4-Decades - advice for middle-aged men

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Biceps - the toned T-Shirt look

4D-ers can benefit from a variety of bicep exercises to strengthen and tone their arms. Now listen - LISTEN!, we want to tone, not expect results that turn us into The Rock !

Remember to warm up before starting your workout and perform each exercise with proper form. Start with a weight that allows you to complete the desired number of repetitions with good technique. Gradually increase the weight as your strength improves. Additionally, it's essential to maintain a balanced exercise routine that includes exercises for other muscle groups and incorporates cardiovascular activities for overall health and fitness. Here are some of the best exercises for targeting the biceps:

1. Barbell curls: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a barbell with an underhand grip, and let it hang at arm's length. Keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the barbell up toward your shoulders while contracting your biceps. Lower the barbell back down slowly and repeat.

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2. Dumbbell curls: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward and arms fully extended. Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your sides. Lower the dumbbells back down in a controlled manner and repeat.

3. Hammer curls: Hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing your torso and arms fully extended. Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. As you lift, maintain the neutral grip (palms facing each other) instead of rotating your wrists. Lower the dumbbells back down carefully and repeat.

4. Preacher curls: Sit on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the angled pad and your chest against the pad. Hold an EZ curl bar or dumbbells with an underhand grip and let your arms hang straight down. Curl the weight up toward your shoulders, focusing on squeezing your biceps. Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat.

5. Cable curls: Attach a straight bar or rope to a cable machine at the lowest position. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar or rope with an underhand grip and step back, keeping your arms fully extended. Curl the bar or rope up toward your shoulders, contracting your biceps. Control the weight as you lower it back down and repeat.

Now here’s the thing. You need to keep working. Regular and building weight beats the “let’s go and lift 50 pounds today and go back in a month”. You can get quite toned biceps in a few weeks if you keep at it. Finally, don’t expect to look like Thor, that’s for the younger gentleman, or the gym bunny.