Bicep Curls - Regular or Hammer?

Which biceps exercise is better - a regular biceps curl with your palms facing up, or a hammer curl with your palms facing inward to the centre of your body?

Actually both types of exercises are important and necessary to fully developing your biceps. The biceps muscle consists of two "heads" or sections of muscle tissue. The full name of the muscle is biceps brachii, which means "two-headed muscle of the arm" in Latin. The short head of the biceps is the inner part of the biceps, closest to your chest. The long head of the biceps is the outer part of the biceps. Each muscle head is activated in performing different movements. This is why two basic movements (the regular curl and the hammer curl) are needed to work each head of the biceps.

A regular biceps curl, described below, focuses on the short head of the biceps.
1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms at your side - palms are facing forward.
2. Curl the weight up, keeping your elbows stationary at your side. Do not rotate your forearms. At the top of the movement, your palms will face up towards the ceiling.
3. Lower the weight in a controlled movement back to the beginning position.

A hammer biceps curl, described below, focuses on the long head of the biceps.
1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms at your side - palms are facing inward toward your thighs.
2. Curl the weight up, keeping your elbows stationary at your side. Do not rotate your forearms. At the top of the movement, your palms will face each other.
3. Lower the weight in a controlled movement back to the beginning position.

For developing well-rounded biceps, you should incorporate both a regular-type curl and a hammer-type curl. Variations of the exercises can be done with dumbbells, a barbell or cables.

Protein - How much is enough?

Protein is one of the major biomolecules found in food, along with carbohydrates (discussed in an earlier blog post) and fats/lipids. Protein is primarily used to create and repair body tissue - such as muscles. The common thought among most gym-goers is that more protein is better. It is not unusual to see "gym rats" wolfing down protein shakes, protein bars, piles of chicken breasts and egg whites galore. Many people wishing to increase their muscle mass believe that they too must consume inordinately large amounts of protein just like the pro bodybuilders do, if they have any hope of achieving their goals. It's not unusual to hear people suggesting that protein intake should be in the range of 200-300 grams per day! Just how much protein is enough?

The recommended dietary allowance for protein for the average adult is 0.8 grams (g) per kilogram (kg) of bodyweight. If you know your weight in pounds, multiply by 0.45 to convert it to kilograms. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs, then your weight in kilograms is approximately 72 kg. For the average adult with this bodyweight, your recommended dietary allowance for protein would be 57.6 g per day. Typically, 15% to 30% of the calories in your diet should come from protein (each gram of protein yields 4 calories).

For those individuals who are active recreational athletes, your protein recommendations are somewhat higher. The minimum acceptable intake would be 1.0 g per kg of bodyweight - but most who are athletically active should aim for somewhere in the range of 1.2 to 1.8 g per kg of bodyweight.

For those individuals who are bodybuilders or seeking to increase muscle mass, again the minimum acceptable intake is 1.0 g per kg of bodyweight - but should aim for a protein intake in the range of 1.6 to 2.0 g per kg of bodyweight.

For those individuals who are endurance athletes (such as marathon runners and triathletes), the minimum acceptable intake is 1.4 g per kg of bodyweight - but should aim for a protein intake in the range of 1.6 to 2.0 g per kg of bodyweight.

If protein is used for building tissue such as muscle, should it not make sense to just consume as much as possible? The answer is no - going above the maximum of the ranges listed above do not have any scientifically proven benefit to add additional muscle or improve athletic performance. High protein diets require increased water consumption, since protein need 7 times the water for metabolism than carbs and fats. Also, those who follow high protein diets often consume less than the recommended amount of carbs - and since carbs are vital for creating glycogen and energy, the result can be energy loss and slower metabolism. Scientific studies have shown that consuming excess protein above what is needed for tissue maintenance causes the body to excrete calcium, which is an important mineral for keeping bones strong. Lastly, there is a limit on how much protein your body can convert into tissue at a point in time - if you consume large amounts well in excess of that limit, your body will end up storing the calories as unwanted body fat.

Body Mass Index

Body mass index, or BMI, is a measurement that compares your weight to your height. It is useful because it is very easy and quick to calculate. To determine your BMI, use one of the following equations.

1. If you know your weight in kilograms (kg) and your height in metres (m), then BMI = (weight)/(height x height).

2. If you know your weight in pounds (lb) and your height in inches (in), then BMI = (weight x 703)/(height x height).

Once you have calculated your BMI, use the following ranges to determine whether your weight is appropriate for your height:

BMI less than 16.5 = Severely underweight
BMI from 16.5 to 18.5 = Underweight
BMI from 18.5 to 25 = Normal
BMI from 25 to 30 = Mildly obese
BMI from 30 to 35 = Moderately obese
BMI greater than 35 = Severely obese

While scientific studies have shown that people who have a BMI greater than 25 are at increased risk for obesity-related health problems, keep in mind that the BMI calculation does not take into consideration your proportion of body fat to lean body mass. Thus, if your BMI is greater than 25 but you have a low amount of body fat relative to lean body mass, then your risk of developing obesity-related health problems is probably not as high as predicted. Also, someone who falls into the normal range for BMI, yet who has a very high amount of body fat relative to lean body mass could have a higher risk of developing obesity-related health problems.