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Doing it like that (called 'concentration curls') works a different part of the bicep, called the brachialis (it's the same muscle that gets worked in preacher curls), where regular standing or seated curls work the biceps brachii (the main, larger muscle on top). A good arms workout usually includes work for all 3 muscles of the bicep (the other is the brachioradialis, which stretches across the bicep and forearm, and which gets worked in any reverse type curl, such as hammer curls).
You're definitely right though that it isolates it more (hence, the name 'concentration curls') and recruits the back muscles far less (of course if you're also working yoru back on your biceps day, then that wouldn't be a bad thing). It would probably be pretty difficult to injure your back doing curls unless you were going way too heavy for your own strength, but for anyone who has prior back issues that may be a better option.
However I believe that lifting heavier will always yeild faster results, and since regular curls do recruit your back more, you can simply lift heavier - even though the back is helping, you're still getting more resistance on your biceps, which will make them grow more. If your gym has an EZ curl bar (looks like a shorter regular barbell but it's kind of squigly in the middle to make it easier to hold on to) you can curl with that for an even tougher curl (here's a pic of that).
Thanks for pointing that out Tamara! 
Edited by retrograde (07/27/05 09:15 PM)
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Now I have a question. 
So, the body part of mine that I hate THE MOST, is my flabby upper arms. I have that grandma fat/skin that hangs down in the tricep area. I do do arm exercises, but they don't seem to be making that much of a difference in that area, the stuff I do with my trainer has definitely given me more defined biceps. What do you suggest I do to get rid of that horrible hanging flab?
Thanks.
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Hehe, I kind of like that  lol
Yeah this can be a difficult area for women. Interestingly, it's mostly hormonal - the more estrogen a person has the more likely that fat will be stored there (which is why you don't really see it on men too much).
Basically our bodies are pre-programmed from birth with hormones and genes as to where our fat will be stored. You can't really target fat loss (what they call 'spot reduction') - that code tells your body where it will put on fat first when it starts storing fat, and consequently where the last place it will lose that fat. (For most women, those stubborn places are the abs, the butt/thighs/hips and the triceps.)
But it's only through bringing your body fat levels down *in general* that that stubborn fat will finally go away. Basically, that just means watching your diet, and doing some cardio (which I know you do lots of already ). Obviously weight training plays a big role in this too because more muscle = faster metabolism = faster fat loss.
So, it's kind of a two-sided coin: because of hormones/genes and fat loss, working your triceps won't necessarily cause you to lose the fat there. Rather, any kind of weight training will help to speed up your metabolism and, combined with diet and cardio, help you lose fat all over. However, working your triceps muscles WILL make your triceps bigger, which means you have to lose less fat to make them show up. So definitely keep working your triceps - the best exercises for this are dips (where you kind of stretch yourself across 2 benches with your feet on one and your arms on the other and your butt hanging mid-air, and then you dip yourself down using your arms and then lift yourself back up - if this is too easy you can put a plate on your lap, or if it's too hard most gyms have assisted dip machines too), and dumbbell or barbell tricep extensions (linked above).
The 'spot reduction myth' is the reason that people can do 100 crunches everyday but do no other exercise and not eat well and never, ever see those abs. They might have a very nicely defined midsection, it's just covered by a layer of fat. Or, you probably have really nice triceps at this point, it's just that stubborn last bit of fat to lose that's covering them up.
Unfortunately, the other factor in this part of the body is SKIN, right? The skin gets really stretched out and even after you lose some fat it takes it a while to shrink down. But it will shrink down to fit the muscle/fat that's left. It will just take some time. You can buy some creams and such that purport to help speed up the process but I'm not sure how effective those are.
Shell had/has this same problem and I think there's a thread either on this or the living room board that goes into it (basically she was trying to avoid surgery because hers were so bad).
Whew! I didn't expect that reply to be so long...! lol HTH!
Edit: here's a pic of the bench dip exercise I was trying to explain (not very well!): web page
Edited by retrograde (07/28/05 11:42 AM)
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Heh. Yeah, see I knew all about the spot reduction myth as far as abs were concerned. It just didn't occur to me to apply it to my triceps.  I guess we all want miracle cures. Ok then... I'll just keep on keepin' on with my cardio/weight training and after all the company leaves I'll target my diet next.
Thanks for the advice!!
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Quote:
Hehe, I kind of like that lol
Yeah this can be a difficult area for women. Interestingly, it's mostly hormonal - the more estrogen a person has the more likely that fat will be stored there (which is why you don't really see it on men too much).
Basically our bodies are pre-programmed from birth with hormones and genes as to where our fat will be stored. You can't really target fat loss (what they call 'spot reduction') - that code tells your body where it will put on fat first when it starts storing fat, and consequently where the last place it will lose that fat. (For most women, those stubborn places are the abs, the butt/thighs/hips and the triceps.)
But it's only through bringing your body fat levels down *in general* that that stubborn fat will finally go away. Basically, that just means watching your diet, and doing some cardio (which I know you do lots of already ). Obviously weight training plays a big role in this too because more muscle = faster metabolism = faster fat loss.
So, it's kind of a two-sided coin: because of hormones/genes and fat loss, working your triceps won't necessarily cause you to lose the fat there. Rather, any kind of weight training will help to speed up your metabolism and, combined with diet and cardio, help you lose fat all over. However, working your triceps muscles WILL make your triceps bigger, which means you have to lose less fat to make them show up. So definitely keep working your triceps - the best exercises for this are dips (where you kind of stretch yourself across 2 benches with your feet on one and your arms on the other and your butt hanging mid-air, and then you dip yourself down using your arms and then lift yourself back up - if this is too easy you can put a plate on your lap, or if it's too hard most gyms have assisted dip machines too), and dumbbell or barbell tricep extensions (linked above).
The 'spot reduction myth' is the reason that people can do 100 crunches everyday but do no other exercise and not eat well and never, ever see those abs. They might have a very nicely defined midsection, it's just covered by a layer of fat. Or, you probably have really nice triceps at this point, it's just that stubborn last bit of fat to lose that's covering them up.
Unfortunately, the other factor in this part of the body is SKIN, right? The skin gets really stretched out and even after you lose some fat it takes it a while to shrink down. But it will shrink down to fit the muscle/fat that's left. It will just take some time. You can buy some creams and such that purport to help speed up the process but I'm not sure how effective those are.
Shell had/has this same problem and I think there's a thread either on this or the living room board that goes into it (basically she was trying to avoid surgery because hers were so bad). Laurel YOU ROCK... you cover so much, it is great!! Here is the thread on MY flab!! hehehe web page
Whew! I didn't expect that reply to be so long...! lol HTH!
Edit: here's a pic of the bench dip exercise I was trying to explain (not very well!): web page
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My triceps are a big vanity issue with me. I have looked into what to do and asked people and it is as Laurel said, you gotta get rid of excess weight and just build that muscle up for looks really. Mine have improved. I find the real "hangy" part is under the arm, not really the true tricep. That is why I do the "giant hug" weight lift to work that inner arm part a little. And when I do it after a few days off it gets very sore in that area (and the chest and connecting muscles). Also I try not to shake my arms or clap in a tank top or let people shake my hand real hard- yes I am that self-conscious about it. I am making DH take pictures of my arms to compare to later on. I will post them. I used to have really awesome arms when I worked with horses. It didn't take any additional exercise.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I knew I could rely on you!
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S.
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