FITNESS > Cross-Body Hammer Bicep Curl – Great Forearm & Bicep Workout

Is your forearm and bicep work-out too boring? Are you doing the same forearm and bicep workouts every day? Do you feel that your bicep strength has peaked out or that your forearms seem to give way when doing too many arm exercises in a single work-out?

If you’ve answered ‘YES’ to any of the above questions, you need to hit your biceps and forearms with an exciting new exercise! And that routine can include the CROSS-BODY HAMMER BICEP CURL. Essentially, it’s like a hammer curl for your bicep routine, but instead of just ‘curling’ the weight, you curl the free weight across your body to create a new movement and better motion for building your bicep muscles. Not only that, but the cross-body hammer curl is also a great workout for your forearms, which aid in many other arm, chest, shoulder and back exercise routines.

The cross body hammer curl trains your brachialis which is a set of muscles that separates the biceps from the triceps. By doing the cross body hammer curls, you will not only be shocking your arms, but you will also increase the definition between your biceps and triceps (largest muscle in your arms), making your upper arms look bigger!

Here’s the breakdown of the exciting Cross-Body Hammer Bicep Curl that should be integrated into every other bicep workout routine:

* picture from Men’s Fitness | Photography by: D Snipes

Cross-Body Hammer Bicep Curl Exercise in a Nutshell (shown above)

Muscles shocked: biceps, forearms and core
Sets: 3 to 4
Reps: 10 to 12 per arm
Rest period: 30 to 45 seconds

How to:
Get a dumbbell (free weight) that is about 80 to 90% the weight that you usually use for a bicep curl exercise. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms set against your side.

Curl the right hand dumbbell/free weight across your body so that it ends up under your left shoulder and against your chest. This is why it is called the “Cross-Body Hammer Bicep Curl” because you are essentially curling the free weight across your body. At this point, your palm should be facing and kept as close as possible to your chest. Go back to the rest state as slowly as possible and in the same but reverse motion.

Then, curl the left hand dumbbell/free weight across your body so that it ends up under your right shoulder. Again, keep your palm facing your chest (and as close to your chest). Again, this ‘cross-body hammer curl’ motion should be smooth without any jerking motion to lift the weight.

Alternate your cross body curls until you’ve done 10 to 12 per arm (that’s a total of 20 to 24 cross body curls). Repeat the cross body curls until you’ve done at least 3 sets. If you can manage to do 4 sets with the weight, go for it!

You will feel the 3 core areas being worked during your Cross Body Hammer Curl. You should feel the intense throb in your forearms during the upward motion of the cross body bicep curl, as well as during the return back to the original state. In addition, you will feel the cross body hammer curl work your bicep muscles, giving it a great pump both up and down. Last but not least, in order to keep your shoulders back and your body in a relaxed non-motionless state, you will feel the Cross Body Hammer Bicep Curl work your core muscles as well.

Therefore, we consider the cross body curl a 3 in 1 exercise that is great in working out your forearms, biceps and core.

The SUPER Cross Body Bicep Curl for Core Training

For elite athletes and hard core trainers who are seeking some extra core training exercises, the Super Cross Body Bicep Curl is ideal for your core training needs.  Essentially, it is exactly the same as the above cross body hammer curl, but it works your core muscles even more!  Here are 2 variations for the super cross body bicep curl that can be done by itself, or in combination with other bicep, forearm and core exercises.  Please note that the tips are the same: fluid motion, keeping everything stationary except your arms and the 4 second rule still applies!  So NEVER cheap yourself out of the perfect core exercise!

Variation 1 for the Cross Body Core Training Exercise

The first variation for the above exercise is to do exactly the same motions but on one leg.  Before you do your first curl, raise one of your legs until your lower foot is perpendicular to the ground.  Make sure your knees are touching.  Again, curl the right hand dumbbell across your body so that it ends up under your left shoulder and against your chest.  Repeat with your left hand across your right shoulder.

You should try using 60% of your usual bicep curl free weight for this exercise.  The most important tip is to make sure that you are balanced before starting your cross body core training exercise.  Secondly, make sure that you are not compensating and making it easier by jerking the free weight or by using your back or shoulders or legs to raise the dumbbell.  The entire motion should be working only your core and your arms.

Variation 2 for the Cross Body Core Training Work Out

If the first variation is too easy for you or if you want to shock your core with an even more difficult core training work out, then Variation 2 would be ideal for you!  In this variation, get a square balance board.  If you are familiar with balancing on this square balance board, then you can head right into the exercise.  If not, please make sure you get used to the balance of the board before you start.

