THE ZOTTMAN CURL

History of the Zottman Curl

The Zottman Curl is one of my favorite Biceps exercises to program into training for Arm Strength, Arm Size and Prevention of Elbow Injuries. Named after the 19th Century Strong Man George Zottman, the Zottman Curl is the best way to target the Biceps and Forearms in one movement. Throughout the movement you hit your primary movers for a standard biceps curl on the way up (the biceps and Brachialis), and the main muscles for the reverse curl on the way down (including the Brachioradialis in your forearm). This will effectively combine both exercises into one.

Purpose of the Zottman Curl

There are many ways that I utilize the Zottman Curl in training. I use it for improving strength, increasing hypertrophy and also for a rehabilitation scenario.

Improving Strength Example. If you want to improve your Pull Up or the Chin Up but have an issue in the first phase at the bottom of the movement, the Zottman Curl can have a massive impact on your success. The Biceps and Forearms are a major mover in the first phase of pulling at the bottom for the Pull Up and the Chin Up. If you have a balance of strength in the Brachii, Brachialis and Brachioradialis you will have enough strength to get through phase one of the pull.

Increasing Hypertrophy Example. Two of the most neglected muscles in arm training is the Brachioradialis and Brachialis. Majority of gym goers default to utilizing the same handgrips in arm training which is the classic supinated version. However, this handgrip only hits part of the upper arm. I always remembered what Phil Heath, 7x Mr. Olympia and owner of the most impressive arms in the history of bodybuilding, talked about early in his career. Phil always talked about the importance of the Brachioradialis because the forearm supported a bigger arm making the elbow disappear and the Brachialis as the muscle that sits under the Brachii and when it grows it pushes the biceps peak higher. When I design a macrocycle of arm training I always favor reverse grip 75% of training time.

Limiting Elbow Pain Example. When I consult clients in regards to elbow pain the clients usually have similar issues which relate to overuse in the flexed pronated position for example Golf, Tennis, and Computer/CellPhone work. Essentially my answer is stop doing that as much or do the opposite to help offset the imbalance in hand grip. Seams simplistic enough but let me explain. In the scenario where a 45 year old male working at a finance firm comes to me with elbow pain it is usually on the right side. As a desk worker at a computer all day they are using the mouse or typing numbers with the right hand in a flexed pronated position. Overuse in this position can lead to tissue restrictions that put pressure on the elbow when trying to pick things up. The solution is to first utilize self myofascial release techniques to the flexor pronators of the wrist, add wrist extension exercises to training and favor reverse and neutral grips in biceps training. This will off set the muscular imbalance and rebuild the muscle around the elbow.

Equipment and Variations

Dumbells

Seated or Standing

Unilateral or Bilateral

The Movement

For the purpose of this article I will be demonstrating the Seated DB Zottman Curl. The Starting Position will be when the arms completely extended to the side of the body in a supinated handgrip position.

Figure 1: Starting Position, Supinated Grip

Initiate the movement by flexing the elbows to the top of the movement while keeping a supinated handgrip position.

Figure 2: Top Position Supinated Grip

At the top of the movement you will transition to a reverse grip. This is simply done my pronating the dumbbells.

Figure 3: Top Position, Transition to Reverse Grip

Once you have transitioned to the reverse grip, you will proceed to lower the dumbbells to a fully stretched position while maintaining a reverse grip.

Figure 4: Ending Position, Reverse Grip

After you have completed all phases of the Zottman Curl, you will supinated the handgrip again and begin from the starting position.

Comments

The use of the Zottman curl has been vastly underutilized in the mass production of quality arms these days. Aside from quality arms in sleeves, the Zottman Curl is an excellent solution for prevention and rehabilitation of injuries in the elbow. A few things to consider is variation of this exercise. Two of the most important principles of arm training is the variation of grip and the elbow position in relation to the torso. Be sure when applying the Zottman curl over a periodization model to vary the thickness of the dumbbell and the angle at which you curl them. They can also be utilized while seated, standing or kneeling on a pad.

If you want to learn more about how I periodize Arm Training to the individual contact me at steve@s5-fitness.com to setup a consult.

Steven Nickel provides a Tailor-Made Fitness Experience for the individual who wants to acquire high quality results. Providing Exclusive Personal Training, Made to Measure Coaching and Ready to Train Collections. To learn more Inquire Here or write to steven@stevennickel.com