The elbow joint is composed of your arm bones and the muscles that bend and straighten your elbow. The bony area you feel on the back of your elbow is the ulna. The bone you feel on the sides of your elbow is your humerus. Muscles cross from your humerus to the bones of your forearm. The American College of Sports Medicine encourages you to use progressively moderate to heavy weights to maintain the strength of your muscles and bones.
Alternating Bicep Curls
Bicep curls engage the long and short head of your bicep muscle during elbow flexion. Your biceps originate on your shoulder blade and then insert on your radius, the shorter forearm bone. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straightened along the sides of your body. Perform a bicep curl by raising your left hand toward your chin, then return to the start position. Now, curl your right hand toward your chin. Then, return to the start position. Your shoulder joints should barely move, and your knees must be slightly bent. Do not use your lower back to help swing the dumbbells up.
Alternating Reverse Curls
Reverse curls strongly activate your brachialis muscle. This muscle lies beneath your biceps, originating on the lower half of your humerus and inserting on the uppermost portion of your ulna. Use lighter weights for reverse curls compared to regular bicep curls. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should face downward to your thighs. Curl your right hand toward your chin then your left hand. Your palms must always remain pronated or facing down.
Hammer Dumbbell Curls
Make a "thumbs up" gesture with your right hand. Place the fingers of your left hand on the outer side of your right forearm, just below the crease. Move your forearm up and down 3 inches. The muscle you are feeling is your brachioradialis muscle. It originates on your humerus and then inserts at the end of your radius in your forearm. Perform hammer curls by holding the dumbbells in a vertical direction, palms turned toward each other. Now, bend both elbows, raising the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
Triceps Rope Press-Downs
The primary muscle straightening or extending your elbow is your triceps brachii. Your triceps originate on your shoulder blade and humerus and then insert on the bony area you feel at the back of your elbow. Place a double-rope attachment to a high pulley. Face the pulley bars. Hold the ends of the rope just above your waist. Perform a press-down by pushing each end of the rope downward and slightly outward. Straighten your elbows as much as possible to strongly contract your triceps. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and press back down.
Overhead Rope Extensions
An alternate exercise for your triceps on the high pulley is a rope extension. Hold the end of the rope above your head and face the opposite direction from the bars. Lean forward into a lunge position with your arms straightened beside your ears. Complete an overhead extension by bending your elbows to 90 degrees, then extending them back to the start position. Straighten your arms as much as possible to contract your triceps strongly.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Adults
- "Anatomy & Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D. and Kevin Patton, Ph.D.; 2007
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
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