Food & Fitness Friday: CURLS

Flex like you mean it!!!!!

Whether you want to dominate the rowing machine or just crush that #FlexFriday pic, it’s time to turn your attention to the biceps curl. This move is incredibly basic—but building front-of-arm strength has a ripple effect: Strong biceps are important for more than just vanity. They're involved every time you bend your elbow, so you need to keep them strong.

A few things first: You can either do a biceps curl sitting on a bench or standing. It’s mostly personal preference, but standing challenges your core more. And whether you want to do a single arm curl or curl both arms at once depends on your goal. If you’re working for strength or size, alternate arms since you'll be able to lift more weight. For muscle endurance, or to earn a little core and shoulder stability, curl both arms simultaneously.

How to: Sitting or standing, hold a pair of dumbbells by your side, palms facing forward. Bend your elbow, pulling your hand(s) towards your shoulder slowly and with control. Your upper arm and wrist should stay still; only move your forearm from the elbow joint. Curl all the way up, leaving a little space between your hands and shoulders. Pause, and lower down slowly all the way to the bottom.

Form tips: Keep your torso stable and spine straight. "Avoid bending backwards as you pull the weight up,". "This will assist the biceps instead of isolating and strengthening them." Prevent this common error by engaging your abs and back, and using lighter weights.

Reps/sets for best results: If you’re training for strength or endurance, opt for a weight that’ll let you hit three sets of 8 to 12 reps, one minute of rest between sets. If your goal is hypertrophy (size), choose a heavier weight for four to five sets of four to six reps.

Benefits Of The Biceps Curl

The most obvious benefit of the biceps curl is sculpted arms. But it can also make you better at other exercises.

“The biceps main function is to flex or bend the elbow,". "This is a movement used in a lot of other upper body exercises—like rows, where your biceps work to bend the elbow to pull the weight back to your body."

Because biceps curls involve a lot of stabilization, the move also helps train your shoulder to be more stable and teaches your core to engage. Triple whammy!