The REAL key to building bigger biceps is TENSION.

And, unfortunately, as good as the barbell curl is for overall loading, it's actually not that great for tension....you have almost no tension or stretch at the bottom, maximum tension at the mid-point, then it drops off as you come to the peak contraction.

But overall, is it a good bicep exercise?

Absolutely...and now we're going to make it even better.

We're going to do this by changing your body position and adding in band tension. This is going to give you TRULY CONTINUOUS TENSION from bottom to top for the ENTIRE duration of the set.

Words don't do this concept justice.

As I say in the video...this exercise will burn down to your soul.

To perform this one, you'll need a pair of bands (a single band will work, or even a low pulley with the cable looped around the bar and clipped back onto itself will work, if you don't have bands), a barbell an incline bench (ideally adjustable).

The bands will give you a much better match to the strength curve of the exercise than cables, though, as they stretch and increase in tension as you curl into the strongest position of the exercise (the top).

If you don't have bands, you can get some here from my recommended source - I'm using small red bands.

In terms of the barbell, you can use either a straight bar or an EZ curl bar. I'm using a short "fat" bar that weighs the same as a regular Olympic bar (45 lbs) but is built thick for a more open grip. Don't use much, if any weight, on this. You won't need it, especially the first time you try it.

Hitch the bands to a post or other solid object, loop the other ends around the bar. Set the incline bench to about 30 degrees and set it back about 2-3 feet. You want to have some stretch on the bands at the start.

Grip the bar with a NARROW grip (this is important for maximum tension on the biceps). This means shoulder width or a little inside that.

Sit on the bench, the lie back on the incline with your arms straight.

Here's the key...at the bottom, your arms will be straight but your hands will NOT be resting on your thighs. Keep your hands OFF your thighs so that the tension of holding that bar up goes directly on to the biceps (some will be on the front delts, but mostly biceps).

Make sure you do this on EVERY rep at the bottom...DO NOT let the hands rest on your thighs. This is what keeps continuous tension on the biceps and what's missing from a standing barbell curl.

Now start the curl.

During this part of the movement, the resistance is primarily from the barbell. The bands aren't stretching much yet.

At this point, with the forearms approaching vertical, the resistance from the barbell drops off and the band resistance increases substantially.

Keep curling all the way to your face and squeeze your biceps HARD (though honestly, you won't have much choice in the matter).

To get maximum contraction, the elbows should come up a little, too. The reason for this is anatomical...the bicep tendons cross the shoulder joint so to achieve a full contraction, you need to raise the upper arms in the shoulder joint (do this on regular barbell curls, too).

Hold for a few seconds, then lower under control.

Again, when you reach the bottom, DO NOT rest your hands on your thighs. Keep the tension on full power in that bottom stretch position.

Pause briefly, then go again.

Repeat until your biceps are completely fatigued....which is a nice way of putting it. This exercise is brutal and your whole body will feel it from the continuous tension.

Aim for a set of 6-10 reps...we want at least 45 to 60 seconds of continuous tension on the biceps during this exercise for maximum results.

Take two minutes rest then repeat for 2-3 total sets. If you're doing it with intensity, you won't need any more than that.

This is an INCREDIBLE exercise for your biceps. Because of the continuous tension and strength-curve loading, one set of it is worth 2-3 sets of a "normal" bicep exercise.

Definitely watch the video for this one. You'll get the best idea of how it works and just how tough and effective it really is.