The exercise "Zottman's Flexion" was invented in the 19th century by the famous strongman Georg Zottman. This exercise immediately appealed to all athletes, as it was the fastest contributing to the growth of arm strength. The secret of this exercise is that it immediately loads three muscles that work to bend the elbow. Particularly well, the Zottman lifts pump the brachial muscle, which is located under the biceps. The buildup of this muscle leads not only to a noticeable increase in the volume of the biceps, but also to an almost twofold increase in its strength.
Instructions for implementation:
- Take dumbbells in both hands and stand straight. The arms are extended along the torso, the elbows are pressed to the body. The palms are facing each other. This is ─ starting position;
- On the exhale, bend your arms for biceps, while the upper arm to the elbow should remain motionless, only the forearm works. Expand your hands with your palms up (supinated grip). Continue moving until the biceps are fully reduced until the dumbbells are at shoulder level;
- Take a short break while straining your biceps;
- Now, without changing your position, turn your wrists with your palms down (pronounced grip), the level of the thumb should be higher than the level of the little finger;
- Slowly lower the dumbbells, holding their proned grip;
- When the dumbbells are near the hips, turn your wrists so that the palms are facing the body (neutral grip).
- Perform this exercise in 2-4 sets of 10-12 reps each. Between approaches, rest no more than 2 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
- As a rule, at the very end of the approach, it is not always possible to perform a movement with both hands. In this case, several repetitions in turn.
- If weak forearms do not allow you to fully do the Zottman lifts, postpone this exercise and take up the strengthening of the forearms. For this purpose, lifts with a forward and reverse grip bar are suitable.
- When the climbs will be easy for you, complicate the exercise by moving to its mirror execution. That is, start with a direct grip, and at the top point, change it to the opposite. Thus, at each biceps training, perform both types of Zottman lifts - normal and mirror.
- Changing the grip often leads to involuntary breeding of the elbows. The farther the elbows are from the body, the lower the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible.