Curls for the Girls!

I am going to broaden the interpretation of the title of this post.  Boys, girls love big biceps.  And ladies, believe it or not, guys love sexy, cut arms!  The following exercises can be used for both.  For guys, if you are wanting to build muscle, do a decent amount of sets with heavy weight, at least 6 reps.  Ladies, you DO want to tone those arms!  Skinny is not sexy, toned is!

Arms are the body part that I dreaded working out the most, and now it is my favorite body part to work (well besides abs).  I figured that lifting arm weights would undoubtedly make me big and bulky.  I still have a long way to go, but for the first time in my life my arms have tone and definition, which I absolutely love.  Plus I feel like I could kick someone's ass if I needed to ;-).

At the risk of putting myself on blast, I am using my own before and after photos to show the difference pumping iron can make in your arms.

BEFORE


I love this picture :-)  However, my arms not so much.  No tone, no definition.

AFTER

































HUGE difference!  Now my interpretation of sexy may be skewed from dating a bodybuilder, but none the less I think my arms look better and I look forward to further progress.

This blog will focus on biceps, and in the next one I will give you some ideas for triceps.  Both are important in the development of arm muscle! Now since I am a female, I start off with a manageable weight that I can do 15 reps with.  For curls, for example, I start with 15 pounds (this is so exciting, I used to start with 5 pounds!).  I then do my next set with one increment heavier, which at my gym is 17.5 pounds, and do 12 reps.  I finish off with what is called a drop set.  I do this with almost every exercise for every body part.  It completely burns me out and I love it!  So sticking with this example, I finish curls with a set of 8 with 20 pounds, then another immediate set of 8 with 15 pounds, and a final immediate set of 8 with 10 pounds.  You will notice that my last set is lighter than I started with- if you can go down in smaller increments of weight, more power to you!  I get tired :-)

I tend to see the quickest results (and feel the most sore the next day) when I use free weights, aka the weights that are not attached to machines.  However, I think it's important to incorporate as many different exercises as possible to always keep your body guessing.  Try any or all of these exercises and see what works best for you!

Free Weight Bicep Curl


I actually like to do curls sitting down.  I tend to get lazy on my last set and start using my back when I am standing up.  I have found that sitting down really helps to isolate my bicep and force me to use that muscle.  I described my set in the example above.

Variations of the Bicep Curl


This one really works my biceps and forearms as well.  Same sets as regular bicep curls.

Cable Bicep Curl


The cable bicep curl you can do with both arms at once or one arm at a time.  If I do both arms at once, I start with a set of 15 with 30 pounds, then a set of 12 with 35, then a drop set of 8 with 40 pounds, 30 pounds, then 20 pounds.  If I do one arm at a time, I start with a set of 15 with 10 pounds, then 12 with 15 pounds, then a drop set of 8 with 20, 15, and 10 pounds.

Preacher Curl

This one can be done with a barbell (the long one) using both arms, or with dumbells (the short ones) using one arm at a time.  Again, variation is key, but I prefer one arm at a time,  I really feel the burn at the end!  If I use a barbell, I start with a set of 15 with 20 pounds, then 12 with 30 pounds, then a drop set of 8 with 40, then 30, then 20 pounds.  If I do it with dumbells, I do a set of 15 with 10, then 12 with 12.5, then a drop set of 8 with 15 pounds, then 10 pounds, then 7.5 pounds.

Hammer Curl


Get it girl!  Notice she is holding the weights differently than in a bicep curl.  Rather than gripping with your palms facing up, grip with your palms facing each other.  As was the case with the curls, I like to do these sitting down.  Traditionally, you can do more weight on a hammer curl than a bicep curl.  As a basic rule, just start with one increment higher weight than you would for curls.  So I start with a set of 15 with 17.5 dumbells.  I then do a set of 12 with 20, and then a drop set of 8 with 25 pounds, then 15, then 10.

Bicep Curl Machine

Grab the handles and curl.  This one is pretty self explanatory.

Cable Curl


This one actually hits my chest as well. Load each side with the appropriate weight, making sure it is even on each side.  Since you will be using both arms, use a heavier amount of weight than you would with just one arm.

Bicep Pull Ups


Ending with the best one.  I felt so proud of myself when I could do these without any weight assistance!  At the gym, you should be able to find a machine that has a bar you stand on to offer some assistance in these pull ups.  I start with 15 reps with 20 pounds of assistance, then 10 reps with 10 pounds of assistance, the 8 reps with no assistance. You can also switch your grip so that both palms are facing each other, if your gym has two bars that face outwards on the bicep curl bar. I cannot do a drop set of these yet, I am burnt out after the unassisted set!  But these are my favorite, it really makes you feel the burn and feel strong!

I hope this helps you get started.  Try to challenge yourself with heavier weight, but remember that form is the most important part of this.  If you aren't fully extending your arms and fully bringing them up in a slow, fluid motion, try lighter weights.  And pretty soon you'll start feeling like you could kick someone's butt too! :-)