Muscles of the Week: Biceps (Brachii)

biceps (ˈbaɪsɛps) n, pl -ceps
(Anatomy) anatomy any muscle having two heads or origins,
esp. the muscle that flexes the forearm (biceps brachii)
[17th century from Latin: having two heads, from bi + caput (head)]
Collins English Dictionary

My dictionary isn't illustrated, more's the pity, but if it was, a picture like that of Dani Shugart (below) would, I reckon, go rather nicely with the definition.



Dani is, in her own words, a nutrition coach, lifter, physique competitor, carnivorous woman, author, blogger, cooker and... wife (sigh). According to her Amazon profile, Dani Shugart wants to start a revolution. She wants to see women building up their bodies, celebrating their health, and living at their highest potential. She wants to put a stop to the notion that females have to be small and fragile in order to be attractive. She wants to see women embrace their strength and grow it. Her book, entitled, 'The Sound of Secrets', was inspired by Dani's own sister's battle with anorexia. It's subtitled 'End Disordered Eating. Reinvent Your Beauty. Become Your Best.' She also blogs about the subject on her website Good Girl Fitness, and you can follow her contest prep on her Facebook page.



Classic Karen Konyha from WPW, and brand new Lisa Lopez from HerBiceps. Fortunately there have been plenty of women who know that, as Dani says, Sexiness is not frail. Beauty is not frail. And strength is not frail.



And what's more, they are growing in number. And they are most certainly feeling good about their reinvented selves. Look at the pride the unknown babe above has in her biceps brachii. Meanwhile, Chloe Cale (below) says Just thought I’d share another transformation for #TransformationTuesday! These photos 3 months apart. Can’t wait to see me in a year! Neither can I, Chloe. Really.



Think I'll head over to Chloe's Instagram right now in fact, and leave you with a couple of biceps that have clearly been a little more than three months in the making...

Tara Silzer by Tom Nine



Claudette Santana



If this pic of FMS fave and recent graduate Dani Reardon doesn't make you want to go back to university for a bit of post-graduate study, I don't know what will. If I were designing prospectuses for 2014, this would definitely be in!



left: calling all ID experts. Swell would REALLY REALLY REALLY like to know who this sizzling vision of muscular beauty is. And as soon as you can please.

right: Michelle Cummings looks like a living breathing statue of a Greek goddess all tanned and glam. Her sensational muscles seem to be bursting out of that dress. Your dream date? More like the wildest dream date you've ever had.

Evelien Nellen van Pelt



And one final example of, as Dani Shugart says, 'strength, beauty and sexiness' in the form of the left and right of the woman who, like a fine wine, gets better and better with age, and who welcomed in the New Year with us on FMS, Juliana Malacarne.



Enjoy!