Variations — what changes
Dumbbell
As above.
Hardest at the top; easy at the bottom.
Cable
Cable from low, across your body.
Keeps tension on the muscle at the bottom too.
Machine
Pads on the outside of your arms.
Most stable; easy to take close to failure.
Setup
- Stand with a slight forward lean, dumbbells at your sides, elbows slightly bent.
Doing the rep
- Lead with your elbows, lifting out to the side until your arms are about parallel to the floor.
- Think "push the weights out to the walls", not "up".
- Lower slowly.
Common mistakes
- Shrugging, so your traps take over.
- Swinging heavy dumbbells with your whole body.
Stop if something hurts sharply. When you're learning a lift, start light and film a set from the side to check it.
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