The seated alternating dumbbell curl is a strength training exercise that increases the size and strength of your forearms and biceps.
It is one of the most effective variations of the biceps curl because you do it while seated such that your entire body is stationary and only your arms are moving.
Here’s how to do it:
- Get an adjustable bench or a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each end. If you choose to use an adjustable bench, adjust its back to a 90 degree angle.
- Sit at one end of the bench with your knees together and your feet in front of you.
- Pick the weights from the ground and let them hang freely by your sides with both palms facing up.
- Bend your arms slightly to focus the tension in your biceps. This is your starting position.
- Straighten your back, tuck your elbows in and curl up the weight slowly, going as far as you comfortably can.
- Squeeze your biceps before slowly lowering the weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps on the other arm for as many reps as you wish.
WHAT MUSCLES DOES THE SEATED ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL WORK?
The seated alternating dumbbell curl focuses on your biceps at the front of your upper arm, and the brachialis and brachioradialis on your lower arm.
BENEFITS OF THE SEATED ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL
BICEP SYMMETRY
Imagine struggling to grow your biceps then one ends up bigger than the other.
Would suck, yeah?
Well, you don’t have to worry about asymmetrical biceps when you work them using the seated alternating dumbbell curl.
By curling only one arm at a go, you get to work your biceps independently so that they both get the same amount of work and none of them ends up bigger or leaner than the other.
INCREASED MUSCLE SIZE
The fact that you are training you arms independently increases your muscle strength more than other regular bicep curls where you train both arms at the same time.
When your brain is focusing entirely only on working one arm, it will likely channel all your energy into lifting the dumbbell that arm is holding.
Conversely, when you are training both arms at the same time your central nervous system (CNS) will have to split the strength between your limbs, which means each limb would get less energy compared to if they were being trained independently.
BETTER MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION
The seated alternating dumbbell curl is a great exercise for enhancing your mind-muscle connection because you only have to focus on training one arm at a time.
Also, training your arms independently with this exercise naturally recruits more muscle fibres since each rep produces more stimulation on your biceps when your mind-muscle connection is heightened.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE SEATED ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL
STANDING BARBELL CURL
The standing barbell curl uses a barbell to isolate and overload both of your biceps together.
However, unlike the seated alternating dumbbell curl, you do it while standing, which means you rely on your torso to isolate the muscles.
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Grab a barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Tuck your elbows into your upper body and ensure they stay fixed there.
- Inhale and tighten your core.
- Curl the bar as high as you can go without changing the position of your elbows and breathe out.
- Inhale while lowering the barbell back to the starting position.
- Perform as many reps as you want.
To avoid swinging or moving your body too much, you can lean on a wall as you perform this movement.
STANDING DUMBBELL CURL
The standing dumbbell curl is in many ways similar to the seated alternating dumbbell curl, with the main difference being the fact that it is done standing.
It is also not done alternatingly, hence it doesn’t work each arm independently.
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure your palms are facing forward.
- Press your elbows into your obliques to properly isolate your upper arms.
- Inhale deeply and brace your core.
- Curl the weights up as high as you can go without taking the elbows away from the torso, and then exhale.
- Take a deep breath in and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
SEATED ALTERNATING DUMBBELL CURL MISTAKES TO AVOID
USING MOMENTUM
Use a slow and controlled pace throughout the move to keep as much tension in your target muscles as possible.
MOVING YOUR ELBOWS
Moving your elbows could take some of the tension off your target muscles, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.
Keep your elbows tucked in and stationary as you curl your arms to work your muscles optimally.
NOT SQUEEZING YOUR BICEPS AT THE TOP
When you get to the top position, be sure to squeeze your biceps to increase their time under tension (TUT) in addition to the resistance you provide with the dumbbell.
LEANING BACK
Do not lean back as you curl the weight; your body should remain stationary the entire time so that only your arms are moving.
PERFORMING HALF REPS
When you lift more weight than you can control while maintaining proper form, you may end up performing this exercise with an incomplete range of motion.
To fix this problem, choose weights that you can curl with the full range of motion all through your reps and sets.
POOR WRIST CONTROL
While most of your focus should be on contracting your biceps, don’t lose so much control of your wrist that you allow the weight to control it, especially when you are lowering.
To avoid losing control of the wrist, keep it slightly flexed to prevent it from flipping into extension during the lowering phase.
CONCLUSION
The seated alternating dumbbell curl works your arms just as good as the standard biceps curl, if not better.
Doing it from a seated position ensures all the tension is focused on your biceps as the rest of the body remains stationary.
Whether you’re doing it to increase muscle strength or the size of your muscles, it certainly deserves a spot in your routine.
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