KEY AREAS: Biceps, Inside Forearms, Grip Strength
START POSITION: Pick up the curlbar with a Supinated (underhand) grip as shown, Keep it close to your body as you lift it and straighten your back, and lean your weight back onto your heels. Bend your knees slightly for added stability during the exercise. Arms should be almost straight down, but elbows slightly bent and the bar resting somewhere on the front of your upper thighs.
NOTES: I see too many people using too much weight for this exercise. Using too much weight means you cannot perform the full range of motion for the exercise, and you have to start with more of a bend in your arms – this is because as the arms get straighter, the weight gets heavier – due to the lever (and pivot) laws of physics and biomechanics. In extreme cases, where you might have an ‘ego lifter’ cheating to keep up appearances, you will also notice other ‘cheating’ tools – a subtle bending and straightening of the knees to help catapult the weight upwards, or moving the torso from the hips and/or shoulders to help leverage the lift.
The Mojoh Method teaches you to keep every other part of the body still, whilst just moving the parts that are supposed to move with the exercise.
Don’t lock out your elbows at the end of your straight arms, but do let the weight come down further – probably to almost touch your thighs – this is possible if you are correctly leaning back on your heels.
If you practice this more honest style with lighter weights and higher reps for several weeks, your Range of Motion will be increased, leading towards fully shaped and larger Biceps – larger muscles generally mean stronger muscles, and the higher reps will help to build muscle shape, muscle definition, muscle density, and athletic endurance.
But if you do it the cheaters way, you will ultimately land yourself with what are termed ‘golfball muscles’ – when a muscle becomes shaped like a golfball instead of a more elongated Rugby ball.
Keep your elbows tucked in to your sides, don’t rock and swing, and keep your legs and knees rigid (with a very slight bend on the knee for stability).
I like to do these exercises (ultra lightweight with very high reps) right at the start of a BIceps workout. This is a good way to warm up the Biceps because you are using both arms at the same time, which generates more work and more heat.
I like to do them again right at the end of my Biceps session, but this time I make them heavier (perhaps 2 sets of medium weights) and I always aim to get a ferocious burn to finish off my Biceps nicely. Try it. It really does work.