T Nation 25th Anniversary Giveaway - Enter Now
Categories: Bigger Stronger Leaner

Tip: Add Instant Strength to Your Incline Curls

The Towel Trick

When the vast majority of people do incline dumbbell curls, their head comes off the bench. Half of them do it to gawk at their awesome selves in the mirror, but the other half likely do it because they've given themselves a permanent forward-head posture by texting during walking, eating, and making sweet, sweet love.

If you're in that latter half, try sticking a rolled up towel underneath your neck and keep your neck pressed against it and your head flat against the bench. It'll automatically increase your strength.

Proper Alignment, More Strength

It's an old trick I learned from Charles Poliquin and while he never explained it, I'm sure it has something to do with the towel aiding in the proper alignment of cervical vertebrae 5, which controls the biceps and traps. The proper alignment, I'm theorizing, increases your strength because it creates unimpeded and therefore enhanced neural transmission to the biceps.

Recent Posts

  • Stuff We Make

Mag-10

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Question of Strength 65

Ask Me Anything I receive great questions in my T Nation Community Coaching Lab. If…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Question of Strength 64

Ask Me Anything I get a lot of great questions in my T Nation Community…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Your Warm-Up Is Killing Your Workout... and Gains

An Exaggerated Warm-Up Isn't Helpful I don't know when the lengthy warm-up became a thing,…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Assess Your Metabolic State, Dominate Your Workout

Training and Your Metabolic State When I think "workout," I think of speeds. Your metabolic…

2 years ago