30 Days of Blogging: Build Beautiful Biceps!

"Ok ok...so you're not trying to put on a "gun show." But a pair of defined arms gives you the confidence to go sleeveless!

Working your biceps is key since they're front and center on your arm and what people immediately see. To completely work this muscle, you need to train both fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. Try these three moves twice a week for four weeks. You'll do the first exercise with your arms behind your body, the second with your arms in line with your body, and the third with your arms in front of your body, to help hit all the fibers that make up your biceps. Getting tank-top toned arms with three simple moves?? Sign me up please!


What To Do: Complete this workout as a circuit, performing one set of each exercise after the next with no rest in between. Then, rest for 2 minutes, and finally repeat the routine one or two more times. Make sure you don't use the same grip (standard, hammer, offset pinky, offset thumb) for all of the movements. For even more variety, you can switch the order of exercises.


1. Incline Dumbbell Curl

Lie face up on a bench that's set to a 45-degree angle incline. Lying on an incline causes your arms to hang behind your body, which emphasizes the long head of your brachii, the main biceps muscle, to a greater degree. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Each time you return to the starting position, completely straighten your arms. (Try this move using an offset-thumb grip.)

2. Standing Dumbbell Curl

Using your dumbbells, let them hang at arm's length next to your sides. Turn your arms so that your palms face forward. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Each time you return to the starting position, completely straighten your arms.

3. Decline Dumbbell Curl

Lie with your chest against a bench that's set to a 45-degree incline. This position causes your arms to hang in front of your body, placing more emphasis on your brachialis muscle, which lies deeper. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Each time you return to the starting position, completely straighten your arms. (Try this move using a hammer grip.)

Switch Your Grip

Mix and match grips and body positions while doing a standard dumbbell curl or variation. Each one works your muscles in different ways. You should vary the combos frequently for the best results!

Standard Grip- Your palms face forward, and you grip the handle in the middle. This is the default dumbbell curl grip.

Offset-Pinky Grip- Your palms face forward, and each pinky finger touches the inside head of a dumbbell. This shifts the way the weight is distributed.

Offset-Thumb Grip- Your palms face forward, and each thumb touches the outside head of a dumbbell. This forces your brachii muscle to work harder to keep your forearm rotated outward as you curl the weight.

Hammer Grip- Your palms face each other. This causes your brachialis muscle to work harder for the entire movement."


Women's Health never ceases to amaze me...


Get working on those arms and soon you'll be reaping the benefits as you slip into that cute tank top or sundress you have been dying to get into all summer! The choice is yours alone!...on your own two feet...





Until the next step bloggers...