Q: Why is it so important for women to train their arms?
A: There are 2 good answers, and I will start with the simplest:
(1) from a functional perspective the most important function for your arm muscles (biceps and triceps) is to make you look great in a tank top. (More on that here.)
(2) metabolic health. The more muscle you have the longer and better you live regardless of any chronic illnesses you may have.
Reason (1) above is said in a fun way, but it’s probably more immediately motivating to more people than (2), and the good news is that it doesn’t matter why you take care of your muscles. What matters is that taking care of your muscles means your muscles will take care of you.
More on Metabolic Health and why it’s important for women to train their arms:
A very simple way for researchers to see how much muscle mass people have is by measuring the circumference of their arms. In other words they tell people “make a muscle” and measure. Check out figure 5 (A) here and you can see the bigger your arm the lower your risk of dying from all causes (all-cause mortality).
The most obvious benefit of higher levels of muscle mass is that they’re a clear reflection of how much you workout, and your protein intake. As we all know, exercise (especially strength training intense enough to stimulate your muscles) and protein intake are very important for your overall health.
Muscle mass is the biggest depot for glucose (blood sugar), and the more you have the more it can do to keep your blood sugar at healthy levels. Healthy glucose levels prevent and/or reduce glycation (AGE’s) and chronic inflammation, and chronic inflammation seems to be related to nearly all health problems. (It’s important to note that chronic inflammation is not the same as acute inflammation. The later is essential for healing. More on that here.)
Muscles are also the primary site where fat is burned. The accumulation of excess body fat is also a major driver of chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.
When muscle mass is low it is associated with high levels of inflammation, cognitive decline, sex hormone decline, frailty, etc. Furthermore, keeping or improving your muscle mass is essential for maintaining your independence in life with age.
Are Bicep Curls Magic?
Yes and no. Are bicep curls good for you, and do they help increase or maintain the muscle mass in your arms while also making your arms look even better? Yes!
Are bicep curls a good way to get some extra stimulus for your arm muscle after you are exhausted from compound exercises likes squats and rows? Yeah!
Are bicep curls the only exercise you need to do in order to take good care of your muscles? No. You still need to train your entire body (especially your legs) because all of your muscles are important, and extra arm work is usually kind of fun.
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Coach Josef Brandenburg — ACE | NASM | Precision Nutrition | Training Peri and Menopausal Women | Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification | Functional Kettlebell Training | 28 years coaching | Specializes in strength training for women over 40.
Josef Brandenburg, best selling author, is the co-owner and a coach at True 180 Personal Training, Charlotte’s most effective personal training studio for women since 2016. With decades of experience and multiple certifications, he shares his research with you including Why is it so important for women to train their arms.
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