What You Need To Avoid When Doing Arm Exercises
It’s all about the details when maximizing the effectiveness of your arm exercises. Why? Because over the long run, small deviations in form can add up and really retard your progress.
Now most women probably aren’t even conscious of the small mistakes they’re making in the gym. After all, showing up is the biggest part of the battle. So perfecting the technique of each arm exercise probably takes second place.
The good news is that you don’t have to perfect every single movement to the point that it’s flawless. All you have to do is watch out for the big deviations.
So without further ado, here are some common errors to avoid when doing arm exercises for women:
1. Using momentum to bring the weight up. You may not even be aware that you’re doing this. Why? Because you probably look at yourself from the front when exercising. Yet the only way to really see if your using momentum is to look at yourself from the side. So whenever you do a curl, double check the side mirrors?
2. Not keeping the shoulders depressed. Always keep your shoulders down and back when exercising. Letting them elevate will activate muscles other than your arms. And if you’re not activating your arms, you’re not getting results.
3. Letting the elbows move around. This is probably the most rampant error of them all. Whether you’re doing biceps curls or triceps extensions, your elbows should always stay locked in place. Once your elbows start moving around, stress is placed on your shoulders and/or back and away from your arms.
4. Not using the heels for support. The most stable anatomical position is with the heels firmly digging into the ground. If you frequently place your weight on the balls of your feet, please stop! You will be able to lift heavier weights and prevent injury by using your heels.
Avoiding the above errors when doing arm exercises will make you better off than most women. Don’t worry about having perfect technique, this will make your arm workouts a nightmare. Instead, do your best to avoid the major errors and keep the flow going.
Author Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard exercise expert and former flabby arms sufferer, is an expert on exercise for women. Discover how to get toned arms now by visiting her website on arm exercise.
