Muscles Worked
Biceps
Execution
With a barbell - (1) While standing, grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands about shoulder width apart. Let the bar hang down at arm's length in front of you. (2) Curl the bar out and up in a wide arc and bring it up as high as you can, your elbows close to the body and stationary. Keep the arc wide and long, rather than bringing the bar straight up and making the movement too easy. Get a full flex of the biceps at the top. Lower the weight again, following the same arc, and resisting the weight all the way down until your arms are fully extended.
With dumbbells - (1) Sit on the end of a flat bench, or against the back support of an incline bench adjusted to an upright position, a dumbbell in each hand held straight down at arm's length, palms turned towards your body. (2) Holding your elbows steady as unmoving pivot points, curl the weights forward and up, twisting your palms forward as you lift so that the thumbs turn to the outside and the palms are facing up. Lift the weights as high as you can and then give an extra flex of the biceps to achieve maximum contraction. Lower the dumbbells down through the same arc, resisting the weight all the way down, until your arms are fully extended, the biceps stretched as far as possible.
Muscles Worked
Lower biceps
Execution
(1) Position yourself with your chest against the bench, your arms extending over it. This puts the arms at an angle, which transfers additional stress to the lower area of the muscle. Take hold of a barbell with an underhand grip. (2) Holding your body steady, curl the bar all the way up and then lower it again to full extension, resisting the weight on the way down.
Muscles Worked
Biceps
Execution
(1) Sit back on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. (2) Keeping your elbows well forward throughout the movement, curl the weights forward and up to shoulder level. Lower the weights again, fully under control, and pause at the bottom to keep from using momentum to swing the weights up on the next repetition. You should be turning your wrists during this movement as done in the dumbbell curls.
Muscles Worked
Triceps, pectorals, and front deltoids
Execution
This exercise is performed the same way as the regular bench press, except with the hands spaced about ten inches apart on the bar. I prefer to space my hands just wide enough so that my hands can come down on either side of the chest, not on top, to achieve a fuller range of motion.
Muscles Worked
Triceps
Execution
(1) Hook a short bar to an overhead cable and pulley, stand close to the bar and grasp it with an overhand grip, hands about ten inches apart. Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body and stationary. Keep your whole body steady - don't lean forward to press down with your body weight. (2) Press the bar down as far as possible, locking out your arms and feeling the triceps contract fully. Release and let the bar come up as far as possible without moving your elbows.
Muscles Worked
Inside and rear heads of the triceps
Execution
(1) Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, hands close together. Sit on a bench and raise the bar straight up overhead, arms locked out. (2) Keeping your elbows stationary and close to your head, lower the weight down in an arc behind your head until your triceps are as stretched as possible. Only the forearms should move in this exercise. From this position, using only your triceps, press the weight back up overhead to full extension. Lock your arms out and flex your triceps.
Muscles Worked
Triceps
Execution
(1) Lie along a bench, your head just off the end with knees bent and feet flat on the bench. Take hold of a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about ten inches apart. (2) Press the weight up until your arms are locked out, but not straight up over your face. Instead, the weight should be back behind the top of your head, with your triceps doing the work of holding it there. Keeping your elbows stationary, lower the weight down toward your forehead, then press it back up to the starting position, stopping short of the vertical to keep the triceps under constant tension.
Muscles Worked
Inner forearms
Execution
(1) Take hold of a barbell with an underhand grip, hands close together. Straddle a bench with your forearms resting on the bench but with your wrists and hands hanging over the end, elbows and wrists the same distance apart. Lock your knees in against your elbows to stabilize them. (2) Bend your wrists and lower the weight toward the floor. When you can't lower the bar any further, carefully open your fingers a little bit and let the weight roll down out of the palms of your hands. Roll the weight back up into your hands, contract the forearms, and lift the weight as high as you can without letting your forearms come up off the bench.
Muscles Worked
Outer forearms
Execution
(1) Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about ten inches apart. Sit down on a bench and lay your forearms on top of your thighs so that they are parallel to the floor and your wrists and hands are free and unsupported. Bend your wrists forward and lower the bar as far as you can. (2) Then bring them back up and lift the bar as far as possible, trying not to let the forearms move during the exercise.
Muscles Worked
Outer forearms and biceps
Execution
(1) While standing, grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder width apart. Let the bar hang down at arm's length in front of you. (2) Keeping your elbows fixed in position at your sides, curl the bar upward. Bring the bar up as high as you can, contract the biceps fully as possible on top, then lower the weight slowly back down to the starting position.