Arms can be a trouble zone for many people, especially as you get older. Many exercise regimens give your arms less attention than they need. You may have mastered full-body workouts or cardio or weight training your legs but strengthening and toning your arms require specific exercises targeted at the muscles in this area.
Depending on genetics or lifestyle, keeping your arms toned can be challenging but not impossible. We have compiled a list of five exercises to get your arms toned and suggestions for post-workout care.
What Are Some Arm Exercises To Help With Toning?
Resistance or weight training is effective for toning your arm muscles, but not all exercises require equipment. You can achieve toned arms with enough reps and consistency, even if you don’t have dumbbells at home.
Here are a handful of exercises that target your upper arms and shoulders and a guide for performing them correctly.
1. Push-Ups
Traditional push-ups are a tried and true exercise that will workout your whole body and target your triceps and deltoids.
To do a push-up, lie face down and place your hands on the ground at about the width of your shoulders. Tuck your toes so that your heels are pointing up toward the ceiling. Push through your hands and lift your body off the ground just high enough before your elbows lock.
Slowly lower yourself, so your face is about three inches from the ground. Repeat this for about three sets of 10-15 reps. If this is too challenging, adjust your repetitions or modify your form by placing your knees on the ground.
2. Lateral Raises
Lateral raises are simple but one of the best exercises to work out your deltoids and combat flabby arms.
Plant your feet at the width of your hips to perform lateral raises and ensure you don’t lock your knees. Using just your arms or dumbbells for the maximum challenge, slowly raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor. If you need to modify this exercise, try doing one arm at a time. Perform two or three sets of 10-12 reps.
3. Tricep Kickbacks
Tricep kickbacks target your triceps. This exercise is traditionally performed with dumbbells in each hand, but you can still feel the burn using your arms.
To get into starting position, plant your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, so your hips are turned out, and arch your back. Flex your arm backward, facing your palms toward one another. To modify, do one arm at a time. Repeat this eight to 10 times for three sets.
4. Planks
Planks work your upper and lower body, helping you build muscle in crucial muscle groups like your biceps and legs.
Like a push-up, start facing down with your forearms flat to get into the plank position. Tuck, your toes, push your body weight up using your forearms and support your weight with your core and lower back — stay parallel to the floor for the ultimate burn. You want to hold for at least 30 seconds up to 60 seconds.
The key is keeping your back straight, so your shoulder blades don’t press together.
5. Arm Circles
This exercise may not seem like much, but arm circles can be highly effective for strength training, significantly when tightening your triceps, and even improve your range of motion. For a non-weighted workout, arm circles can still leave you with a lot of tension, so make sure to stretch afterward.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise your arms to parallel the ground, palms facing down, at about shoulder height. Swing your arms forward in small, fluid circles until you feel the burn in your triceps, then reverse the direction. For the optimal workout routine, repeat this three times.
What Should Post-Workout Care Entail?
The exercises themselves aren’t the only key to great results — post-workout care is crucial, too.
Stretching
Soreness indicates that your muscles are repairing themselves, which is encouraging after any workout, however uncomfortable it may feel. Arm workouts can become strenuous, so stretch after each workout to help combat muscle tenderness. Some helpful stretches include:
- Locking your arms behind your back and leaning forward.
- Reaching one arm over your shoulder and the other arm up your back until your fingertips touch, or, even better, you can join your fingers.
- Reach each arm over your chest, looping your other are underneath and pressing lightly.
Perform these stretches for as long as you feel you need to relieve the tension.
Protein Intake
Protein is essential for powering and strengthening your muscles. Your body needs protein to recover after a workout. During exercise, your body is in a catabolic state, which breaks down your muscles. Post-workout, your body enters an anabolic state, which repairs your muscles.
This state is better primed to use your protein consumption which will benefit your overall muscle tone. About 15 minutes after your workout, ingest protein. The amount you need is dependent upon your weight and overall fitness goal.
Toning With Technology
The world of fitness features many tall tales of “miracle” or “holy-grail” products that claim to perform wonders. While many of these claims are far-fetched to say the least, some innovations have proven to be helpful at helping your fitness and aesthetic dreams.
One of these innovations is the NuBODY® device. This FDA and esthetician-approved toning device is engineered with cutting-edge microcurrent technology.
Specifically made to treat the larger surface areas of your body, the NuBODY® device tones and firms the skin in just five minutes. The microcurrent helps to smooth away the appearance of dimples on areas like your arms, buttocks, abs, and thighs.
The ingenious of this device is in its ability to help tighten skin prone to suffer from a lack of elasticity without invasive treatment or surgical enhancement. By sending low-level currents similar to your body’s natural flow, the NuBODY® helps target and tone your muscles.
Treatment is also fairly easy and quick. Always treat freshly cleansed skin for optimal product absorption. To make sure the microcurrent is conducted properly, you must apply a mask-like coating of the Hydrating Aqua Gel Activator, section by section, as you tone each area. Carefully glide your device over every target area. This device will automatically power off after five minutes of treatment, so you can rest assured you won’t over-treat your skin.
Conclusion
While there are many ways to tone up your arms, you must first devote yourself to a consistent regimen you will be able to maintain and easily build upon to help better actualize your fitness goals. Opt for exercises that will challenge your arms muscles without straining yourself.
After each workout, focus on protein intake and stretching to aid in your muscle recovery, and you will have arms you cannot wait to show off in no time. If you want to boost your arm workout regimen, consider using our NuBODY® device to tone, firm and tighten skin.
Sources:
15 Arm Toning Workout Exercises To Do At Home | Lifehack
