It's a very simple combination of two exercises...a carry and a hang, both of which target the biceps from opposite ends of the spectrum (stretch and contraction).
The first bicep-focused exercise is a Supinated Dumbbell Farmers Walk.
This is a Farmers Walk done with the palms facing forward.
That's it.
It SOUNDS simple (and it is), yet the tension and stretch it puts on your biceps is incredible, especially as you keep walking. The motion results in constant compensation in the biceps, activating more and muscle fibers as the movement continues.
To do this, grab a pair of moderate-weight dumbbells...something you'd normally use for a fairly heavy set of curls (e.g. 4-6 reps). You're not going to be curling them...just walking with them. I'm using a pair of 50 lb dumbbells.
Don't go too heavy, as this will limit the time under load that we're trying to achieve on the biceps (at least 40-60 seconds, minimum). You can adjust weight as needed as you figure out what works for you.
Now just start walking.
My gym floorspace is limited, so I'm walking about 20 feet then turning around in a continuous loop.
That's the stretch/instability half of the combination.
Finish your carry by the chin-up bar. Set the dumbbells down.
The second bicep-focused exercise is the Flexed Arm Hang.
This is another very simple one...just jump up into the top position of the chin-up and hold yourself there.
If you're not strong enough to hold this full-bodyweight hang position for more than a few seconds, we need to adjust the resistance to get more time under tension. Instead, do this with your feet on a bench or chair, or on a bar set lower so that you can set your feet on the ground (help only as much as needed to maintain the hang position).
Because your biceps are pre-fatigued from the carry and your lats are not, the biceps will be the limiting factor in this exercise and will activate very strongly right off the bat.
Grip the bar hard and focus on contracting your biceps strongly. This position is a peak-contracted position for the biceps...especially now that you've activated all those various bicep muscle fibers from carrying a pair of dumbbells that were jostling around the entire time.
Hold this flexed arm position as long as you can then fight the negative all the way down, until your arms are straight.
And when I say fight the negative, I literally mean FIGHT the negative.
This is one of the key things that many people miss with true negative/eccentric training. You don't just lower under control (whether it's weight or your body). You have to actively try and CONTRACT the target muscle being worked.
In this case, that means as your bodyweight is pulling you down, you're still TRYING to pull yourself up.
This is not a "controlled descent"...this is a fight to stay up as long as possible....and it will SHRED the fibers in your biceps (technically the actin/myosin cross-bridges are what gets shredded, if you want to get technical, which apparently I do).
At this point, once you hit the bottom of the hang, you can either hold on until you grip also gives out or you can end the set there, once the biceps are done.
And trust me, they will be DONE.
Once you let go of the bar, all the blood will rush into your biceps, giving you a MONSTER pump to finish off your bicep training with.
If you're interested in more Loaded Carry type training, I've got a full section on it here.
---
Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
Share This Page...
Want More Exercises Like This?
You'll find them here...
Support