“More than the gender basis, it’s more dependent upon the body type of the individual,” says Laxman Bhatta, fitness trainer for a decade and co-owner of Fitness First Gym at Dhunga Adda between Kalanki and Naikap in west Kathmandu. He adds that some women also need to build some mass to have a proportionate body but agrees that most of them just need toning.[break]
Photo Courtesy: Binod Bajracharya
Pratisthit Lal Shrestha, a fitness enthusiast and a regular at Fitness First gym works on his biceps with seated alternative dumbbell curl.
In case of men, however, building arm mass is the main preference. Bhatta, who is also assistant coach at Sports Council and fitness chief at Army Officer’s Club, says that though many people may be doing it right with the arms routine, proper body fitness requires the whole body workout.
“Fitness for many is just building arms muscle, but without exercises that focus on all the other body parts, the fitness routine makes no sense,” he says.
Binod Bajracharya, Bhatta’s partner at Fitness First who has also recently won a regional bodybuilding championship and was titled Butwal Shree, says that apart from the complete workout routine, one should also take care of their dietary habits.
“In case of women, I’ve seen that many housewives prefer taking a nap after heavy lunch. This brings the level of fitness down to total nil,” he says.
Bhatta adds that people should be aware about saturated and unsaturated fats and avoid saturated fats as much as possible to stay healthy and fit.
“Have vegetables and fruits as much as you can and look after your water intake and avoid any artificially flavored drinks,” Bajracharya adds.
The Week talked to these fitness gurus to know about the ideal exercises for both men and women for arms workout with additional tips with each routine.
For him
To gain arm mass, it’s advisable to load more weights and likewise decrease the number of repetitions.
“Many women who are just looking for muscle toning go for this technique and develop masculine features,” cautions Bhatta.
The following techniques are especially for those who prefer to bulk up their arms:
Standing barbell curl
First, to get to the starting position, you should stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at shoulder-width grip. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and the elbows should be close to the torso. Now, while holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. You should remember that only the forearms should move.
Continue the movements until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Then, hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard. After that, slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Seated preacher curl
For this exercise, you’ll need a preacher bench and an E-Z bar. It’s also preferable if you have someone to hand you the weights.
To start with, sit on the preacher bench with the upper arms positioned against the preacher bench pad and your chest against it. You body should be arc-shaped while performing this exercise. Now, hold the E-Z Curl Bar at shoulder length.
As you breathe in, slowly lower the bar until your upper arms are extended and the biceps are fully stretched. And as you exhale, use the biceps to curl the weight up until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at the shoulder height. Squeeze the biceps hard and hold this position for a second.
For her
For women looking for muscle toning rather than mass building, they should try lesser weight but greater repetitions.
“For muscle toning, one should basically try with 1-2 kilograms but should not exceed beyond that,” says Bajracharya. He adds that repetitions, however, should be more than those for men: upto 20 repetitions in one set.
Cable curl
You should stand up with your torso upright while holding a cable curl bar that’s attached to a low pulley. Grab the cable bar at shoulder width and keep the elbows close to the torso. The palms of your hands should be facing up. This position is also known as supinated grip.
Now, while holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. This movement should be continued until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the muscle, and gradually begin to bring the curl bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Seated alternative dumbbell curl
Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand, holding them at arm’s length. Be sure that you’re carrying dumbbells less than two kilograms. Make sure that the elbows are close to your torso. Now, rotate the palms of the hands so that they are facing your torso to start the exercise.
Now, hold the upper arm stationary and curl the weights towards your shoulder. While you contract the biceps, breathe out and breathe in as you bring the dumbbells to the starting position. Also make sure that only the forearms move. Continue the movements until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps. Do this alternately with both hands.
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