Assume you want to pick up a heavy box from a table and you want to keep your ba

Question

Assume you want to pick up a heavy box from a table and you want to keep your back and legs straight while you pick up the weight. That is, you want to use only your arm and shoulder muscles to pick it up. After you try a variety of weights, you find you can pick up a greater weight if you start lifting while your arms are bent than if they are held straight. Your most effective arm starting position is with the upper arms parallel to the body axis (straight up and down) and the lower arms bent at 45 degrees relative to the upper arm. Explain in detail why this is so.

Explanation / Answer

When your arm is straight, the biceps tendon lies lat at the elbow. As the elbow bends, the muscle can pull the forearm more directly.

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