Admission to the gun show starts with these exercises
"Do you have tickets to the gun show?" I asked while flexing in the mirror.
"Yea, it's over here," my friend responded with a pose of his own.
"No, it's over here," added another buddy.
"The government had me register these arms as lethal weapons," said another friend, laying it on even thicker.
At 16 and in the high school weight room, none of us was lethal, just vain.
As much as this typical workout conversation reflects the boasting of male teens, well-developed arms remain a priority of 20- and 30-something men as well. And many women seek "guns" of their own in their efforts to improve appearance.
The major muscles of the upper arm are the biceps and triceps. This week is devoted to the biceps. Next week we'll discuss how to work triceps on the stability ball.
The "bi" in biceps means there are two muscles in this group -- the long head on the outside of the arm and the short head on the inside of the arm. Attached at the shoulder and the elbow, they stand out when flexed.
Underneath the biceps is the brachialis. It attaches from the midpoint of the humerous (upper arm bone) to below the elbow. It also is worked during many biceps exercises.
Biceps are a secondary muscle that assist many upper body exercises. The idea is to work the primary muscles first and the secondary muscles next. Using the Review-Journal's ink to state the obvious is necessary to help understand methodology. If someone wanted to work the back (primary muscle) and the biceps (secondary muscle) in the same workout, it wouldn't make sense to fatigue the secondary muscles before working the primary muscles. As a consequence, the primary muscle would receive less conditioning because the secondary muscles already would be tired.
Many people work primary and secondary muscles on the same day, exercising the primary first and the secondary next. Another option is to combine groups of secondary muscles on a day of their own. Both are acceptable splits. Keep your goals in mind. What someone else does might not be the best for you.
When it comes to men and arms, the mentality is usually that "bigger is better." Men typically will work chest (primary) and triceps (secondary) on one day and back and biceps on another day. Another option is to combine biceps and triceps on a third day.
Most women have a goal to be lean and slender. The focus of their training might be on their legs or hips. They might choose to work chest and back in the same day with limited arm exercises. Some might omit biceps and triceps altogether because they are worked as secondary muscles during chest and back exercises.
Doing curls will help condition the arms. The standing biceps curl can be used in many ways to achieve strength and size or just to develop that lean definition. The seated curl machine can be used as a way to lift heavy without compromising form. I also recommend it for those who want a simple machine to use without the fuss of locating and re-racking weight plates.
Chris Huth is a Las Vegas trainer. You can contact him at 702trainer@gmail.com. Before beginning any exercise program, consult your physician.
