Dumbbell Concentration Curl is one of the biceps exercises I do. Some of you may think that direct bicep workout is not necessary because other compound exercises have actually worked on our biceps. However, Concentration Curls works well for some people, partly due to the psychological effect.

For those who know the biceps anatomy well, the long head (lateral head) of the biceps is worked out more than the short head (medial head) in Dumbbell Concentration Curl workout.

You have to concentrate on the biceps contraction and on being strict to make this exercise effective.

Steps:

1. Sit on a chair or an end of a flat bench. Spread your legs apart into a V and lean forward slightly.
2. Grasp the dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing upward.
3. Rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh and let the dumbbell hang.
4. Rest your other hand on the top of your other thigh for support.
5. Slowly curl the weight up to the front of shoulder while keeping the torso, upper arm and elbow still.
6. Stop when the weight is 90° (or slightly more) from your elbow joint. At the top of the curl, the biceps are taking the full stress of the weight. Pause at this position for one count if possible.
7. Under control, lower the weight down, stop before your arm is fully extended. Your elbow should not be locked at this stage. Reverse the motion up.
8. Perform the same exercise for the other arm.
9. Do 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions for each set.

Tips:

• Start it with low-weights and great form.
• You really need to concentrate on the biceps contraction and on being strict to make this exercise effective. Think about nothing but your bicep. Just stay focus.
• Do not curl the weight to the chest. It should be curled to the shoulder.
• You can try this - while lifting, twist the wrist a bit so that your little finger ends up higher than your thumb.
• If you are using heavier weight, you can use another hand to assist on the last few “cheat” repetitions.

Mun’s Note: This is a guest post from Kim, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Group Fitness Instructor. She has been actively involved in the fitness industry for over 10 years now. Currently, she works as the Marketing Manager cum Course Facilitator for Fitness Innovations (M) (FIT) Sdn Bhd, a fitness learning center based in Malaysia.

A big hello to all readers of MunFitnessBlog.com, and a thank you to the man himself – Mun, who has given me the opportunity to write a guest post on his blog.

I am here to share a concise version of my journey in the fitness industry, and while doing so, to give you some inspiration or ideas if you are a fitness enthusiast too thinking of taking the next step, say becoming a fitness instructor!

How I Started…
Many years ago, while I was studying in Monash University, I chanced upon the Sports & Recreation Centre one day (whilst I should have been in lectures), I heard loud music coming from a large studio. I went into the studio witnessed a group fitness class. I was amazed by the students and instructor’s energy level in the class. The next day, I returned armed in makeshift workout attire, took part in my first ever class, and from that day on, was hooked. Back then, it was all freestyle classes. Unlike now where Les Mills classes are all the rage. Hehe…I can still remember the aerobics instructor making us do the “chicken dance” in that first class …

Group fitness (or aerobics as it was commonly known then) and fitness centres are a dime a dozen in Melbourne. Memberships are much more affordable than they are here in Malaysia, as fitness is very much part of the active Aussie’s lifestyle. What is great over there is that you could just purchase session memberships, like paying $2 for a class instead of committing to one club for long term. So there I was gym-hopping like mad in the late nineties, and having lots of fun attending classes learning different fitness dances. Yes, definitely having much more fun than my dull 9 to 5 job as a computer programmer.

My Journey Becoming Fitness Instructor…
Came a day I found that I wanted to take the next step, a bold move. You know, never in my mind did I think that I could be a group fitness instructor then. I am a petite Asian girl, and the big-size fitness instructors in Australia all look like, well, fit strong role models. Morevoer, in order to be fitness leaders, whether as group fitness instructors or a personal trainers, we have to go through fitness certification. We had to sign up Victorian Fitness (VICFIT) which is now known as Fitness Australia. Without much doubt, I went ahead and signed up with VICFIT.

The first part of the course is theory based. I had to attend nightly sessions after work in an old classroom of a Melbourne University. Although I had already gone through a full day at work, I was not bored or sleepy. Learning something I am passionate is something I always enjoy. I learned interesting topics such as like Anatomy, Physiology, Muscle Movement and Nutrition. Until today, as a fitness leader, I still appreciate much of what I have learned. This knowledge is very relevant for a personal trainer. Imagine a member came up to me and told me that he has a strained hamstring muscle. Although I am not qualified nor I required to diagnose the injury, the least I could do is to know where the hamstring is before I could advise exercise which will not worsen the injury. In fact, other knowledge in general injury treatment is important too.

The practical part of the course was next, and that was FUN for people like me who was into group fitness, covering topics like Music & Rhythm, Building Choreography, Cueing etc.

In my course, I remember a lady who was my course mate. She was in her sixties then, and was taking the course because she wanted to teach group fitness to senior citizens. She was nervous just like most of us, but we always cheer her on whenever she was in the class. For me, she was an inspiration, as she showed us that learning is a continuous journey, and her passion and confidence in herself put some of us to shame.

Today…
I am now back here in Malaysia and involved in something I truly believe in, which is fitness education. For fitness enthusiasts who either want to learn more or consider going into fitness line, I encourage you to the next step. I want to share this quote with you – “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra”. Why not take the effort to arm yourself with the knowledge and thus become extraordinary?

Mun’s note: Thanks to Kim for sharing her experience. It is my honor to have her writing for MunFitnessBlog.com. Don’t forget to leave a comment here to tell Kim what you think or ask her regarding fitness education related matter. I am still looking for other fitness articles, if you think you can write excellent post too, please let me know.

