Zottman's exercises, or how to quickly pump up your forearms.

What muscles work

The muscles of the forearm, which actively work during flexion, have their own characteristics, these include:

• They are very strong against any load;
• Weakly amenable to size changes;
• And they take their time when accumulating strength;
• Most often, these muscles are subject to minimal stress in everyday life;

The forearm has an interesting structure that helps move the hand and fingers. In addition to the forearm muscles, the biceps are very active in the Zottman curl.

The forearm includes a large number of small and large muscles. The most noticeable of them is the shoulder - the radius. It is this muscle that is responsible for the volume of the forearm. Also of particular interest in bodybuilding are the flexors and extensors of the hands. This group also includes finger extensors, supinators, pronators, and so on.

Adviсe

1. If your hands are very tired, you can take a short break and just shake your hands at this time, this will give the muscles a chance to rest.
2. You shouldn’t experiment with weights; you should start with small ones and gradually increase them over time.
3. Raising your arm or bending it should take about two seconds, but lowering it or bending it should take about four seconds.
4. The movement, when executed, should not have any unplanned pauses. That is, rest points are not recommended.
5. You should not use cheating. Make sure that the projectiles are not thrown upward when bending.
6. The elbow joints should be pressed against the body.
7. Performing the exercise using an incline bench will help isolate the muscles and also give them a good stretch.
8. It is recommended to perform three sets of ten repetitions.
9. It is recommended to train your forearms twice a week.
10. The Zottman curl is most often included on training days when working on the back or arms.
11. Between training sessions, it is worth taking a break of three days, this will allow the muscles to recover.

How to replace the exercise

There are no analogues to this exercise. You can perform biceps curls with dumbbells or a barbell, crossover curls on a lower block, or do a superset of dumbbell biceps curls with a twist and a hammer grip, but this will not be an alternative to Zottman curls.

Exercises to grow your forearms

In general, strong forearms are extremely important to train. If they are weak, you will not be able to hold the barbell or dumbbells for a long time.

If you still want to increase forearm mass, a number of exercises may be suitable.

• Barbell curl with overhand grip.
  The barbell must be taken with an upward grip. The main load is experienced by the brachyradialis and biceps. The weight of the barbell should be taken less, since the forearm muscles are weaker.
• Zottman Curls.
  It uses the same muscles as the previous exercise, but is performed with dumbbells. As you move the dumbbells up, you need to turn your hands with your palms facing down. The movement is then reversed as you lower the dumbbells.
• Lifting the barbell with an underhand grip.
  Sit on the bench. Your forearms should be between your knees, resting on the same bench. Take the barbell with an underhand grip and lift your hands with the barbell up. Then return to the starting position. You need to do 15-20 repetitions, you can use dumbbells instead of a barbell. Develops wrist flexor muscles.
• Standing wrist curl with a barbell behind your back.
  Stand with your back to the barbell rack, palms facing back. Grab a barbell and do curls and extensions, keeping your arms straight. The exercise also develops the wrist flexor muscles.
• Extension of the arms at the wrists.
  Sit on a bench, rest your forearms on it, or on your knees so that your hands hang freely, palms down. Taking the barbell with an upward grip, raise your hands, then lower them. The exercise is aimed at developing wrist extensors.
• Rotation of the handle with a suspended load.
  There is a rotating handle in many gyms, to which a load of any weight can be attached on a cable. Grasp the handle with an upward grip and rotate, winding the cable around the handle until the load is completely lifted up. Then, rotate in the opposite direction, gradually lowering the load to its original place. You can rotate both towards yourself and away from yourself. In the first case, the forearm extensors are involved, in the other - the flexors. Exercises on them must be alternated.

The development of the forearm muscles is a difficult process because they have good “resistance” to stress. They are often used in everyday life, and, as a rule, it takes a lot of time for them to take shape. You should develop the muscles of the forearm twice a week, 3 sets each, 15-20 repetitions until failure. To prevent injury, a good 5-10 minute warm-up is necessary.

It is better to pump your forearms together with your arms and back at the end of the workout, otherwise you will hinder the development of your arms and back.

There should be 2-3 days between forearm workouts, otherwise they will not have time to recover. It is better if you perform no more than 3 of the exercises described above, one for the brachyradialis, one for the flexors of the wrists, one for the extensors of the wrists. It is better to vary the exercises themselves from workout to workout.

