Standing barbell “21” curls with Pressdowns
First, place the barbell on the floor near the pressdown machine you’ll be using so you will be ready to move back and forth quickly. Before you begin, concentrate on the areas that will be worked in each muscle group. These are essential mass-building exercises; the curls build overall rounded biceps fullness, or volume, and the pressdowns pop out the wraparound effect of the horseshoe area of the triceps.
Barbell “21” curls consist of 21 total reps performed as three different nonstop movements of seven reps each: The first seven are only the top half of the curl (from half extension to full contraction); the second seven are complete curls (from full extension to full contraction); and the third seven are only the bottom half of the curl (from full extension to half contraction).
To equalize the pump throughout the arms, the pressdowns need to be heavy but performed with relatively high reps to burn the horseshoe. I do 15, but as I approach failure, I bias my body over the cable to utilize every last ounce of power.
First, place the barbell on the floor near the pressdown machine you’ll be using so you will be ready to move back and forth quickly. Before you begin, concentrate on the areas that will be worked in each muscle group. These are essential mass-building exercises; the curls build overall rounded biceps fullness, or volume, and the pressdowns pop out the wraparound effect of the horseshoe area of the triceps.
Barbell “21” curls consist of 21 total reps performed as three different nonstop movements of seven reps each: The first seven are only the top half of the curl (from half extension to full contraction); the second seven are complete curls (from full extension to full contraction); and the third seven are only the bottom half of the curl (from full extension to half contraction).
To equalize the pump throughout the arms, the pressdowns need to be heavy but performed with relatively high reps to burn the horseshoe. I do 15, but as I approach failure, I bias my body over the cable to utilize every last ounce of power.
Standing cambered-bar curls with Seated cambered-bar extensions
These are both classic muscle-belly movements: the curls building maximum mass from the lower insertions to the upper insertions of the biceps and the extensions creating that hanging weight in the center of the triceps.
While every repetition should be felt precisely in these areas, it doesn’t hurt to add some body thrust, without cheating, to keep the set going as long as possible. Power the rep upward, but resist during the descent, tightening as the weight is lowered. I recommend 10 reps for each movement in the superset.
These are both classic muscle-belly movements: the curls building maximum mass from the lower insertions to the upper insertions of the biceps and the extensions creating that hanging weight in the center of the triceps.
While every repetition should be felt precisely in these areas, it doesn’t hurt to add some body thrust, without cheating, to keep the set going as long as possible. Power the rep upward, but resist during the descent, tightening as the weight is lowered. I recommend 10 reps for each movement in the superset.
One-arm cable curls with One-arm pressdowns
With these unilateral movements, I superset one arm at a time -- performing a set of cable curls for the right arm followed by a set of pressdowns for the right arm. Then I move to the left arm. As the last superset in the workout, I use these movements to isolate as much power as possible into the peaks of both muscles.
I squeeze hard at the top of the curl for a peak contraction in the apex of the biceps and crimp hard with a slight twist outward at the bottom of the pressdown to totally fatigue the inner triceps. Don’t use power thrusts with the body here; only the arm should move, squeezing all the way. The best pump comes from 15 reps per set of curls and 10 reps per set of pressdowns.
Originally featured in: Flex April, 2000
Written by: Melvin Anthony
Photos by: Chris Lund
With these unilateral movements, I superset one arm at a time -- performing a set of cable curls for the right arm followed by a set of pressdowns for the right arm. Then I move to the left arm. As the last superset in the workout, I use these movements to isolate as much power as possible into the peaks of both muscles.
I squeeze hard at the top of the curl for a peak contraction in the apex of the biceps and crimp hard with a slight twist outward at the bottom of the pressdown to totally fatigue the inner triceps. Don’t use power thrusts with the body here; only the arm should move, squeezing all the way. The best pump comes from 15 reps per set of curls and 10 reps per set of pressdowns.
Originally featured in: Flex April, 2000
Written by: Melvin Anthony
Photos by: Chris Lund
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