Many women hear the word “biceps” and think of Popeye getting ready to punch Brutos.  Well that’s not quite what I have in mind when I suggest you should work on your biceps muscles.  These muscles are located in the upper arm and will only get big and bulgy like Popeye’s if you: (a) have a lot of testosterone; (b) work on them with really heavy weights for a really long time; and (c) if you take steroids and work on them with really heavy weights for a really long time.
 
If you follow this program, there’s no way your upper arms are going to get bulgier.  They will get sleeker and tighter and more toned if you do the exercise consistently, but they will only grow if you keep increasing the resistance until you’re curling oh, say 30 or 40 pounds twice or thrice weekly.  So don’t worry about getting bigger arms, just follow the directions and pretty soon you’ll have beautiful arms worth showing off!

Now if you’re a person who has very skinny upper arms and you want to gain a bit of size and shape, then by all means work up to the point - as it says in the chart - where you’ll be doing three sets of increasing poundage with decreasing reps.  Also try not to give yourself too long a break between sets because the muscles will be getting too much recuperation time.

Seated Hammer Curls

I emphasize that these are Seated Curls so that, like with the Shoulder Presses, you get as little help as possible from your legs in order to isolate the upper body muscles and make them work harder.

1. Sit comfortably, with the thighs parallel to the floor and the knees directly below the knees. The weights in the hands should be hanging straight down from the shoulder, so it’s best to choose a narrow chair or stool.  Grip the weights as you would a hammer, downwards, with the palms facing in, towards your body, instead of turned out to the sides. 

2. Exhale and lift or “curl” the dumbbells up to the shoulders, keeping the elbows close to the sides of the body and the upper body and upper arms unmoving.  Inhale, bringing the weights all the way back down to the lowest point before repeating the movement.  When you reach the lowest point, as much as possible, don’t rest.  Bring the weights right back up and keep going smoothly up and down until your set is done.

Caution!  This exercise can be strenuous on your lower back if it isn’t done properly.  If you allow your torso to swing back and forth while lifting the weights upward, it means you’re using momentum to help you curl them, which is very bad for your back and reduces the effect on the arms.  Make sure your torso is solid, and you can even lean against a chair back to support and keep the spine in neutral.

If you’d like to see the movements of this exercise, check out www.ibodz.com/exercise/seated-hammer-curls.

FITNESS BULLETIN.  We have moved back to Olympia Condominiums on Makati Avenue for Yoga sessions.  We have Wednesday classes at 7 p.m. and will be opening Friday classes soon.  Please contact us if you’re interested in evening sessions for basic and intermediate levels, 09179613765 or yogamoves2009@gmail.com.