Jillian Michaels--Biceps and Triceps

Fitness_Chick

Jillians Newsletter THURSDAY: BUST A MOVE

Biceps and Triceps
Your biceps are the prominent muscles in your upper arms. They help you bend your arms and they assist the muscles of your upper back in pulling and carrying. Your triceps are horseshoe-shaped muscles located on the backs of your upper arms. Their primary function is extending the elbows and straightening your arms, but they also assist the chest and shoulder muscles in throwing and pushing.

Two great exercises for working these upper-arm muscles are dumbbell biceps curls and triceps kickbacks. Check them out:

Dumbbell Biceps Curls
This simple curl isolates your biceps.

Step 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the sides of your body. Exhale and, keeping your elbows locked firmly against your rib cage, curl both arms three-quarters of the way up toward your shoulders, rotating your wrists so your palms face upward.

Step 2
Hold for a beat, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position; repeat.

Triceps Kickbacks
Isolate your triceps and say goodbye to flabby arms.

Step 1
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides, and stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Bend over at the waist so that your torso is slightly above parallel with the floor. Bend both elbows so that your upper arms are locked at your sides parallel to the floor. Your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor.

Step 2
Keeping your upper arms still, straighten your forearms behind you until the ends of the dumbbells are pointing toward the floor. Hold for a beat and inhale, slowly lowering your arms back to the starting position; repeat.

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Overcoming Genetics
You can't change your genes, so if you inherited flabby arms from someone in your family, you're going to have to work to get them trim and toned. In addition to doing strength-training exercises that target your biceps, triceps, and forearms, try participating in activities like kickboxing, skiing, swimming, and tennis — they'll require you to use your arm muscles in varied ways while also giving you a chance to have fun. Can't beat that!

Fitness_Chick

Jillians Newsletter THURSDAY: BUST A MOVE

Biceps and Triceps
Your biceps are the prominent muscles in your upper arms. They help you bend your arms and they assist the muscles of your upper back in pulling and carrying. Your triceps are horseshoe-shaped muscles located on the backs of your upper arms. Their primary function is extending the elbows and straightening your arms, but they also assist the chest and shoulder muscles in throwing and pushing.

Two great exercises for working these upper-arm muscles are dumbbell biceps curls and triceps kickbacks. Check them out:

Dumbbell Biceps Curls
This simple curl isolates your biceps.

Step 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the sides of your body. Exhale and, keeping your elbows locked firmly against your rib cage, curl both arms three-quarters of the way up toward your shoulders, rotating your wrists so your palms face upward.

Step 2
Hold for a beat, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position; repeat.

Triceps Kickbacks
Isolate your triceps and say goodbye to flabby arms.

Step 1
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides, and stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Bend over at the waist so that your torso is slightly above parallel with the floor. Bend both elbows so that your upper arms are locked at your sides parallel to the floor. Your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor.

Step 2
Keeping your upper arms still, straighten your forearms behind you until the ends of the dumbbells are pointing toward the floor. Hold for a beat and inhale, slowly lowering your arms back to the starting position; repeat.

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY

Overcoming Genetics
You can't change your genes, so if you inherited flabby arms from someone in your family, you're going to have to work to get them trim and toned. In addition to doing strength-training exercises that target your biceps, triceps, and forearms, try participating in activities like kickboxing, skiing, swimming, and tennis — they'll require you to use your arm muscles in varied ways while also giving you a chance to have fun. Can't beat that!