It’s fair to say that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has two of the biggest biceps in showbusiness. Last year, the actor put on even more muscle mass for his role in Black Adam, and in a recent Instagram video he demonstrated one of the intense arm-day finishers he uses to grow those jacked biceps.
Zottman curls to hammer curls. Hammer curls are a great way to build size in your biceps, while the two-part motion of the Zottman curl targets and builds strength in both the bicep and the forearm. As an added bonus, you can use it to work on your grip strength at the same time.
“Burning DB bicep curl finisher,” he wrote on Instagram, explaining that he performs four sets until failure. “Slow and always in control. Multiple supinate, pronate, neutral grips throughout the moment.”
“This burns like a MF,” he added. “Give it a shot. Finish your week strong.”
Johnson is only a pair of 30-pound dumbbells here, and it’s worth noting that that’s still pretty heavy for a Zottman curl: with this much focus on the wrists and forearms, it’s advisable to lift lighter weights than on a regular bicep curl.
The Zottman starts out as a pretty standard lift: squeeze the biceps to curl the dumbbell upwards. Then, at the top end of the movement, carefully rotate your wrists to twist the weights forward, and lower them in a slow, controlled manner: aim for a two-count here in order to focus on the eccentric contraction.
The hammer curl is a little simpler and a staple arm day move that you’re probably more familiar with, but in order to get the most out of those “burning” reps, be sure to tighten your whole body, not just your arms; keep a close grip of the dumbbells; and squeeze your biceps at the top of each repetition.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
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