If your arms need a bit of toning to look their best in summer tops and bathing suits, try these exercises to target the three main areas of your upper arms.
You will need two sets of dumbbells. As a rule of thumb, most people will use the same weight for the bicep and triceps exercises, and about a third to a half of that weight for the lateral raise. Each repetition of these exercises should be performed in four to five seconds. It should take two full seconds to raise the weight and two full seconds to lower the weight. Controlling the descent of the weight should be just as challenging as lifting the weight.
Biceps are probably the most commonly worked muscle. Bicep concentration curls are classic exercises. Curls should be performed with a strong, static wrist, turned slightly inward. Do not let the wrist bend back and forth. This will take the pressure off your bicep and could injure the wrist joint. Place your right foot on a bench or stair so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Rest your right elbow on the thigh. Lift the dumbbell up with your right hand, flexing only at the elbow, and bring it almost up to your right shoulder. At its highest point, the dumbbell should be on the inside of the shoulder, toward your chest, not to the outside of your shoulder. Bring the dumbbell back down, finishing with a slight bend still in the elbow. Do not allow the elbow to completely straighten.
A variation on this is the hammer curl. Grasp the dumbbell just as you would a hammer. In a standing position, with knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart, lift the dumb bell in your right hand up to a point between your collar bone and right shoulder. Return the weight back down, keeping a slight bend in the elbow at the lowest position. Alternate right and left hands and complete between 8 and 12 repetitions per hand.
The opposing muscle to biceps, triceps run down the back of your arm, between the shoulder and elbow. This is the muscle called into action during eccentric (pronounced ee-centric) movements such as throwing a ball. Eccentric movements cause the muscle to lengthen, as opposed to concentric, such as the concentration curls described above, where the muscle is shortened. For triceps kickbacks, kneel on your hands and knees, grasping the dumbbell in your left hand. Bring your upper arm in line with your torso, and keep it there for the duration of the exercise. Flex the left elbow back until completely straight and the dumbbell is just above your hips. Return the dumbbell down 90 degrees, keeping the upper arm tucked in close to your torso. Repeat 8 to 12 times on each arm.
Another triceps exercise is the overhead extension. Hold one dumbbell in both hands, in whichever orientation is more comfortable for you, horizontally with a hand on either end, or vertically with both hands around the middle of the dumbbell. Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the weight behind your head, elbows pointing up toward the ceiling. Lift the weight up until elbows are straight, then control the weight’s descent back down behind your head. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Lateral raises are jokingly referred to as the pouring exercises, because the action is similar to that of pouring liquid out of a jug. It is an exercise that really benefits from watching yourself in a mirror. Begin standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grasp dumbbells in front of the breastbone, tilted so that they form an upside down V. Your elbows should be pointed straight down at the beginning of the movement. Raise the weights upward, to shoulder height, finishing with your elbows and hands exactly level with your shoulders. When looking in a mirror, your hands should be exactly in front of your shoulders, and your elbows, hands, and shoulders should all be in the same plane. Never lift your elbows higher than your shoulders. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Weight-training exercises should make your muscles feel challenged while you’re doing them, and tired afterward. They should feel pleasantly sore the next day. Any pain or discomfort in the elbow, shoulder, or wrist joints is a signal to stop the exercise immediately, try a lighter weight, and reevaluate your form.
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