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Scott Bench Curls

September 15, 2021

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Scott bench curls are a simple and effective exercise to create an isolated bicep curl. Such a bench, with a soft inclined shelf, can be found in any fitness club. Its design locks the shoulders and body, allowing the athlete to focus on target muscles. Men perform mostly the exercise, but it is quite suitable for girls.

It is worth noting that the biceps on the Scott bench can be trained with a straight or EZ-bar, as well as with dumbbells, or using the resistance of the lower block of a cable trainer.

When working with a straight barbell, the position of the hands is not entirely natural. The use of an EZ bar is recommended. The same goes for the shape of the block cable crossover handle.

Are Scott bench curls useful?

The key benefit of this exercise is the ability to focus and isolate the biceps and brachialis. Here are some benefits of doing biceps curls on a Scott bench:

Exercise leads to the active growth of muscle mass and an increase in the volume and strength of the arms
Assumes great variability in terms of inventory and grip used. There is the ability to shift the load from the center to the external or internal muscle group
Doesn’t place undue stress on the wrists when working with a curved bar
Allows you to work with large weights. However, in this case, you’ll need the help of a partner, since it’s inconvenient and unsafe to take the desired position with a heavy bar in your hands

Scott’s bench curls are contraindicated for elbow injuries. Also, if you are doing reverse grip curls, use less weight than with the classic exercise.

Exercise technique

Select the correct barbell. Try an EZ bar. Adjust the height of the shelf to suit your height.

1Sit on a bench and place your feet firmly on the floor. Using the underhand grip (palms facing up), place your hands on a shelf parallel to each other, shoulder-width apart. If you are an experienced athlete and often work with large weights, sit down and ask your partner to hand you the equipment

2Bring your arms down and bend them slightly at the elbows. You do not need to fully unbend them throughout the entire exercise. Fix your palms and slightly tuck them inward. Take a deep breath

3Bend your arms as you exhale. Don’t bring your hands to a perpendicular position to the floor. There should be some space between the hands and shoulders. When the forearms are upright, some of the load is lost. Hold this point for 1-2 seconds

4As you inhale, gently return your arms to their original position

“An important technical point: never throw the bar down. During the moment of extension with the weight, your elbows are under severe tension. Avoid this traumatic effect.”

Using the EZ fretboard

Different grips

Scott bench curls are performed with different barbells and grips. A narrow grip works best on the outer head of the biceps, a wide grip on the inner. A shoulder-width grip acts on the muscle evenly. The underhand biceps curl (palms on top) shifts the load on the brachioradialis.

scott-bench-curls-reverse-grip-biceps-curls

Performing reverse grip biceps curls

Use 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise. It’s recommended to combine it, for example, with barbell biceps curls. Biceps curls are quite energy-intensive, but not a basic exercise. You can do it in the middle or at the end of your workout.

Exercise in the simulator

If the sports club you are visiting has the necessary equipment, you can also do bicep machine curls. The technique is similar to the Scott bench curls, but instead of barbells or dumbbells, you pull special handles. The trajectory of the palms’ movement, in this case, will be fixed.