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79-Year-Old Bodybuilder Frank Zane Shared His Dumbbell Curl Technique

79-Year-Old Bodybuilder Frank Zane Shared His Dumbbell Curl Technique

Frank Zane, the bodybuilding legend who won the Mr. Olympia competition no fewer than three times (in a row), has authored several books on the principles of building strength and muscle since retiring. More recently, he's been sharing the benefits of his experience and insight with a whole new audience of fitness enthusiasts via Instagram.

Zane, 79, regularly posts short videos of himself demonstrating classic bodybuilding moves and explaining the whys and wherefores of his technique. In the latest clip, Zane performs another strength training staple: the one-armed dumbbell curl.

"The dumbbell is good because you can pronate or supinate when you're doing it," he says. "So you start out with the dumbbell held in a neutral grip by your side, and as you curl it up, you turn it outwards and rotate it at the top, which flexes the bicep. If you want to, you can lean forward a little bit."

Zane recommends performing the bicep curl in sets of 8 to 10 reps in order to achieve a decent pump. And it seems to get the seal of approval from his workout buddy, Staffordshire bull terrier Polo. However, Zane's technique differs slightly from what might be considered the "standard" approach.

"Zane definitely has you supinating late in the motion," explains Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel C.S.C.S. "I try to have people supinate by the time the forearm is parallel with the ground, since that's the moment when the forearm lever faces the most mechanical challenge."

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