend your arms at the elbows at the bottom, and bring them close to the chest at the top. When bending your arms, inhale; when extending, exhale.
• Keep your lower back straight at all times, do not bend forward, rounding your spine. To keep your posture in the correct position, look forward all the time, or even lift your chin slightly. The elbows should not move apart, and the wrists should be completely fixed in the joints - this way you will avoid unnecessary injuries.

Sequence

After all the basic biceps exercises. In order to fill the biceps with blood and cause a “pumping” effect, do up to 15-20 repetitions in 4-5 approaches.