Arm Exercises For Women: Get Sleek, Sexy Arms

ninerbuff · March 2012

From Women's Health Online - emailed article...

Score beautifully toned arms with this muscle-shaping upper-body workout - Jen Ator

Here's something you'll love to learn: Your shoulders and upper back tend to carry less fat than the rest of your body, so the right arm exercises can give this area a nearly instant makeover, says Ramona Braganza, a celebrity trainer who has worked with stars such as Anne Hathaway and Jessica Alba. Braganza's upper-body workout, below, hits every major muscle and will help stabilize your shoulder joints, improve your posture, and build that strong, toned look you're after.

Using five-to eight-pound weights, perform 15 to 20 reps of each exercise and go from one move to the next with little or no rest between. Do two or three sets three times a week.

Move 01
Reverse Fly

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent. Bend forward at the hips and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing. Raise both arms out to the sides as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to start. That's one rep.

Actually these target your rear deltoids more than your arms.

Move 02
Biceps Curl

Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing forward, and keep your back straight and chest up. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, straightening your arms completely. That's one rep.

Move 03
Dumbbell Cross Jab

Stand with your feet a bit wider than hip width and knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells at chest height with elbows bent and palms facing each other. Extend your left arm across your body until the weight is in line with your right shoulder. As you return to start, repeat with the right arm. That's one rep.

And these target your front deltoids and forearms more.

Move 04
Lying Triceps Extension

Lie face-up on a bench and hold a pair of dumbbells above your head, arms straight and palms facing each other. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until they are at either side of your head. Pause, then lift the weights back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Oh well at least it didn't say you could "lengthen" the look of your muscles.

A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
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Jeff92se · March 2012

So, what do women with no access to gym, and not enough $$ to invest in serious equipment do?

Dumbells off of Craigslist. P90X seems to work well for overall fitness. Pushups, squats w/o weight, lunges, chin up bar etc. etc.

KatesBadAss · March 2012

bump

Nopedotjpeg · March 2012

Lift like this

Not like this:

But I'd prefer to look like number 2 :huh:

Then don't lose as much fat. That's probably the main difference between the two. #2 is softer because her body fat % is higher than #1.

clarkane8 · March 2012

bump. thanks!

aliciapenny · March 2012

I have huge bingo wings due to previous weight loss and not doing any arm exercises. Will these help tone them even though it's just excess skin?

Thanks in advance.

lifting heavier weights will build muscle and give the skin something to cling to rather than fat. nothing will "tighten up" skin. you simply need to fill that space with muscle

prettygirlhoward · March 2012

BUMP-PMUB

silversong24 · March 2012

bump

1a1a · March 2012

bump

Jeff92se · March 2012

Lift like this

Not like this:

But I'd prefer to look like number 2 :huh:

Then don't lose as much fat. That's probably the main difference between the two. #2 is softer because her body fat % is higher than #1.

Much bigger diff than just BF. #1 is much more muscular.