Give Your Bis And Tris A New Challenge With This Simple Twist

If you've tried offset dumbbell curls or extensions in the past, you know they're a keeper. But you can amplify the effect of this classic muscle-building hack with a little technique know-how and one accessory. Here's how!

When you pick up a pair of dumbbells to perform some curls, where do you hold them? Most likely in the middle. Or, if you're the type who has been reading bodybuilding and strength-training articles for the last few decades, you might hold them an inch or two from the middle, so your thumb is pressed up against the weight.
Why? Holding a dumbbell off-center, often referred to as an "offset" grip, will tip the balance of the weight toward one side and influence muscle involvement on various movements. For instance, using an offset grip, where the thumb is pressed against the inside of the weight, increases the involvement of the short head of the biceps. Grab it on the other side, with the pinky up against the weight, and you can make triceps extension movements more difficult at lockout.

If this is news to you, great! Try it once, and you'll be amazed at how different it feels. But you can take the same idea further, both with your lifting technique and with some strategic accesories.

Offset-Weight Curl And Extension

The reason the offset grip works is because it makes one side of the dumbbell slightly heavier than the other. You can further amplify this effect by actually adding weight to one side of the dumbbell.
There are a couple of ways to do this. If you have a plate-loaded dumbbell setup, add 2.5 pounds to one side of the dumbbell. If you don't have a plate-loaded setup, you can attach a magnetic weight, such as the ones made by PlateMate, to the opposite side.
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