Exercises on the forearms should definitely be carried out, as this in turn trains other muscles. It is not enough to simply perform exercises for the biceps, since the muscles of the forearms in this case have a static load. In parallel with the muscles of the forearms, the upper deltas are trained, which are poorly developed in modern youth, which can serve as an obstacle to mastering “chest” presses.

Safety

This exercise is considered completely safe, but if you neglect the technique, problems may arise. The first thing to remember is that bending is done smoothly, using muscle strength. Any jerks are unacceptable. Otherwise, the shoulder joint, which is quite weak in many athletes, may receive unwanted stress.

In addition, to protect the joint, you need to work with a comfortable weight. Of course, it may be different for each athlete. But first, it is recommended to take 3 kg dumbbells. Don't let the low weight bother you. It is needed in order to hone the technique and feel the work of the muscles.

The back should be motionless throughout the entire movement. Don't try to lift dumbbells using your back. There will be no sense in such a performance. Additionally, it can be dangerous for those with weak backs.

How to do it right

The author of the arm curl exercise using dumbbells was Georg Zottmann in the 19th century. In our country it is still popular. Follow the original method of execution in order to see a positive result and avoid injury:

1. Take a standing position and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Press your elbows to your body and straighten your arms so that your palms are facing each other. This will become the starting position (watch the video).
3. Leave your shoulders motionless.
4. Exhale and curl your arms so that your palms face up to the point where the dumbbells are level with your shoulder joints.
5. After a short pause, turn your palms down and slowly return to the starting position.
6. At hip level, turn your palms again so that they face each other.
7. Do the required number of repetitions.

The Zottman exercise will work the brachioradialis muscle. If you do everything correctly, then at the end of the workout you will definitely feel warmth in the shoulder area.

What you need to know about security?

“Zottman curls,” as can already be seen in the video, are one of the safest exercises, but only if you follow the technique for performing it

It is very important to understand that jerking and acceleration are unacceptable here! You need to work with dumbbells only using muscle strength, without helping yourself with your body

In addition, an important point is the selection of the right weights, which allows you to perform the exercise according to the author’s method with the required number of repetitions. Start with minimal weights and gradually increase them.

Basic mistakes and ways to avoid them

The most common mistake is improper breathing and, of course, lack of warm-up. In addition, many athletes try to quickly achieve

results by using excessive weights without proper preparation. Remember that at the top point you will need to exhale powerfully through your mouth, and then continue to perform the exercise.

Before starting to perform curls, it is recommended to warm up by performing a set of exercises that involve the triceps and biceps using dumbbells or an empty bar. Regular arm rotations are good as warm-up exercises, allowing you to develop your shoulders and elbows.

Useful tips

If you feel very tired in your arms, but still plan to continue the exercise, you can take a short break and shake your arms for a few seconds. In this case, the muscles will get a little rest and you will be able to take a break. After this, you will need to continue working on executing the approach.

It is extremely important to control the movement of your arms while performing bends. Remember that the rotator cuff muscles are responsible for stabilizing the shoulder joint and even the slightest jerk can lead to injury! Perform curls in the final part of the workout aimed at working the arms, using the correct working weights, follow the execution technique

Perform curls in the final part of the workout aimed at working your arms, using the correct working weights, and follow the execution technique.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=92i56yyYlek

Recommendations for implementation in training

Having chosen this exercise, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. You should start with a good warm-up of the elbow and wrist joints.
2. There is no need to chase a large working weight in this exercise during the first training sessions.
3. This exercise should not be performed if you have injuries to your elbow or wrist.
4. This exercise should be placed at the end of your arm workout.
5. It is not advisable for women to perform it; it is better to replace it with regular curls with dumbbells.
6. For men, 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions each are enough. Of course, you should not neglect the warm-up approach with minimal weight. Before performing the approaches, you should stretch your wrist joints with dumbbells of minimal weight.

Exercises to develop your grip

To train your grip, you can use any biceps curl except the concentrated and block nonsense. However, I personally think the best is this strength exercise:

Standing Zottman Curl.

Variations: Zot curls and all biceps curls with a barbell of any configuration or dumbbells while sitting or standing.

