Seated Bicep Curls are Keeping You Fat

There, I said it; you made me. I really loathe using that word, fat, but I had to get your attention because you won’t stop doing silly things. Please, unless you’re training for Mr. Olympia, stop it.

(Source: mountmuscle.com)

Here’s why…

Despite the fact that biceps are the make-a-muscle, muscle, they are some of the weakest muscles in your body. Training them, from a seated position is not only not productive, it’s demotivating, and wasting your time.

Not Productive

(Source: time.com)

Outside of the obvious exception (Mr. Olympia, what are you still doing here?), even bicep curls from a standing position have you working the bottom rung of your calorie-burning muscles.

Even if you weren’t trying to lose weight, the biceps contribute so little to your functional movement, you probably would get more out of training your mandibles by talking to that cutie on the treadmill.

Double down on that worthlessness when you put this lift (if you could call it that) in a seat.

The function of your bicep, for the most part, is to help your back pull objects closer to your body. Your back does most of the work, but your bicep helps out a little less than your shoulder. When you sit, you simulate no realistic movement in life.

Try this trick. Drop your pen on the ground. Pick it up. How much did your bicep kick in to help you bend down? Where did you sit to grab that pen and curl it?

The answers to these questions are as silly as the questions themselves.

Demotivating

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We train the bicep for much the same reasons we run on the treadmill. It’s pretty easy as far as movements go. We know how to run because we ran as children, and bicep curls are second nature like tying our shoes.

We also curl because we think the net result will be a more shapely arm. Wrong. Your more shapely arm comes from improving your nutrition, by losing body fat.

Bicep curls in that chair are nearly the least about of work you can do in the gym to lose body fat.

If your goal is to lower your mass, by lowering your body fat, then seated bicep curls are failing you worse than Mrs. Johnson failed you for High School math.

Wasting Your Time

(Source: obeymarketinggroup.com)

You can develop the muscles you know as your biceps, from a neurological standpoint and a shape standpoint, by doing almost any back exercise.

Remember back when I said that bicep helps your back? Think of it like this: Your body is an Oxcart. There are two oxen pulling the cart, your back muscles (The Lats).

Helping those oxen out, two ponies called your deltoids are posted up for support. Then you have two mules known as your biceps, which are mostly sitting in one place and leaning to help.

You keep whipping the mules. Stop it. What do you get out of this? A teeny-tiny spike in calorie burn.

Instead of working the mules, work the oxen. They’ll get those mules working harder than anything. You’ll burn more calories, plus your oxcart will function better for your efforts.

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Of course, the bigger picture of why you are struggling is more than just seated bicep curls, but if I can do anything today it helps you stop this insanity.

New rule for you at the gym: no sitting.

You spend all day sitting. There is no sitting at the gym anymore. You may lie supine. You may stand, but sitting is off limits.

One more thing… don’t tell Mr. Olympia that he shouldn’t do seated bicep curls. He’s bigger than you and more sensitive.

Clearly, you’re not sensitive; you just read a blog that called you fat.