Lou Ferrigno, the 'Incredible Hulk', is a retired bodybuilder and actor. Ferrigno won the IFBB Mr. America title and is a two-time winner of the IFBB Mr. Universe. Known for his signature arms, Ferrigno has defied what the human body is capable of.
There are countless people out there who would do anything to build arms like Ferrigno's. If you're one of them, there are a few dumbbell exercises to help you build biceps like Ferrigno's.
Dumbbell Exercises For Biceps Like Lou Ferrigno
Here are five dumbbell exercises to get Lou Ferrigno-like biceps:
1) Incline Dumbell Curls
To build those mammoth hulk-like biceps like Ferrigno's, you need to isolate your biceps. No biceps exercise offers more isolation than seated curls, and performing them at an incline makes it even harder.
By providing support to your back, it disengages the biceps, leaving no room for back and forth motion, forcing you to use solely your biceps to power the motion. This exercise will help you grow the long head of your biceps, which happens to be the largest part of your biceps, resulting in bigger size overall.
Ensure that you keep your elbows locked, and perform this exercise at a 45-degree angle for optimum contraction.
2) Dumbbell Preacher Curls
For biceps like Lou Ferrigno's, the peak is everything. Dumbbell preacher curls allow for a greater range of motion, stretching the biceps out all the way.
Preacher curls are typically difficult to control compared to other bicep exercises, and they help develop slow, controlled movements. In addition to training your biceps, preacher curls also help build mass in your forearms, creating a favourable proportion between the two.
3) Concentration Curls
After training your long head, you'll need to target the short head too. Perhaps the most effective exercise for that is the concentration curl. They allow you to completely isolate your short head by using your leg to stabilise arm motion. That makes you use only your short head for bicep activation, helping you build freakishly huge arms like Ferrigno's.
Working with single-arm movements will also help you reduce muscle imbalances and allow you to build muscle equally. Ensure that you maintain overall body stability and that your elbows are locked so that you only use your biceps to lift the weight. Press your tricep against your thigh, and generate force by pushing them against each other.
4) Wall Hammer Curls
Hammer curls by themselves are great, but they leave a lot of room for improvement. You can take things up a notch by adding a layer of resistance to your curls.
The ideal way to build muscle is to increase the stress you put on your muscles, so adding extra resistance takes you a little bit closer towards achieving that goal. For this exercise, stand against a wall and push yourself against it to keep your back stable.
Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip while pushing against the wall; lock your elbows, and use your arms to bring the dumbbells up to chest level. You can go till failure to squeeze out a little more value from each set.
5) Zottoman Curls
This exercise is the perfect cross between a standard supinated curl and reverse curl. Zottoman curls incorporate several movements into the exercise, making them the perfect choice to build big, beefy forearms and biceps like Lou Ferrigno's.
To perform Zottoman curls, you'll need healthy joints and strong forearms to support your biceps. Zottoman curls offer a deep range of motion, allowing you to use your forearms to expand the range.
However, it's advisable to lift light for this exercise, just to keep the elbows safe. The movement is what counts.
Takeaway
If building enormous arms is your goal, Lou Ferrigno is the perfect role model to look up to, as he boosts Hollywood's biggest biceps at a whopping 23 inches. However, Rome wasn't built in a day.
It took years of dedication and rigorous training for Ferrigno to become the bodybuilding icon he is today. You shouldn't expect to see results overnight, but rather stay consistent to your regime, and train harder ever single time you enter the gym.
Remember to rest, and eat well, as real gains are made in the bedroom and kitchen; the gym is only half the journey.
If you're committed to your cause and willing to dedicate your life to bodybuilding, there's nothing to stop you from building record-breaking arms like Lou Ferrigno's.