Biceps Curl Machine

Execution

1. Keep the backs of your upper arms pressed against the pad for the whole set, without lifting off it as you curl.
2. Exhale and curl the handles up toward your shoulders, squeezing the biceps at the top.
3. Hold for a beat at the top, keeping your shoulders relaxed and not shrugged up.
4. Inhale and lower the handles over 2-3 seconds until your arms are nearly straight, without letting the stack drop hard.
5. The set is over as soon as you can no longer keep the upper arms on the pad: lower the stack all the way down onto the rest, let go of the handles, and only then come off the pad and stand up out of the machine.

Quick cues

• Pin your upper arms to the pad.
• Curl with the biceps, don't rock the shoulders.
• Pause and squeeze at the top.
• Lower slowly, don't let it drop.

Common faults

• Fault: Lifting the elbows off the pad to borrow help from the shoulders

  Fix: Press the backs of the upper arms into the pad for the whole set, and drop the weight if the elbows still lift.

• Fault: Only curling through the top half of the range

  Fix: Lower to near-straight arms before curling again, feeling the stretch at the bottom of the movement.

• Fault: Shrugging the shoulders up at the top under effort

  Fix: Keep the shoulders down and focus the squeeze on the biceps instead of pushing through the shoulders.

• Fault: Dropping the arms fast so the stack bangs down

  Fix: Lower over 2-3 seconds, staying in control until the arms are nearly straight.