How to Do Zottman Curls: Form, Benefits & Muscles Worked

The Zottman curl is a dumbbell exercise that incorporates a bicep curl, a rotation of the wrists at the top of the movement and a reverse curl on the way back to the starting position.

The Zottman curl works the biceps and forearms but also helps develop muscle in the upper back. Check out this guide for instructions on form, muscles worked, and benefits of doing the Zottman curls.

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Benefits of Zottman Curl

Zottman curls are a very effective exercise for the biceps and forearms. Its benefits are as follows:

1) Builds Muscular Arms

To build muscle, do the Zottman curl. The biceps are optimally targeted during the concentric portion of the lift.

2) Builds Stronger Arms

The exercise not only increases bicep hypertrophy, but it also strengthens the upper arms and improves performance for other pulling exercises such as the lat pulldown or bent over row. When you add all these strength gains together, it's clear why the exercise is so effective for enhancing performance.

Taken together, these strengths make the exercise very effective for enhancing performance.

3) Increased Forearm Stimulation

The Zottman curl is a great exercise for the forearms, as it uses the muscles in the upper arms to move the weight, instead of using the biceps. That puts more stress on the forearm muscles and causes them to grow faster than other exercises that target only the biceps.

4) Great workout for athletes

When you're stuck in a fitness rut, try adding new and alternative exercises into your training plan. These exercises will provide new stimuli and add the fun back into training.

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Muscles Worked by Zottman Curl

The muscles primarily worked by the exercise are the biceps, forearms and triceps, but you should also contract the brachioradialis and brachiocephalic (the forearm muscles).

It's important to have strong muscles to help prevent injuries when doing other exercises or activities. The muscles worked in Zottman curl are as follows:

• Biceps: The biceps muscle is one of two muscles that make up the upper arm. It’s located on the front side of the upper arm near the shoulder joint. You use it whenever you flex your elbow or rotate it outward (supination).
• Forearms: The forearms contain many muscles, including flexors and extensors used for gripping items like weights and pronators, which turn the palm down when lifting objects overhead such as dumbbells or barbells for curls, for example.
• Triceps: Located at the back part of the upper arm where it joins with theshoulders. It helps extend the elbow when pressing upwards against resistance such as barbells during bench press.

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Why is it Called Zottman Curl?

The name of the exercise comes from a German-American weightlifter named Harry Zottman, who came up with this movement to strengthen his arms and shoulders.

He had seen many of the strongest men at the time using similar moves during their training, but they were not calling them by any specific name. So, he decided to give it one himself: Zottman Curl.

The exercise is also sometimes called a Zottman curl, as well as other names like hammer curl or even just simply bicep curl.

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How to Do Zottman Curl

It's done as follows:

• Start with two dumbbells in each hand, holding them at your side with the palms facing inwards and elbows tucked into the sides.
• Bend the knees slightly, keeping the back straight and core tight to maintain balance (don't arch or lean too far forward).
• Keeping the upper arms fixed against the body throughout, curl one dumbbell up (keeping it close to the body) till it reaches shoulder height.
• Lower back down while maintaining tension on that working bicep muscle group.
• Repeat for reps before switching arms and repeating the step again for 10-15 reps per set.

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How to Fix Form for Zottman Curl

It's done as follows:

• Keep the elbows tucked in.
• Keep the wrists straight.
• Make sure the elbows are at 90 degrees, keeping the arms straight.

Use the full range of motion when doing the exercise (from full extension to full flexion).

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Takeaway

Now that you know how to do a Zottman curl, it’s time to get in there and start curling. Remember that good form is essential for the exercise, so make sure you practice it in perfect form before adding any weight.

If you feel like the biceps aren’t getting enough of a workout, try doing Zottman curls on both arms at once (known as a double Zottman curl). It may look like an advanced move, but don’t worry about what others think till they see those guns.