Stand straight with your legs slightly bent and your torso slightly tilted forward. Take dumbbells in your hands and turn your palms away from you. Pressing your elbows tightly to your body, bend your elbows. Without lowering the dumbbells, turn your palms down towards the floor. Smoothly lower the dumbbells, then turn them around, again pointing your palms forward. Repeat as many times as necessary.

In addition to biceps curls, there are several other exercises that are great for developing your grip. Some of them imitate the work of the muscles of the forearm and hand while holding weight, while others force them to work in a dynamic mode.

Such exercises include:

Disc retention.

This hand strength exercise is also called the pinch grip. Take a disk of the same weight in both hands, for example 15 kg, and hold them until they fall to the floor and ruin your expensive pedicure. Why don’t you do a pedicure?! Well, I hope you at least brush your teeth in the morning...

Compressing spring locks.

Take a regular spring lock in your hand, they are very common today in many commercial clubs, and squeeze it, making a fist with your hand.

Hanging on a towel.

One of my favorite strength exercises for the arm muscles, for which I have already been hit in the head more than once by the management of several fitness clubs. What to do - sometimes towels do tear, so be careful! Roll the towel into a long sausage and throw it over any strong crossbar. Grasping both ends of the resulting rope, hang until it stops.

Bodybar rotation.

This is also a very good strength exercise that allows you to give at least some meaning to such a funny semblance of a weight as a body bar. Grasp the bodybar by the edge with one hand. Keeping your straight arm motionless, rotate the bodybar clockwise or counterclockwise. You can simply raise and lower the bodybar up and down, working only with the brush.

Farmer's stationary walk with barbells.

Such a well-known exercise as the farmer's walk can easily be turned into something not only unknown, but also very economical.

As a result, you will not only attract the attention of others, but you will also be freed from the need to rush around the hall with heavy dumbbells in your hands. Take two bars and load them with the weight you need

Place both barbells parallel to each other and stand between them. Squat down, grab the bars and lift them up.

Stand until the barbells begin to pull out of your hands. The peculiarity of this exercise is that it will be very difficult for you to perfectly guess the center of the bars when lifting them. In addition, as you perform the exercise, some fingers will give in earlier than others, causing the barbells to wobble, gradually turning your grip into a bear trap!

general characteristics

This exercise, as already mentioned, immediately trains the muscles of the shoulder and forearm. This is achieved through supination and pronation of the hand. The exercise has rather specific objectives, so not all athletes use it in their training. In addition to working the muscles, it helps strengthen your grip and improve neural communication. The technique is easy to understand, but difficult for the muscles. Therefore, at first it is recommended not to rush to increase the weight of dumbbells. By the way, Georg Zottmann trained with dumbbells weighing 50 kg. But before achieving such indicators, you need to master the technique.

Zottaman curls are usually performed at the end of a biceps or back workout, and also as a warm-up before working the biceps. They are suitable for athletes of any level. For beginners, the exercise is interesting because of its neural connection training and its versatility. And experienced weightlifters choose it to improve the functional qualities of the arms, which increases strength in the deadlift and bench press.

Hvat and its secrets

It’s a mess - all the presses, deadlifts, and squats, and then suddenly this “isolating” nonsense! If this young man had seen my own training, he would also have noticed that not a single microcycle of mine is complete without biceps curls, even if I work exclusively on strength. You can learn more about the microcycle by reading the article “Periodization in Bodybuilding“.

Where does such love for such seemingly insignificant, at first glance, strength exercises come from? This is because biceps curls are an unsurpassed way to strengthen... your grip

Yes, yes, I don’t have time to worry about the size of my own hands, but knowing that the barbell will always hold tightly in my steel palms is very important. And big biceps are a bonus!

Good morning exercise

On the agenda is an interesting exercise called good morning, or in common parlance bending the torso forward. This exercise develops the hamstrings, gluteal muscles and back extensors. This exercise is similar to the Romanian deadlift, all the same muscles are involved in the work, only the barbell is not in your hands in front of you, but lies on your shoulders.

The good morning exercise, unlike the Romanian deadlift, works better on the hamstrings and glutes, because... Due to the shift in the center of gravity, the load on the muscles becomes greater, but the weight of the burden remains small. All this makes this exercise an excellent option for women, because... You can work your buttocks without straining yourself with heavy weights.

