How to Curl More Weight With a Dumbbell

Dumbbell curls target your biceps, along with the forearms and stabilizer muscles in the shoulders and trapezius. Chances are that your workouts were moving along well until you hit what everyone hits – a plateau. Pushing through a plateau can be one of the more challenging hurdles in weight training, but there are a couple of tools you can use to minimize plateaus at the outset, and to push through them quickly when they arrive. Progressive overload training when used with a pyramid set/rep structure will help you curl more weight with a dumbbell on an ongoing basis.

Instructions

    • 1

      Calculate your one-rep-max weight for a standard biceps curl. To do this, perform several sets of three test reps, increasing the weight you use for each set. Start at a weight that is heavy but manageable, and continue until you get to a weight that you can complete two reps, but not the third. This is your base one-rep-max weight.

    • 2

      Perform pyramid sets of dumbbell curls during your next workout, but make sure to rest for at least a couple of days after you do the test reps to find your one-rep max. Do one warm-up set of 10 reps using 60 to 70 percent of your one-rep max. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds, then increase the dumbbell weight to 80 percent of your one-rep max. Do a set of six reps, rest for up to one minute, then increase the weight again to 90 percent. Do four reps, rest, then increase the weight to 95 percent. Do two reps then rest for up to 60 seconds. Decrease the weight to 90 percent, do four reps, rest, then decrease the weight again and continue working your way back to the original weight and reps.

    • 3

      Alter your position for dumbbell curls for each workout. For one workout, do the curls while standing and lift both dumbbells simultaneously. For the next workout, do the curls while seated on a workout bench and alternate the lift of each dumbbell.