Lighten up

I like doing reverse curls to hit my forearm extensors during biceps workouts, but lately I have been having trouble keeping the form right. I find my elbows coming forward at the top of the movement. Any advice on keeping the form strict? -That guy that makes all the others jealous

There are a few solutions to your problem. First, lighten up on the weight. Aside from just not knowing how to perform the exercise correctly, the most common cause of improper form is weight that is too heavy. If the weight is too heavy, you will find yourself cheating and using other parts of your body to move it. You will also find yourself swinging the weight up, utilizing the momentum you generate to assist in the lift. So, suggestion number one is to cut the weight by 30 percent. Perform the reps with the lighter weight in a slower, more controlled motion.

Another way to help perfect your form is to watch yourself in the mirror. Instead of the common narcissistic purpose, use the mirror to make sure your elbows are staying isolated. Face the mirror and watch that your elbows don't flare out at the bottom of the movement. Stand sideways and confirm that your elbows are staying motionless and do not move forward and up at the top of the movement.

If you are still having trouble keeping the form proper, try doing the reverse curls with an EZ-curl bar on the preacher bench. This way, you will more effectively isolate your arms and allow a greater focus on contracting the muscles. Also, I find that the bends in the bar put much less stress on your elbows. Make sure you do this exercise slowly and deliberately, as it is easy to lift your butt off the seat and cheat. At the top of the movement, squeeze the contraction for a second, and slowly lower it. At the bottom of the movement, do not let your arms completely straighten, as this takes the stress off the muscles and is analogous to using a machine and letting the weight rest on the stack between each rep.

If you are still having trouble, Mr. "Guy that makes the other ones jealous", then suck it up and ask a trainer for some help in perfecting your form. I doubt anyone will be jealous of you while a trainer is schooling your ass.



My dad always gets on my case for having bad posture. Is it really such a big deal not to have perfect posture? -Son of a nagging dad

Truthfully...yes, it is very important to have good posture. While I do not have nearly enough space to effectively describe what good posture consists of (ask a TPPP trainer; we are specifically instructed to evaluate and correct postural imbalances and imperfections), I will outline a few of the possible consequences of poor posture.

It is caused by muscular imbalances in the body. Imagine your body as a straight piece of string. On either side of the string are rubber bands pulling the string in opposite but equal directions. That represents perfect posture. Poor posture is caused when one rubber band pulls a little bit more tightly than the opposing one. An applicable example is the anterior rotation of one's shoulders. Basically, this means that, when totally relaxed, your hands rest in front of you instead of at your sides. Simply put, this is caused by your chest being tighter than your back (think of your chest and back as rubber bands on opposite sides of the string). This situation can happen with virtually every pair of antagonistic muscles in your body.

Poor posture can lead to number of health problems. It can lead to joint and back pain. It can cause inability to perform certain movements due to excessive tightness of certain muscles. It can lead to injury or joints and ligaments. As you can see, having good posture is a very important of overall health and wellness.

Correct posture is an integral part of any exercise program. If you are currently working out, be sure to work opposing muscle groups equally, as muscle balances can be created fairly easily. Be sure to ask a trainer if you have any questions about proper posture.