Personal Narrative: Which Way To Beach

Which way to beach?

*Flexes bicep and points.

“That way, ladies and gents.”

Check out those arm muscles—they must’ve taken months of lifting heavy weights in the gym to define. Ironically though, the most commonly practiced bicep curl isn’t always executed well. Often times, according to trainer John Romaniello, people swing their “barbell or dumbbells up and down with momentum, rather than isolating the bicep to drive the weight up and lower it down.”

In fact, I’ve seen that exact phenomena happen at the gym with a few of my friends. It’s almost like watching a weird hip-hop music video, with their arms flailing about and their upper body lurched forward. When Audrey and I first started our team workout schedule, both of us struggled with upper body.

Ultimately, both the alternating rotation and standing during bicep curls effectively contracts the abdominals muscles.

More importantly, however, individuals should refrain from curling their wrists or swinging their arms like previously mentioned. Another frequent workout guru, Eddy Diget says that people “take on too much, too soon when it comes to bicep workouts.” Personally, I started off with a ten-pound weight and have just moved up to 12.5 pounds.

To be sure you’re engaging in bicep curls correctly, refer to the following steps for proper form taken directly from the aforementioned Live Strong article:

Step 1
Stand straight with legs shoulder-width apart, or sit against a bench. If sitting on a bench, make sure your head, shoulders and butt are in contact with the bench; place your feet firmly on the ground.
Step 2
Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure your thumbs are curled around the grips. Hold the dumbbells by your sides, palms facing forward. Keep your back straight and shoulders rolled