Biceps Curl with Rope – Exercise of the Week

There’s one killer exercise that I’ve learned to love because it increases biceps power and volume, grip strength, activates your core and also gives you a great pump! This exercise is the biceps curl (or hammer curl) with the rope and pulley system – (View photo here)

The great thing about this exercise is that it puts you in a position where you need to focus on keeping your core tight and prevent yourself from getting into a swinging action. The other focus point is to continually remind yourself that you need to keep your shoulder blades back and have your spine in the correct position to get the most out of this exercise. Let’s get into the details of this exercise…

Instructions

  • Attach the rope to a the lowest setting on a pulley system and face the pulley standing about a foot away.
  • Grab the rope and flex your core while standing up. Make sure you have an underhand grip so when you pull the rope it will come towards your face.
  • Now go through the movement all the while keeping your elbows in the same position. Basically the elbow joint is the pivot point only.
  • Flex your biceps at the top part of the movement and remember to keep your shoulder blades back.
  • Slowly bring the weight back down with a 2 second count.

Muscles used in Biceps Curl with Rope:

Primary – Biceps (Brachii)
Secondary – Forearm muscles (Brachialis and Brachioradialis)
Stabilizers – Wrists, Shoulder blades, Traps

Points to focus on:

  • Feet should be slightly wider apart than hips
  • Most important to keep natural arch in your back throughout movement
  • Keep elbows stationary
  • Keep abs tight to bring balance
  • Concentrate on keeping shoulder blades back

Common Mistakes:

  • Slouching at upper back
  • Using too heavy weight so swinging motion comes into play
  • Moving the entire arm and elbow
  • Not keeping rope close to body
  • Movement of feet

Recommended Exercise Routine:

1 warm-up set of 10 repetitions
3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Recommended Supplements with this Exercise:

SuperPump – Gaspari Nutrition’s SuperPump250
Creatine Monohydrate – Fusion Bodybuilding’s Purple-K
Whey Protein – Optimum 100% Whey Protein

Conclusion – Biceps Curl with Rope:

Try adding this exercise to your routine for just 4 weeks and you’ll see some great definition in your arms. If you spent the time to really think about keeping your shoulder blades back it can also help you think about your stature on a daily basis when you are just walking around! Nice bonus!

Have any questions or thoughts about this exercise? Please leave a comment below…