Execution technique

1. Place the barbell on your traps the same way you would normally place it on a squat. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Bend your lower back, squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your chest forward; this will be your starting position.

2.Keeping your back arched, you need to bend forward by moving your pelvis back. We bend down to the level of parallel with the floor. We return to the starting position by bringing the pelvis forward. Remember, you don’t just need to lean forward, but rather pull your buttocks back. If the pelvis remains in place without movement, then the back will take most of the load and the exercise will become similar to hyperextension.

Recommendations

1. Always look forward, or better yet, into your own eyes through the mirror, this will help you maintain your posture. If you look down, you may fall forward.

2.Experiment with the width of your legs and turning your feet (inward or outward).

3. Don't chase weight. This exercise focuses on stretching the muscles.

4. Perform forward bends on leg day to maximally target your hamstrings and glutes. Choose one of your favorite exercises, either the good morning exercise or the Romanian deadlift.

5. Perform at least 10 repetitions.

6.Keep your legs slightly bent, this will keep your lower back arched even at its lowest point.

Very important point

When working for mass, we all understand that it is necessary to increase working weights, but there is one common problem. Muscles recover faster than ligaments and tendons, hence often injuries and blockers in progress. Typically, as soon as the bench press begins to increase, the shoulders begin to crumble; if the squat increases, then the knees. I advise you to take care in advance and prevent these injuries so that this does not interfere with your progress. I’m sure you regularly spend a decent amount on sports nutrition, take care of your ligaments. Everything is elementary. You just need to take this excellent ointment and apply it after training and there won’t be any problems. I myself have 3 titles of Candidate Master of Sports, including in the bench press, and I can tell you from my own experience that my shoulders regularly hurt after each new strength milestone, until I tried this ointment, it costs a penny but damn it is really enough for for a long time and now I am constantly progressing. For example, now, with a weight of 90 kg, I bench press 150 x 4, without this ointment I would have long ago pulled the ligament as it happened before.

All about the Zottman curl exercise

Looking for a way to blast your biceps? Tired of walking around with pasta hands? Or do you just think that you need to pick it up in your hands? Then this article is especially for you. In it I will talk about the exercise - Zottman bending.

What kind of Zottman is it and how to bend it

So, Zottman curls are another exercise from the old school, so to speak, OLD SCHOOL. Even older than the pullover I wrote about not so long ago.

It was invented by Georg Zottman, an incredibly healthy man of the 19th century. It occurred to him to lower the dumbbells in a non-standard way, so they named this variation of bends after him.

Benefits of Zottman Curls

– They are difficult to ignore, but despite this, it is almost impossible to see Zottman doing curls in the gym.

The main load from the exercise is aimed at the biceps. Next, in order, are the muscles of the forearm, the brachialis (brachioradialis muscle) and the anterior delta as a stabilizer.

The biceps brachii muscle (biceps) performs two functions:

• Bending the arm is lifting it;
• Rotate your wrist.

We often miss the second function in the gym. Only in some exercises is it possible to use it, for example, in dumbbell lifts with wrist rotation.

Also among them are:

• Formation of the peak of the biceps - if mother genetics has not deprived you;
• Forearm development;
• Increased grip strength.

Technique for performing the Zottman exercise

– Before moving directly to the technique, it should be said that despite all the usefulness of the Zottman curls, they should be performed at the end of arm training.

The fact is that by the last approach, the brachialis will already be overloaded, which will not allow you to thoroughly finish off the biceps in other exercises.

So, the stages of performing Zottman curls:

1. Take a stable standing position;
2. Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing inward;
3. As you exhale, lift the dumbbells, gradually turning your wrists towards you. Should be raised to shoulder level;
4. Hold this position for a couple of seconds. Then turn your hands away from you, that is, 180 degrees;
5. As you inhale, lower your arms under control and take the starting position.

Options for performing Zottman curls

Different variations of bending have different effects on the degree of concentration on the muscle and technique.

So, when performing simultaneous lifts in a standing position, it is more difficult to concentrate and watch your elbows. Also, willy-nilly, as the load increases, you begin to cheat.

There are several ways out of this situation:

• Do bends on each arm alternately;
• Perform the Zottman exercise while sitting;
• On an incline bench face down or with your hand on your knee.

The option on an inclined bench and with the hand fixed on the knee allows you to better isolate the muscle.

