What size weights are the best for a woman to tone arms?

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Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    lift heavy.

    why take years when you can see results in months?
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    I am just getting into the cardio and strength training routine and currently I am using 5 pound weights in high reps... I am not seeing much in the way of results in my arms ( especially the waddle underneath my arms...) Is this a good size to continue with and it just takes time, or should I bump up the weights?

    What kind of workouts are you doing? Are you working out to a workout dvd/vhs, the gym or on your own? I don't believe in lifting heavy, because I know that a person doesn't have to lift heavy to get results, so I would never suggest that to anyone.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    That makes sense to a point ( I am almost 40 and have NEVER exercised before... so please excuse my ignorance... I dont want to "bulk" up... but do want to tone my muscles and make them well defined... I hope that makes sense...
    Don't worry about bulking up. A woman has to really try hard to bulk up. Just keep increasing your weights as you can. I recently got the book 'New Rules of Lifting for Women' and found it really helpful!
  • Lolli1986
    Lolli1986 Posts: 500 Member
    this is going to go against everything that everyone says,

    not all of us agreed that working till failure was the best way!

    oops, sorry for the confusion. 'going against' was more in reference to working out every day. the general consensus is that rest days are mandatory (which they certainly are if you work to fatigue), but they are not if you work to a repeatable level.

    lol, i had amazing arms when my job was to pack and stack 5kg boxes of fruit 4-10 hours every day for 3 months. i emulate my workout plans based on this concept - 1+ hour a day at a level I can do every day while improving.
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
    Push ups, dips, planks, any exercise where you are using your arms in some way to work your own body weight really help with the arms. They have helped myself tremendously. I have also pushed and pulled prowlers/weighted chains, flipped tires, etc. Get creative if you can like that and as others have said before, challenge yourself with the weight training!
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    I am just getting into the cardio and strength training routine and currently I am using 5 pound weights in high reps... I am not seeing much in the way of results in my arms ( especially the waddle underneath my arms...) Is this a good size to continue with and it just takes time, or should I bump up the weights?

    What kind of workouts are you doing? Are you working out to a workout dvd/vhs, the gym or on your own? I don't believe in lifting heavy, because I know that a person doesn't have to lift heavy to get results, so I would never suggest that to anyone.

    I don't believe in Tae Bo.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I lift 15-20lb dumbbells for bicep curls, 45lb+ for shoulder press, 60lbs for rows, 6-8 reps max. I do 30-40 pushups a day, I do pullups as well.

    I am a firm believer you DO have to go heavy to get really nice results. I've done both (light and heavy weights), and I don't believe my sickly stick arms at 102 pounds looked very nice. Never mind I couldn't lift a thing...and I helped my husband move a couch down the stairs last weekend!

    Bulky, no. "Toned", yes.

    biceps2.jpg
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
    If you can do all of it easily with the 5 lb'ers, get heavier weights. Aim for something where it takes a LOT of work to do your routine with it - that will help. But you'll probably have to increase again after a month or two.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Use whatever weights you can lift for about 10 reps at a time.
  • l3long
    l3long Posts: 153 Member
    Something that has worked better for me than ANY exercise using weights is exercises using body weight, pushups are amazing, I haven't noticed arm results as quickly doing anything else. Other than that what everyone says, pick the heaviest weight you can use still with good form for 8-12 (or 10-15 whichever you prefer) reps 3x. I would say if you feel nothing with the 5, bump it up to 8 and perform a set, if still nothing bump it up to 10, you should feel like you can't do another rep after you last one on the correct weight. It takes some time to play around and figure it out, but that should help a lot!

    This is what I am trying (one week in) since it involves no investment in equipment or a gym membership. I am doing pushups and those squats where you use your arms to lower yourself in front of a chair. I don't have anywhere to do chin ups. Oh, yes, side planks ... what else can I do?
  • Jennical
    Jennical Posts: 219 Member
    Bump!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    this may sound weird, but ive done make shift pull ups under my dining table :laugh:
    i sorta lay underneath it with my hand on either side of table then i pull up. i suppose you can make it harder by propping your feet upon a chair
  • NotGoddess
    NotGoddess Posts: 1,198 Member
    biceps2.jpg
    New goal for me: I want kdiamond's arms (in the figurative, emulative sense) :)
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Low weight, high rep (12-20), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Toning
    Medium weight, medium rep (8-12), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Toning and Building Muscle
    High weight, low rep (4-8), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Building Muscle

    This isn't true. What most people refer to as "tone" is just visible muscle, with a moderate level of body fat. First, you have to have muscle for it to be visible, which means as you lose weight you need to maintain your muscle (or possibly work on building more once you are at or near your goal but that's another topic, for the most part you have to eat a lot do this, and lift slightly different, but since this isn't what you want, I don't think, I won't get into that). Second you have to lower your body fat so you can see those muscles.

    Maintaining your muscles is done by lifting 4-12 reps where the last set is hard for you. The lower reps really work on building strength. 5-8 is generally good for most people. I've read 10 on legs is good, 12-15 is really just for when you are working on form.

    Lowering your body fat is of course accomplished with a calorie deficit.
  • WiegandS
    WiegandS Posts: 99 Member
    I've been doing this vid I found on youtube for about 3 weeks and I can already see and feel a major difference.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpotY6rZL4o
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    bump
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    If you are not feeling a resistance, you really are not doing anything with regard to strength training. Resistance is needed to tone. Really, toning and "bulking" -- read a really good post about that recently... not really bulking but more "defining"... are not that different. As one post said, you have female hormones so you don't really have to worry too much about building muscle mass.. Focus on getting reps of enough weight to make you feel like you are doing something... A good rule of thumb would be that you should feel a bit of tightening after any exercise... Diet is also key to definition and protein is key to muscle growth, toning, definition.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    A barbell with options up to 350lbs!

    Deadlift
    Squat
    Bench Press
    Military Press
    Rows
    Chin ups

    These are simple to do and learn.
    If somebody says the word "Accessory lift" you need to run fast in the opposite direction!

    he speaks so simple and so true. I gotta agree here. My arms are looking amazing after 3 weeks of dumbbell presses, pushups, squats and deadlifts (among a few other things)

    Heavy, yes, but 350 lbs for a beginner?
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    there are about as many opinions on this as people. personal OP, i would suggest you peruse some of the pictures of women on MFP. find someone with arms like what you want and ask her what she does. then do that.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,903 Member
    It's not the amount of weight, it's the number of reps and the intensity of those reps.

    It is my opinion that you should be doing 3 sets of 12-20 reps (I personally would go for 15). Now Choose a weight that you will have a hard time getting the 15th (or whatever your last rep is) rep up.

    Low weight, high rep (12-20), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Toning
    Medium weight, medium rep (8-12), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Toning and Building Muscle
    High weight, low rep (4-8), to positive failure (you can do no more exercises) = Building Muscle

    IMOP, the key is to get to a positive failure at the given rep goal you have for the exercise. If you can seemingly go on and on forever with a given weight, it's too light. Their is a balance to getting the most out of the time you spend working out.

    I hope that makes sense, and these are my opinions, so I'm sure someone won't agree, but it's worked for me.
    Yep. I'll disagree. I have a back log of females who what to train with me because my female clients are getting results. And I NEVER go above 10 reps with any of them unless they are looking for muscular endurance training (like for repetition sports like swimming, sprinting, tennis, etc.).
    The muscle they have is in much better condition and looks much better compared to the numerous females in the Power Pump classes.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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