In order to start the exercise, grab the free weight and get on the square balance board.  Once you have maintained a perfect balance for at least 5 seconds, you can start with cross body hammer curl to work out your core.  This core training exercise is the most difficult of the three variations mentioned on this blog post as you are not only working out your forearms and biceps, but you are also balancing and working out your core on the square balance board.

Repeat the repetitions for each arm (again, try doing at least 10 to 12 reps per arm for each set).  The ongoing tip again is to maintain your balance without compromising your body form.  Core training is all about slow and fluid motion without any jerkiness or use of body parts that you aren’t suppose to use.

So if you cheat, you are cheating nobody but yourself!

INFOGRAM > 8 Fresh Produce Picks to Lower & Balance Your Blood Pressure

Ever wonder how you can balance or even lower your blood pressure through fresh produce?

 
According to this health infogram, these are the 8 FRESH PRODUCE picks for BETTER BLOOD PRESSURE.

Beets, leafy greens, and other vegetables high in nitrates may help lower blood pressure naturally.  And how is this done?  Vegetables that are high in nitrates relax our blood vessels and improve circulation.  The result: a more balanced blood pressure.

So if you are looking to lower your blood pressure, try eating more of these nitrate rich heart-healthy picks.  Wherever possible, try to eat these vegetables in its organic raw state or as ‘raw as possible’.

1. BEETS are well known for their blood pressure benefits

A new study published in the American Heart Association’s Hypertension journal concludes that drinking a small amount of fresh, raw beet juice not only lowers high blood pressure quickly and effectively but could also be a natural approach to reducing future cardiovascular problems. The research was conducted by scientists at London’s Queen Mary University on red beets, called beetroot in Britain. Beets have drawn attention from nutritional scientists in recent years because of their health benefits. Specifically, beets have been found to be rich in betaine, a nutrient which reduces the blood concentration of homocycsteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease and stroke.

2. SPINACH will lower your blood pressure quickly

A green leafy delight, spinach is low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with heart-healthy nutrients like potassium, folate, and magnesium — key ingredients for lowering and maintaining blood pressure levels. An easy way to eat more of this great green? Try mixing fresh spinach leaves into salads or adding them to sandwiches.

3. CELERY is a surprising blood pressure balancer too!

Three active ingredients in celery promote healthy blood pressure: 3-n-butylphthalide, or NBP; apigenin, a plant-based antioxidant; and omega-6 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid. In his book “How to Prevent and Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine,” Dr. Michael Murray, a naturopathic doctor, writes that NBP behaves like a calcium channel blocker, dilating arteries and relaxing blood vessels. Apigenin protects your body against cellular damage, decreases inflammation in your arteries and prevents blood clots. Omega-6 fatty acids, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, may help protect your body against hypertension, or high blood pressure.

4. SWISS CHARD … what, never heard of it!

Eating foods with plenty of vitamin E, such as Swiss Chard (which has one of the highest concentrations of Vitamin E in any vegetable) might also reduce the chances of developing coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack or heart failure. Other heart-healthy perks found in chard include vitamin B6 and potassium — which may reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, respectively. Keeping your cholesterol low by eating good sources of fiber such as chard may lower heart-disease risk even more.

5. RADISH is more than just a salad topping!

High in nitrites and many other trace minerals, radishes are beginning to get more notice when it comes to balancing our blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.  Many studies are now underway as to additional benefits of radishes when it comes to our circulatory system.  In other words, keep eating them!

6. KALE helps balance our blood pressure

The high fiber content of kale lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to so, ultimately lowering the amount of cholesterol within our bodies.  This in turn helps regulate our blood pressure and in some cases, even lower it.

7. LETTUCE helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol

Eating vegetables daily with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables (all type of lettuce), will help in lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure by as much as 10%.

8. ARUGULA and blood pressure benefitsd

Arugula has a perfect amount of Vitamin K which has many benefits including bone health and healthy blood clotting. Research has also shown that getting more Vitamin K may reduce the risk of heart disease. It’s also a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium to help control blood pressure and preserve bone health. Plus, it’s a decent source of iron to build healthy red blood cells.

This awesome everyday HEALTH INFOGRAM is from our friends at the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture (Nathan Bryan Ph.D).

WAKE UP AND DRINK THIS!

