Jacked Up

The muscle most of us think represents our strength to others is the biceps. Who doesn’t want to amaze others with a double-biceps pose? You don’t want to overwork yours at the expense of your body’s symmetry, but you do want them to peak up nicely. Here are three exercises that will produce gorgeous biceps’and you can do them at home if you have a dumbbell set and an adjustable bench.

Dumbbell curls. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Press your upper arms against your sides and curl the weights, moving only your forearms, until the weights touch the top of your chest. Exhale as you lift, and inhale as you lower the weight. One or two sets, and you’ll be warmed up for a more strenuous, focused curl.

Concentration curls. Take a dumbbell in one hand and get into position by sitting on the end of a bench or chair and spreading your legs apart. Bend forward and brace your working arm against the inside of your leg. Curl the dumbbell, keeping your arm vertical. Lift the dumbbell with focused concentration on your biceps for 15 repetitions. Reverse your position and perform the same work for your other arm. Alternate arms for at least three sets.

Incline dumbbell curls. To hit a different angle, lie on an incline bench with the dumbbells hanging down at arm’s length. Exhale as you curl them, keeping your upper arms stationary. Then inhale deeply as you lower the dumbbells back to your starting position. One or two sets should do the trick. By the way, Steve Reeves said incline dumbbell curls were responsible for his Herculean arms.

Focus all your attention on rich, oxygenated blood flowing into your biceps. Breathe properly and move with correct form until you can lift no more.