Dare we say it, but a workout should be fun, right? At the very least, your precious time in the gym shouldn’t be anxiety-inducing — but that could happen all too easily if you’re attempting to string a workout together on the fly.
That’s because of a little thing psychologists call “analysis paralysis,” whereby we tend to end up more confused and less satisfied by having a ton of options at our disposal. One famous study about the phenomenon focused on jars of jam sold at a grocery store — researchers discovered that people who saw 24 flavors on display were one-tenth as likely to pull the trigger and buy one than others who were presented just six varieties.
Expand that to the realm of exercises, where potential movements and variations literally number in the thousands, and you can see just where our workouts can slide off track!
For that, Gretchen Zelek, an AFAA-certified group fitness instructor and functional aging specialist, has an easy three-word answer when it comes to biceps and triceps training: simplify, simplify, simplify.
“The most effective biceps and triceps exercises are also the most basic,” Zelek says. “The moves in the following workout were chosen because they directly hit the target, are not difficult to master, and can be performed with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or, in most cases, bands.”
To get the most out of each exercise, you’ll want to choose a weight — or tension level in the case of bands — that leaves you fatigued and makes for a challenging final rep. “Depending on the exercise and your experience, 2, 3 or 5 pounds in each hand is a
great start; that’s the equivalent of red or green resistance bands,” Zelek explains. “Once you can perform all your reps with little effort, it’s time to increase the weights.”
The Back-to-Basics Arm Workout
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