How to make the exercise more effective

– Although this exercise is super effective for “killing” the biceps and forearms, each individual person needs to try it on themselves.

Because what is good for one person will not necessarily work for the other. But to check this, you need not only to adhere to the correct technique, but also to take into account some nuances.

For example:

Don't grab heavy dumbbells.

Even if you are the biggest in your gym, you can easily get injured due to unusual load. In addition, if you do everything correctly, you can load your arms with 5 kilogram dumbbells.

Not a cheater.

There is no need to twitch in convulsions when throwing the weight - smoothly lift and just as smoothly lower the dumbbells. If it’s hard, it’s better to put half a dumbbell, shake your arms and finish the approach, it will be more effective.

Maintain a range of sets and reps

Non-British scientists have proven that muscles increase in volume better when under load for 15 to 30 seconds. During this time, you can perform from 8 to 12 repetitions - this is the range that should be followed in Zottman curls. As for the approaches, here everything is according to the classics - 3-4 sets.

Related articles:

1. Arm extensions on the upper block
2. How to pump up huge arms
3. French bench press

Make it more difficult

If you are already such a “monster” that you can’t do any curls, but there is no reasonable weight for dumbbells. Try doing the exercise in reverse. Change your grip at the bottom and top points. In the lower one - the brushes are away from you, and in the upper one - towards you.

Conclusion

Sometimes it is quite difficult to break through stagnation in the development of any muscle. Sometimes this can take years. One way to overcome it is to change the nature of the load using an exercise unfamiliar to the muscles. For biceps, Zottman curls can be such a solution.

Execution technique

Initial position:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, holding the weights in your arms down with a neutral grip at your hip.
2. Take a stable vertical position, placing your feet hip-width apart and statically tensing your core muscles.
3. The back is straight, the shoulder blades are brought together.

Movement:

1. Breathe in. Keeping the shoulder parts of the arms motionless, using the force of the biceps, simultaneously lift both projectiles up to the shoulders, accompanying it by turning the wrists outward (supination, palm facing you).
2. At the top point, exhale and, contracting the biceps as much as possible, rotate the projectile 180°, bringing the hand into a pronation position.
3. Straightening your elbow joints, smoothly lower the weight to the starting position.
4. Turn the dumbbells toward your hips (neutral grip) for the next lift.
5. Complete the planned number of repetitions.

Attention!

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• Do not spread your elbows to the sides. This reduces the effectiveness of working the arm flexors.
• Do not use heavy dumbbells. Due to the specific mechanics of movement, the wrists are subject to serious stress in the exercise, so they can easily be injured by unusual weights.
• Don't "dump" the weight when doing the reverse movement. Lowering slowly and in a controlled manner allows for a greater stretch in the biceps and puts more stress on the brachialis muscle.
• Don't help yourself with your body. By resorting to cheating, you reduce the effective work of the target muscles.
• Do not straighten your elbows at the bottom. By holding them at an angle, the arm flexor muscles are in a constant state of tension.

Recommendations!

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• Try to perform the movement in a controlled and synchronized manner using muscle strength. If you're not sure you can avoid cheating your core, perform Zottman curls while sitting on a bench or lying on an incline.
• Use the alternate lift technique to increase focus on muscle groups or to finish off those last heavy reps in a set.
• Perform the movement in a wide amplitude: until the biceps are fully contracted at the top point and until they are stretched to their maximum at the bottom.
• Keep your upper arms stationary throughout all phases of the movement. Only the forearms are involved in dynamic work.

Exercise options

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• Zottman curls on the Scott bench. This version of the exercise has practically no deviations from the basic technique, but due to the specific position, the load on the arm flexors is more isolated.
• Zottman's "mirror" curls. The essence of the exercise remains the same, only the order of changing “grips” changes: in the positive area, the palms are directed towards you, when returning to the starting position, the hands are turned away from you. In this version of the movement, the functional role of the forearms increases somewhat.
• Seated Zottman Curl. For a more stable position, removing stress from the spine and eliminating the possibility of cheating with the body, perform Zottman crunches while sitting on a bench or chair.
• Zottman curls alternately. The single dumbbell lift option will allow you to better concentrate on the target muscle and technique. Alternate sets of simultaneous dumbbell lifts with alternating variations.