“If there is magic in boxing, it will be the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It is the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you.”

This is the famous quote I remember after watching the 2004 Academy Award winning film, Million Dollar Baby. It is a great movie, no doubt. But, I am not asking you to train until you have to crack your ribs or break your kidney. Let’s look at how Hilary Swank has trained to get the body she wanted in order to play the role of Maggie Fitzgerald, the female boxer in the movie.

In order to take the role of a boxer, Hilary Swank not only has to learn boxing, but also build her body like someone who has spent her whole life training. She had about 90 days to do it under her personal trainer, Grant Roberts. By the time the cameras began rolling, Hilary Swank has made significant transformation by gaining about 19 pounds of muscle (reaching the weight of 129 pounds from 110 pounds) on her 5′ 7.5″ light frame. Let’s check out how she has achieved those goals with her gym workout and diet plan.

Hilary Swank’s Diet Plan

• Hilary Swank ate protein and low carbohydrates diet during the preparation of her role. She consumed about 4,000 calories a day, twice much more than an average woman would eat. While Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel ate less than 2,000 calories a day, Swank needed that to build more muscles with vigorous gym workouts.
• She had to eat about 210 grams of protein daily. However, because body can only absorb so much protein in one meal, she was told to eat protein rich meal every 4.5 hours. Egg white and fish were common items in her meal. She even had to wake up in the middle of the night to drink protein shake so that she could meet her caloric goals.
• As for carbs, she took not more than 50 grams a day.
• In addition to protein, she drank flax oil which contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed oil provides about 1,000 calories a day, a quarter of her daily intake. According to her personal trainer, two reasons why he asked Swank to do so:
  • As Swank ate little carbohydrates, her body would use stored fat as energy. So, flax oil will stoke the metabolism to help burning the fat and digesting protein she has eaten. In this case, the oil has provided high quality calories for muscle building without affecting the fat burning process. The end goal is to build muscle yet at the same time, reducing body fat percentage.
  • Also, because of long hours spent in boxing and working out, Swank has overtrained. Her trainer mentioned that the flax oil would reduce her joint pain.
• As for her menu:
  • Breakfast: protein shake blended with egg whites, oils, vitamins and minerals.
  • Lunch and dinner: fish and lots of green vegetables.
  • Similar protein shakes were used as snacks throughout the day.

Hilary Swank’s Workout Regimen

• Initially, Hilary thought that boxing was easy. After trying out her first 3-minute round, she realized that it was much more difficult than seen. Ever since then, she put much effort to practice 2 hours daily by sparring and hitting the heavy bag as well as the speed bag.
• As for the weight lifting workout, her trainer focused on single body parts, upper and lower body workouts, and opposing body parts. “Lift until failure” approach was used. For instance, Swank would use 30-pounds dumbbells to do dumbbell bench press until she was fatigued. Then, she would picked up lighter dumbbells to do bench press again until fatigued. She continued until light weight until she felt like a ton of steel.
• Her trainer even made her push a SUV in neutral gear across the parking lot to train her legs.
• In order to sculpt her back muscles, Swank did pull-ups. She could not complete even one on day 1. But, by the end of 9 weeks, she could pull herself up with at least 10 repetitions.

After much hard work, Swank has gained nearly 19 pounds of lean hard muscles and solid abs. Swank said that the biggest change was not in her body, but her mind to go through that body transformation. Many times she has thought of giving up, but she fired herself up by imagining what type of boxer she wanted to look like. No doubt, mind is still a powerful tool. The movie director, Clint Eastwood was so impressed when he realized that the movie posters that show Swank’s back muscles needed no photographic touch up.

After shooting Million Dollar Baby, Hilary Swank has slowed down much for her workout. She no longer lift weight 6 days a week, no longer eating egg whites, not drinking flax oil and not waking up midnight to drink protein shakes. She has lost some weight inclusive her hard gained muscles. But, this change of routine does not mean that she does not like exercising. Nowadays, she spend time twice a week in lifting weight. She also enjoys cycling and Power Pilates. Lately, she picks up Krav Maga, an Israeli hand-to-hand self defense technique. Michelle Ryan is another actress who loves this martial art.

When I first found out her diet plan and workout routine, I would think it is not sustainable. Setting alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to drink protein shake…it is tough. You don’t have to do that, not to that extent, but be inspired instead with her determination to reach her goals.

Hilary Shank when she was filming The Next Karate Kid in 1994.

Hilary Swank in real life….

Many office workers have spent much time sitting in front of their computers at least 6 to 8 hours a day in comfortable rooms. Because of lower metabolism, weight gain is common. Now, if that is a gadget, which allows you to work out your chest, back and arms in the office, will you buy it?

SpringFlex UB is probably the answer to office workers who dare to try. Clamps the two handles to the table and you are ready to exercise. The design is sleek and therefore you can even bring it to library if you want to (or dare to).

But, when I look at the demo pictures shown, I am skeptical:

• Unless you are reading, with both arms busy working out, you will not be able to type or write or even picking up a call.
• If working out only upper body, you may end up having imbalance body shape. Legs will be small like chicken legs.
• Why the heck the guy is wearing an underwear to use the machines and he is even shirtless/ Moreover, he forgot to switch on the monitor.

So, are you ready to (strip down to boxers to) work out in your office cubicle?