Exercise Video Demo:  If you’re ready to add some serious size to your biceps, you need to learn Run the Rack Bicep Curls. You’ll need to be in front of the dumbbell rack in the weight room, or have access to a set of weights.  The movement is fairly simple because it’s a basic bicep curl.  The burn and pump you’ll feel comes from the sequence of incrementally increasing the weight.  Here’s how to do it.

What Does Run The Rack Mean?

Walk into any weight room at a gym and you’ll likely see a racks and racks of dumbbells.  Running the rack refers to progressively increasing the weight as you complete your entire set of reps.  It may also be called progressive loading.  You “run the rack” by completing one micro set and without rest moving on to the next higher weight.  For this workout you’ll learn to run the rack bicep curls in 5 pound increments.

Run The Rack Bicep Curls

1. Choose a weight at the light end of the rack for your starting weight.  In this exercise video demo we’re starting with 5 lb. dumbbells.

2. Stand in front of the rack and begin your set by doing 5 reps with the 5 lb dumbbells.  Without rest, move to 10 lb dumbbells and complete 5 more reps.

3. Continue to run the rack by completing 5 reps with the 15 lb dumbbells, 5 reps with 20 lbs, and 5 reps with 25 lbs.

4. Without resting, go back down the rack by completing 5 more reps with each weight that you used ( 20 lbs, 15 lbs, 10 lbs, 5 lbs.)

5. You will have completed 45 reps or bicep curls when you’ve completed the last 5 reps with the 5 lbs dumbbells.

Run the Rack Bicep Curls Tips

– While it may seem like little work when you start with a light weight like a 5 lbs dumbbell, by the time you come back to it at the end of the set it’ll feel almost as heavy at that 25 lbs!

– If you use gym gloves, you definitely want a pair of grips that doesn’t inhibit movement and stays in place.  GymPaws® original leather lifting grips are ideal because the finger loops keep them tight to the palm of your hands when you’re transitioning between weights.

– As with any exercise it’s important  that you’re focusing on proper form throughout your sets.  Don’t worry about the amount of weight you’re lifting, focus on form.

– Running the rack for biceps is a sure fire way to reach that point of muscle fatigue.  Once you complete one full set up and down the rack, rest no more than 2 minutes and shoot for another full set.  If you’re arms are up for it, finish with a full third set.

* filmed on location at Mansion Fitness, West Hollywood, CA

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