“Biceps are like ornaments on a Christmas tree.” – Ed Coan
The bottom line is that if Ed Coan thinks biceps are worthwhile, it’s time to drop the bias; building bigger biceps builds bodybuilding legacies, makes a heavy bench press more stable, and serves as a conservation starter with females for the socially awkward doorman at the mobile-home-turned-redneck-bar.
Enter the One-Armed Eccentric Barbell Curl
First, I must give credit where credit is due; I learned this exercise from someone I consider a mentor: Charles Poliquin.
RECENT: A Call to Arms Series: Terrorizing the Triceps — Cluster Sets
I have since used this exercise to induce sleeve-busting growth from top IFBB Pros to the selfie-snapping, social media celebrity gym rat types, because it works. Study after study shows to maximally develop muscle hypertrophy, eccentrics are the call to arms (pun intended).
Far too many people neglect heavy eccentrics when it comes to bicep training. Now that your curiosity is piqued, let’s add a tool that will help perfect your peaks.
The one-armed eccentric barbell curl.
Tyrus Hughes showing the movement and providing commentary
Some Key Points to Remember
- Sit or stand behind a preacher curl station
- Rest your upper arm on the pad in front of you, arms supinated
- Start at the top position of the curl
- Slowly lower the bar for a count of eight seconds to full extension
- Pause briefly at the bottom
- If you have a training partner, have him help you back up. If not, self-spot with the other hand.
Final Thoughts
It’s time to stop thinking positive and get negative to positively affect your arm growth! If you want to maximize the effectiveness of this movement, do it at a point in your training session where your biceps are not fatigued. Next week we will look at how to truly maximize “biceps” growth and build Billy-club forearms.
