• Form: Done with a rigid torso, no swinging or body momentum.
• Muscles Targeted: Primarily biceps, with minimal assistance from other muscles.
• Benefits:
  • Maximum isolation of the biceps.
  • Better for muscle hypertrophy (growth) and strict strength development.
  • Lower injury risk when done with proper form.
• Drawbacks:
  • Limits how much weight you can lift.
  • Fatiguing for the biceps alone, especially with high reps.

• Form: Involves using body momentum — a little swing of the hips or back — to lift heavier weights.
• Muscles Targeted: Biceps still work hard, but there’s more involvement from the shoulders, hips, and lower back.
• Benefits:
  • Allows heavier weight and overload of the biceps (especially in the eccentric/lowering phase).
  • Useful for advanced lifters pushing past plateaus.
• Drawbacks:
  • Higher risk of poor form and injury, especially to the lower back.
  • Less isolation of the biceps.
  • Can become a crutch if overused.

• You can usually lift slightly more per arm in a unilateral curl.
• This is partly due to:
  • Greater neural drive (you can focus all effort on one limb).
  • Less systemic fatigue since only one arm is working.
  • Core and stabilizers assisting more, especially in standing variations.

• You typically lift more total weight overall, but less per arm compared to unilateral.
• The movement is more time-efficient and symmetrical.
• Slight cheating (like using momentum) is easier to sneak in, which can increase the load artificially.

• Your central nervous system can concentrate force production on just one limb.
• No bilateral deficit: Many people experience a slight reduction in per-limb output when using both limbs simultaneously (called the bilateral deficit).
• Improved focus and mind-muscle connection.

• If your goal is maximum load per arm and improved control, unilateral curls may be superior.
• If you’re training for efficiency, symmetry, or overall volume, bilateral curls are excellent.

• Use bilateral curls early for volume and symmetry.
• Finish with unilateral curls to focus on peak contraction and correct imbalances.

• Since your chest is supported on an incline bench, your lower back doesn’t need to work as hard to stabilize your torso.
• This makes the exercise safer for those with lower back issues or those already doing heavy spinal loading movements (e.g., squats, deadlifts).

• You can’t use momentum or body English (swinging), which forces your lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts to do more of the work.
• This leads to more effective muscle engagement and growth.

• The fixed body position encourages proper scapular retraction and pulling mechanics.
• Helps correct or improve posture by strengthening the upper back without compensations.

• Since spinal loading is minimized, it’s easier to push harder without overtaxing your central nervous system or risking injury.

• Beginners can learn the movement pattern safely.
• Advanced lifters can overload the muscles without compromising technique or risking lower back fatigue.

• Excellent alternative during rehab phases for back or spinal issues.
• Also a good option during deloads or periods where you’re reducing axial loading.

• Primary: Lats, rhomboids, middle/lower traps
• Secondary: Rear deltoids, biceps, forearms

• More weight can be moved, promoting strength and hypertrophy.
• Slightly restricted range of motion depending on your setup.

• Greater range of motion and stretch.
• Independent arm movement, good for correcting imbalances.

Single-arm vs dual-arm dumbbell curls each have advantages, and which you choose depends on your goals and training context. Here's a breakdown:

💪 Main Differences

🧠 When to Use Each

✅ Use Single-Arm Curls if:

• You want to correct muscle imbalances.

• You're focusing on strict form and control.

• You like to concentrate on one arm at a time for a stronger contraction.

• You need to reduce compensation from the stronger side.

✅ Use Dual-Arm Curls if:

• You’re aiming for time efficiency.

• You want to increase overall training volume more quickly.

• You're using lighter weights for endurance or burn sets.

• You have balanced strength and control on both sides.

🔁 Best Strategy

• Mix them in your routine:

  • Use single-arm curls for detail and balance work (especially as accessory sets).

  • Use dual-arm curls for bulk volume, supersets, or time-efficient workouts.

• Alternate workout styles every few weeks or within a single workout (e.g., dual-arm preacher curls followed by single-arm incline curls).

Hammer curls and regular (supinated) dumbbell curls are both excellent bicep exercises, but they target the muscles differently and offer distinct benefits. Here’s a quick comparison:

💪 Muscle Focus

🔧 Grip Difference

• Hammer Curl: Neutral grip (palms face each other)

• Regular Curl: Supinated grip (palms face up)

This grip difference shifts some of the focus:

• Hammer curls emphasize the brachialis, which lies underneath the biceps. Developing this can make your arms look thicker.

• Regular curls emphasize the biceps brachii, which gives that "bicep peak" look.

