What's up, guys?
Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX.com.
Today I want to take an old-school bicep exercise and make it better.
Yes, I learned it from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I know you're probably saying "There's
nothing you can do to Arnold's stuff and make it better."
I promise, if you put a little science in this – as we're going to today – that
it is a possibility we actually could.
And maybe, the great Arnold could have had even better biceps than he already did.
Here's what we're going to do: we want to take the 21 curl – that's the 21 technique
– which means we do 7 half reps in the bottom, we do 7 half reps in the top, and then we
do 7 full curls.
Arnold taught us this, right?
We know how to do this.
However, we're not doing it right because if we know the science of the curl there's
a strength curve, and it goes like this.
That means the tension is highest in the middle of the curl.
Meaning, you know it's the hardest portion of the curl; to hold it right here.
It's easier once we move past that position, and it's easier to get to that position.
So if it's easier form here, to here and it's easier from here, to here, then we want to
make sure that we're challenging ourselves more.
When we do a 21 curl we usually grab one set of dumbbells and we say "I know that I have
to do the bottom portion, and I have to fatigue myself through the top portion, and then I
have to still have some energy left to do the full rep.
So I'm not going to have enough energy, or strength left to do the hardest portion".
Because we're passing through that middle, "I'm not going to be able to do that at that
point because fatigue has already set in."
Okay, that's good, but you're limiting your ability to lift more weight in those easier
portions of the curl.
So what you want to do is, start with what you would normally do – whatever you normally
do your 21 curls with – and jump up two dumbbells.
So instead of doing them with – let's say I would do 35s – instead of doing 35s, jump
up to the 45s.
Now here's the difference.
We're going to do what we call 'cube sets'.
We drop them down three times, twice.
So 7, 7, and 7 with three different dumbbells.
So now, with the 45s I want to do my 7 bottom reps because I'm stronger down there.
I can handle this.
Why limit myself to what I can curl with the 35s if I can do this 45 in the bottom portion
of the rep?
I think that's seven.
Then I come in, I drop them right down.
Now I grab the 40s.
The 40s, now I'm going top half, down.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Then I come into the 35s.
Again, it's appropriate for this portion, but I've gotten more out of the curl.
So I've literally squeezed out every, single ounce of effort that I had.
I mirrored the strength curve.
I got more out of that single set of 21s than I ever would have if I'd fixed myself into
one, single set of dumbbells.
Guys, this is what I'm talking about.
This is where you put the science back in strength.
Sometimes, yes, even the great ones can advance beyond what they did, and squeeze out just
a little bit more, and in doing so, help you get more from your workouts.
One final order of business.
I promised that Jesse would be in this video.
If you followed along, when we had our 4 million subscriber he lost the beard, kept the mustache.
Come over here, Jesse.
JESSE: I don’t want to.
JEFF: We've got to show them the porn 'stache.
See this right here, folks?
This is what happens when Wyatt Earp, Freddy Mercury, and – got anybody else?
JESSE: Luigi?
JEFF: Luigi have a baby.
Right?
It's pretty damn ugly.
Guys, if you're looking for more programs head to ATHLEANX.com.
We put the science back in strength, and at the same time, we make sure you can follow
all of our programs because I'm with you there, every step of the way.
Those are all over at ATHLEANX.com.
In the meantime, I'll be back here with another video with Jesse in a couple of days.
See you.