|
Bold & Beautiful Biceps
by Chris Akard
Men and women want to sculpt their arms. To produce firm and defined bicep
muscles, try the simple standing biceps curl movement (Figure A) with the
descending set technique (Figure B). Having shapely biceps does not necessarily
mean you will have big arms. If you do want to see an increase in muscle size,
see MODIFICATION at the end of this column. This exercise
will give you hard and sculpted biceps.
Standing Biceps Curl Movement
Keep arms straight. Lift to a 3/4 position. Repeat.
Note the position of the body when executing this movement.
It is important to:
- Keep knees bent.
- Keep abdominal muscles tight.
- Keep back tall.
- Keep hands, elbows and shoulders in a relatively straight line.
Descending Set Technique
Descending set technique means to simply complete a set with a relatively
heavier weight. Once fatigue is achieved, immediately follow (no rest) with a
lighter set to further increase muscle fatigue. Hey, nobody said it was going to
be easy! The result is a hard and defined muscle. Believe me, it's worth it!
Example: 20 lbs. at 10 repetitions then quickly to 10 lbs. at 15 repetitions.
Women -- Perform one to two sets two to three times per week.
Men -- Perform two to three sets two to three times per week.
Rest approximately two minutes between each dual set and repeat.
If you cut your weight in half for the descending set, you will be in for a
great burn and even greater results. Do this or any exercise two to three times
per week and you will start to see results in two to four weeks.
MODIFICATION
For bigger muscles: Perform four to six sets two to three times per week. The
more sets you complete, the more muscle you will gain.
In the next Family Fitness, I will take a look at exercise for menopause.
| 
