Do you have a nagging pain in the shoulder or elbow?
Are the muscles in your upper arm constantly feeling tight?
Are you looking for a good warm-up or cool-down exercise for your upper body workouts?
If you said yes to any of the above, let’s talk guns! (AKA your biceps and triceps!)
Biceps and triceps are two of the most commonly known and exercised muscles in the human body. Biceps make up the muscles in the front side of your upper arm and triceps make up the muscles in the backside. The actions of the biceps and triceps oppose one another. Biceps are responsible for flexion (forward raising) of the shoulder, flexion (bending) of the elbow and supination (turning palm-side up) of the forearm. In contrast, the triceps are responsible for extension (backward raising) of the shoulder and extension (straightening) of the elbow. Proper function in both muscle groups is necessary for optimal balance of forces around the involved joints. Lack of this balance can lead to pain not only in the shoulder or elbow but also in the joints above and below the area.
When engaging the biceps and triceps in exercise, it is important to remember that they do not function in isolation from the rest of the body. For example, both biceps and triceps are actively involved in facilitating the arm swing during gait. This dynamic exercise allows the biceps and triceps to move and activate in coordination with the rest of the body. Try it out and let us know how it went!
