5 Moves for Fabulous Arms.

Upper body exercises.

Warm weather is right around the corner and that means one thing: sleeveless shirts. Here are 5 moves that are sure to get your arms toned and ready to bare. You will need hand weights for some of these exercises (you can use soup cans or bottles filled with water if you don’t have weights). Perform 8-15 repetitions of each exercise.

1. Push-ups – There is really no better move for all-over upper body toning than a push up! Start in an all-4’s position, with your hands under your shoulders, knees aligned under your hips, and abdominal muscles engaged. You can do push-ups from this position or you can extend both legs, curl your toes on the floor and lift both knees away from the floor. Take care not to allow your hips to pike up in the air or drop towards the floor. Slowly bend at the elbows to lower your upper body towards the floor. Stop when your elbows reach a 90 degree bend and push back up to the starting position.
2. Hammer Curl & Press – Stand with legs hip-width apart and abdominal muscles engaged. Hold hand weights in each hand and keep your palms facing the sides of your legs (the head of the dumbbells will face forward). Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. From this position, press your arms straight up overhead, while keeping the palms facing one another and hands straight up over your shoulders. Slowly lower back down towards your shoulders and reverse the curl until your hands are back at starting position.
3. Triceps Kickbacks – Hold a weight in your right hand and hinge forward slightly from the hips, keeping your back in a neutral position and your abdominal muscles engaged. Use your left hand to help support your body. Bring your right elbow up and place it by your side (in the space between your ribs and your hip). Slowly extend your right arm, taking the weight behind you, until your arm is fully extended. Keeping the elbow glued by your side, slowly lower the weight back down to starting position. After completing the repetitions on one side, switch to the other arm.
4. Dolphin Pose – Come to an all-4’s position and place your forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders. Your hands can either press together, interlacing your fingers, or keep your palms down on the floor. Curl your toes under and lift your knees away from the floor. As you lift your knees, press your hips high into the air and press your forearms into the floor. Keep your knees slightly bent. Work to lengthen your spine and reach your tailbone toward the sky. At the same time, draw your shoulders away from your ears and send your shoulder blades down your back, as if you could put them into your back pockets. Hold for 10-30 seconds, rest, and repeat.
5. Reverse Table Top – Sit down on the ground, bend your knees, place your feet on the floor, and place your arms your arms behind you with your fingers facing your buttocks. As you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles and lift your hips off of the floor. Make sure to keep your feet under your knees and your hands directly under your shoulders. You are working towards lifting your hips so that your body is parallel to the floor. Hold for 10-30 seconds, rest, and repeat.

All the information presented by HEALTHeME is for educational purposes only, intended to help you make informed decisions about fitness issues. This information is NOT a substitute for any advice given to you by your physician. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any nutrition or exercise program. Use of the programs, advice, and information from HEALTHeME is at the sole choice and risk of the reader.