While there is a virtually limitless amount of exercises you can perform to strengthen your body's muscles, a select few are very popular. Among those popular exercises is the bicep curl, which targets -- as its name suggests -- the biceps, which are located on the front of your upper arms. Part of the popularity of this exercise is due to the many benefits it offers. While the bicep curl can be useful for improving your physique, consult a doctor before starting any exercise routine.
Muscle-toning Benefits
The bicep curl is a particularly important exercise if you want to tone your arms. Your biceps are major, highly visible muscles, so the training that you do for your biceps will have a significant impact on the appearance of your arms. As the website Real Women's Fitness notes, working your biceps can help contribute to a tighter, more defined and more toned look for your arms.
Strengthening Elusive Muscles
Although the biceps are the primary target of bicep curls, the exercise also works a number of other muscles. Among the many muscles worked by the bicep curl are the brachialis and the brachioradialis. The former muscle is located under your bicep, while the later is located in your forearm. Because these muscles are responsible for just one movement, flexion at the elbow joint, only a limited number of exercises can be effective at strengthening them. Using the bicep curl will allow you to target these elusive muscles without resorting to unfamiliar exercises.
Highly Functional
Bicep curls are important because the muscles and the movement trained by this exercise are highly functional. The action of flexing your arm at the elbow joint is one you perform countless times each day, from picking up a suitcase and lifting a beverage to your face to pulling a lawnmower starter cable to picking up a child. The bicep curl is important because it can make these daily tasks easier.
Efficient
The bicep curl is important for those with limited time to train because it is an efficient exercise. That is, the bicep curl not only works your biceps and forearms but also helps train your shoulders and back muscles. Although the biceps curl is classified as an isolation exercise, it utilizes these other major muscles as stabilizers.
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Writer Bio
Brian Willett began writing in 2005. He has been published in the "Buffalo News," the "Daytona Times" and "Natural Muscle Magazine." Willett also writes for Bloginity.com and Bodybuilding.com. He is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer and earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of North Carolina.