Arnold Schwarzenegger has been one of the few fitness icons known for his sincere dedication to health and wellness. During his bodybuilding prime, fans remembered him as the star who possessed one of the most ideal physiques. And even now, at 76, he makes sure to share his tips and tricks for building a fabulous body like he once did.
In his recent newsletter this week, Arnold focused on building better biceps with the help of two specific arm exercises. For those who wished to grow the iconic 22-inch biceps, like he once flaunted, this article contained his secret sauce.
The three-step protocol that he felt was essential for growing biceps was:
- Progressive overload
- Full range of motion
- Leverage
Often, fitness enthusiasts engage the first two factors well but tend to miss out on the third aspect. Schwarzenegger took that as a chance to shine the spotlight on two of the most popular bicep curls – preacher curls and incline dumbbell curls.
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“Recent research suggests that preacher curls are more effective at building bigger biceps than incline dumbbell curls.”
A study on regional hypertrophy and the exercises linked to it revealed that the difference between the two kinds of curls was the leverage and tension caused in the muscles. Preacher curls already have a full load on one end, along with providing the maximum stretch on muscles.
“It’s a reminder that while longer lengths — a stretch — are important for growth, if you don’t have enough tension when the muscle is stretched, you’re limiting how much it can grow.”
So, does that mean that incline curls are bad and should be excluded from workout routines? Schwarzenegger refused, explaining that both exercises carried their own set of advantages, although he preferred one over the other.
Pump Club Editors Attempt Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Favorite Bicep Exercise
While Schwarzenegger was busy resting up and healing from his pacemaker surgery, the editors of his newsletter, Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell, swapped in for him. They recently visited the Gold’s Gym, where they tried performing a few reps of the preacher curls.
One of the key tips Bornstein shared was the correct technique to get the maximum benefits out of the exercise. Apart from feeling a stretch on the longer length of the biceps, he also emphasized not touching the handle of the machine on one’s shoulder. That’s how one could get a great bicep pump and build better arms like Schwarzenegger.