🧠 When to Use Each

• Hammer curls:

  • Great for building overall arm thickness

  • Better if you have wrist issues (neutral grip is easier on the joints)

  • Good for targeting the forearms and brachialis

• Regular curls:

  • Ideal for bicep definition and peak

  • Classic movement for isolation of the biceps

  • Slightly better for mind-muscle connection with the biceps

🏋️‍♂️ Best Approach

Use both in your routine if your goal is overall arm development:

• Alternate between them across workouts

• Superset them (e.g., 8 reps of regular curls + 8 hammer curls)

• Periodize: 3–4 weeks focus on one, then switch

Pull-ups are a staple of bodyweight training—synonymous with upper body strength, core control, and athleticism. But like many classic movements, they’re often performed with poor form, leading to shoulder irritation, neck strain, and wasted effort. Enter the McGill Pull-up Method, a precision-driven approach developed by Dr. Stuart McGill, a world-renowned spine biomechanist known for his work on core stability and injury prevention.

• Full-body stiffness
• Breath control
• Efficient joint alignment
• Safe shoulder positioning

1. Set the Grip and Posture Use a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Hang from the bar in a dead-hang position. Instead of relaxing, generate tension in your grip and shoulders.
2. Engage the Core and Glutes This is where the method shines. Before pulling, brace your core as if preparing for a punch. Squeeze your glutes. Think of turning your entire body into a single, solid unit—a concept McGill refers to as “proximal stiffness for distal mobility.”
3. Breathe Strategically Take a deep breath into your belly and brace without exhaling—a controlled Valsalva maneuver. This intra-abdominal pressure stabilizes the spine and enhances force production.
4. Initiate the Pull Begin the pull-up by engaging your lats and driving your elbows down and back. Your entire body should rise as a single, rigid block—no swinging, no leg kicking, no head jutting forward.
5. Pause and Lower with Control Pause briefly at the top (chin over the bar), then descend slowly while maintaining tension. Exhale once you’ve completed the rep or between reps.

• Athletes recovering from back injuries: The emphasis on core bracing protects the spine.
• Military and tactical professionals: Many use this method to build durable strength without compromising joint health.
• Lifters chasing longevity: It’s not just about reps, but sustainable, strong movement patterns.

• Improved spinal stability
• Reduced shoulder and neck strain
• Better carryover to other lifts (deadlifts, presses)
• Increased body awareness and control

1. 17.05.23- 150x5 **
2. 23.05.23- 120x12x5x3
3. 08.06.23- 150x8
4. 17.08.23- 170x3
5. 22.08.23- 160x7
6. 05.09.23- 160x8
7. 12.09.23- 170x6
8. 19.09.23- 180x5 **
   1. 17.05 - 19.09 = 4 months = 30kg increase
9. 24.09.23- 160x10
10. 10.10.23- 160x4, 140x5
    1. Change in form- slower eccentric
    2. Keep constant as slow on the way down going forward
11. 24.10.23- 170x7
    1. Raw mixed grip and strained L bicep, so will stick with double over straps for top sets going forward

1. SA cable curl (front)- 12.5x12
2. Incline DB hammer curl- 5x10, 7.5x15
3. Lying cable hamstring curl- 10x10, 12.5x6, 15x10x3
4. Meadows row- 40x8
   1. Stay low, feel upper outer back squeeze at top
   2. Try not to support with other hand
5. Bent over DB row (wide elbows)- 12x12, 16x10 (cup wrists helps connect, get low!)
6. Chest supported low cable row (stomach only, widest grip)- 50x10
7. Rear delt DB swing- 16x45
   1. Allow spine to flex and shoulders to fall to floor

1. Tib ant KB raise- 12x10, 16x10,16x8
2. Side plank- 15s (on bench)
3. Dual pushdown- 17.5x12, 15x15
4. Side lying
   1. Pullover- 3.5x10, 3.5x8 (crunches at top above head far away)
   2. External rotation (elbow on hip)-3.5x8
   3. Rear delt rotation- 3.5x8
      1. Feel scaps and depress shoulders
5. Flat DB skull crusher- 3.5x12, 5x8, 7.5x8
   1. Feel front lats, keep shoulders retracted + wide
6. Incline DB curl- 3.5x10, 3.5x10, 7.5x12, 7.5x8

1. Seated calf raise- 60x6 --> 50x4 --> 30x6 (5s pauses), 40x10x2 --> BW x20
2. Lying hamstring curl- 54x7x3
   1. R hurt for a while after but walked it off before deadlifts
3. Adductor- 73x14
   1. Straight legs again
4. Conventional BB deadlift (control eccentrics)- 3x(40x6), 60x6, 100x5, 130x2, 150x2, 170x3