Zottman Curl
George Zottman (pictured at left) was a Philadelphia strongman in the 1880s/1890s. In this photo Zottman, aged 57, still had massive forearms by any standard - measuring 16 1/2 " here. Relaxed they were still a suitably impressive 14 1/2 ".
It's fitting then that the movement he is most famous for - the one that to this day carries his name - is the Zottman Curl.
This is a dumbbell bicep curl with a twist - quite literally. The weight is curled using the standard supinated (palm facing up) grip, with the wrist angled back slightly so as to make the bicep do all the heavy lifting. At the top of the curl the wrist is straightened and the hand rotated 180 degrees, before being slowly lowered to the start position. The hand is then rotated 180 degrees and the cycle begins again.
This movement succeeds in working both the biceps and forearms, and is a great way to warm up the entire arm.
An uncommon, but highly effective, movement.
Scott Andrew Bird is a writer, photographer and a guy who just loves this stuff. He's been at home in front of a computer for more years than he cares to remember (OK, 30) and is now making amends for years of many mistakes noted in the De-constructing computer guy articles (part 2) on T-Nation.
Stalkers may wish to track his every move via Twitter or Google+; everyone else is cordially invited to hop over to his online home. Enjoy.
Like this? Check out some of their other articles : For a full list, head over to the author page for Scott Andrew Bird.
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And if you'd like to join the writing team here and share your own thoughts on strength-training, get in touch. Look forward to hearing from you.
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Writer and Fitness enthusiast
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Educator and Personal Trainer
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In addition, articles are submitted from across the globe. Got a piece you'd like to share? Let us know.
elsewhere
This is a fantastic book. If you've ever considered learning this
incredible strength feat, the Card
Tearing eBook (review)
is the perfect place to start. Love it.
In addition to the articles on this site are a number I've written elsewhere. Including :
- Paleo Diet : Increased Mental Clarity
- The Art of Working Out Alone
- The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food (part II)
- Rock the Kitchen: Plan for Diet Success
- 10 Challenging Bodyweight Exercises
- Buying Your First Kettlebell
- Switching to Biphasic Sleeping? Start here.
reading
If you're new to the world of nail bending, this is the perfect book to get. It'll show you the exact techniques you'll need to get started right away. Written by world-class bender Jedd Johnson.
The Diesel Crew's Card Tearing eBook
This is a fantastic book. If you've ever considered learning this incredible strength feat, the Card Tearing eBook is the perfect place to start. Love it.
If you ever wake up with that 'just run over by a truck' feeling, you need a copy of Tim Hull's Functional Correction Manual. Not only will it help you to locate and repair the problem, it'll help prevent it happening in the future.
When it comes to body transformation - whether that's an increase in strength, packing on a bit of muscle or losing a bit of excess fat - this is the perfect place to start. Dr Berardi's Precision Nutrition.
This is a fantastic book. As Josh explains, it superbly shows what's going on while you train. Love it.
101 Fitness Myths [Kindle Edition]
A superb combination of fitness mythbusting and no-nonsense advice. If you're not quite sure where to start, grab this.
The Art of Expressing the Human Body
If you've ever watched a Bruce Lee film and marveled at his strength, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility or muscularity, this book should take pride of place in your collection. Unlike many other writings covering everything from Lee's training methods to nutrition, this book is based not on the recollections of people around him; but on Lee's own notes. Brilliant.
For a full list of what we're reading and watching at the moment, just head over to the Recommended Books & DVDs page. See you there.