Exercise Spotlight: Towel Bicep Curl

I can't think of a more iconic gym exercise than Bicep Curls or a more iconic muscle than the bicep. Arnie's biceps as well as the popularization of gyms in the 60's and 70's rose this movement to prominence and it is now a staple of most exercise programs. The bicep is the long muscle on the front side of your upper arm and the Bicep Curl isolates the bicep by forcing it to move weight by contraction and expansion. The main muscle in any exercise movement is called the prime mover, and the muscles that support the prime mover are called synergists. Isolating a muscle, like a bicep in bicep curls, allows you to strengthen it more effectively while reducing the number of synergists and weight that the synergists are forced to bear. One of the challenges I found several years ago when I started doing bodyweight movements was isolating the bicep in a workout, as bodyweight movements do not involve dumbbells and barbells. You can exercise your biceps in both pull-ups and rows, but in those movements the muscles in your back are the prime movers and your bicep is the synergist. Then I stumbled across using a beach towel for bicep curls (instructional video below).LF_How to do a Towel Bicep CurlA beach towel? That's supposed to isolate and work the bicep as effectively as a pair of dumbbells? I would argue yes, and in some ways, it's more effective:

• You can do this movement anywhere you have a towel (vacation, hotel room, office, bathroom, etc...).

• You use your leg for resistance in this movement, and the muscles in your legs are 10x stronger than your biceps. You won't ever run out of weight like you would doing bicep curls with dumbbells. 

• If you do the movement while standing, you will engage your core.

• If you do the movement while standing, you will challenge and improve your balance and flexibility. 

Try it and let me know what you think! - Don