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Reveal Yourself
Fit Arms and Shoulders for Summer By Amy Carey
Where are those biceps and triceps? Biceps are the muscles that run along the front of the upper arm from the shoulder to the elbow. They help you flex your elbow. Triceps are the muscles that run along the back of your upper arm from your shoulder to your elbow. They extend your elbow. How can you work them into shape? Try these exercises to get you started:
Bicep Curl
- Stand with back straight, knees unlocked, feet hip-width apart, and hold two dumbbells at your side. Your arms should be extended straight down, palms facing your hips.
- Keeping your elbows close to your body, use your biceps to curl the dumbbells up to the chest level. Your palms should now be facing your head.
- Hold for a brief second, flexing your biceps.
- Keep your wrist straight and elbows at your sides throughout the exercise.
- Lower the dumbbells to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner.
One-arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension
- Stand with your feet parallel and with one hand resting on your hip. The other arm should be slightly bent and raised as vertical as possible.
- Hold a dumbbell in your hand with the wrist in a straight line with the forearm. Palm should be facing forward.
- Keeping the upper arm vertical, lower the forearm by bending at the elbow until the upper arm and forearm form an angle of about 45 degrees.
- Lift your arm smoothly back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side without rest.
Shoulder Raises
- Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold a water bottle in each hand.
- Turn your palms toward each other while bending your elbows slightly.