In our busy lives, we often forget to nourish our mind and body in the morning.  Some of us go directly to the phone or computer to check email.  Some of us need to take the dog out for a walk, or prepare a boxed lunch for our kids.  Whether you are busy or not, there is one thing that you NEED TO DO FOR YOURSELF when you wake up!  And yes, this is BEFORE any work or play or breakfast or coffee or juice or news …

DRINK A GLASS OF LUKE-WARM WATER INFUSED WITH LEMON JUICE AND TOPPED UP WITH BLUEBERRIES!

So why would you want to do that?

Firstly, after having slept for 6 to 10 hours, your body needs WATER replenishment!

Secondly, LEMONS will balance your pH (they are alkaline in the body!) PLUS lemons boost your immune system.

Thirdly, BLUEBERRIES will give you antioxidants first thing in the morning PLUS promote and maintain digestive health throughout the day.

Check below for more lemon health benefits and blueberry health benefits in addition to lemon nutrition and blueberry nutrition breakdowns.

So here it is … quick and dirty version for lemon infused water with wild blueberries:

Step 1: Get a glass/cup out

Step 2: Fill it up with luke-warm to luke-cold water (filtered tap water is great)

Step 3: Get a lemon

Step 4: Cut the lemon in half

Step 5: Squeeze at least ½ of this lemon into your water (ideally, squeeze the entire lemon)

Step 6: Take out the lemon seeds (they don’t taste very good)

Step 7: Get some (wild) blueberries

Step 8: Drop about 15 to 20 (wild) blueberries into the water

Step 9: Enjoy your water infused with lemon and topped up with blueberries

BENEFITS OF LEMON JUICE

1. Lemons help balance our body’s pH (pH balancing)

2. Lemons help boost our immune system

3. Lemons help our digestive system too

In addition to helping our immune system fight off infection and colds and to control high blood pressure, lemon juice is also helpful in maintaining our digestive process.  The luke-warm water in combination with lemon juice helps to stimulate our gastrointestinal tract and the peristalsis.  What the heck is peristalsis you may ask?  Peristalsis is the rhythmic contract of our intestine’s muscles which keeps food and liquid moving through our digestive system.  So lemons and lemon juice actually help in moving things through properly.  Other minerals and trace elements in lemon juice also assist in removing toxins trapped in our digestive system.  Now that’s handy!

4. Lemons clear skin, no matter your skin type

We bet you didn’t know this one! Lemon juice is now gaining popularity when it comes to skin benefits.  In the latest studies, lemon juice has shown that it can reduce both blemishes of the skin as well as wrinkles.  This is an added benefit of the high amounts of Vitamin C found in lemon juice.  In addition, lemons clear our skin by removing toxins from our body and skin.

5. Lemons act as a natural, non-evasive, non-threatening diuretic

Unlike many other diuretic foods and liquids, lemon juice is very gentle.  The latest studies have shown that lemons help flush out toxins and other unwanted substances from our bodies.  How do lemons do this?  Lemon juice increases the rate at which we need to urinate (do #1s) .. which means that more toxins and bad substances are flushed out of our bodies at a faster rate.  It’s really as simple as that!

6. Lemons help in weight loss

One of the key benefits of lemon juice is that it is very high in pectin fiber.  So what is pectin fiber anyways?  Well, it’s a substance that helps fight food cravings.  It’s been well studied and published that people who maintain a more alkaline diet and maintain an alkaline to balanced body will lose weight faster.  So give it a try (if you are trying to lose weight)!

 7. Lemons fight bad breath, especially in the morning

8. Lemons hydrate our lymph system

During the night, our bodies get dehydrated with the possibility of adrenal fatigue.  Because of this lack of water and food, our bodies do not function 100% right away and this may lead to a build up of toxins, stress, constipation and many other negative symptoms. Our adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of our kidneys, and along with our thyroid, help us create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by our adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in our body, helping us stay hydrated. Our adrenals are also responsible for regulating our stress response. So, the bottom line is that we really don’t want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

BENEFITS OF BLUEBERRIES

* Please note that we highly recommend that you pick-up organic WILD BLUEBERRIES (they can be found fresh or frozen in most grocery stores now).  Wild blueberries are different than cultivated or farmed berries.  A 2004 USDA study ranked wild blueberries as the number one anti-oxidant fruit, with 48% more antioxidants than the cultivated kind. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals in the body, which help build our immunity.

1. Blueberries fight disease

2. Blueberries help lower your cholesterol

3. Blueberries reverse the sign of aging

4. Blueberries aid in our urinary and digestive health

5. Other Blueberry benefits