Arm toning exercises

coey03 · June 2011

I usually don't like anything but the treadmill or elliptical but I'm sick of the flab. My midwife said it was fine to start something new. I have 5 lb weights and did some exercises that I found online, but one of them bothered my back. I was probably doing it wrong.

Can someone point me in the direction of some good tutorials for a beginner? Thanks!

blu-eyedwife · June 2011

I'm doing :

Shoulders - stand with arms at sides, dumbells and palms facing inwards. Lift arms forward so they come out in front of your body, then open them so your arms make a "T" with your body. Turn palms/dumbells down then lower.

Bicep curls

Triceps: lie on incline bench with arms above head, dip dumbells back by bending elbows and then straighten. You may need to drop down to a single 5lb weight between your two hands - I know I use lower weights for this.

The big thing to remember is back support. You can do the first two exercises seated to keep your back against something and the incline bench will help with the third. Keep your stomach muscles tight and your pelvis slightly tilted just to protect your back.

meg211 · June 2011

Push ups! Plain and simple, no weights or gym needed! Do them from your knees if you can't do full ones, just start adding an extra one every couple days as you work up your strength. And when your belly gets too big and in the way, do them on an incline (on a bench or against a wall). Its made me feel a lot better about wearing sleeveless shirts this hot summer. Stick out tongue

I feel like Shape magazine always has light weight workout recommendations and step-by-step tutorials on how to do the movement properly. Maybe they have a website you can search on?

MesmrEwe · June 2011

First, ditch the weight that is lighter than a newborn... You need resistence in order to build muscle, and fat loss for the definition/toning. By rep number 10-12 of any number of sets, you should be worn out to the point that you can barely get it done or achieve muscle failure. 5lbs. is NOT going to do that even for a beginner no matter how slow you move.. 15-25lb. weights for each arm is a good start. Don't be afraid of resistence or "numbers"... Men have 20x the testosterone that women have making it virtually impossible for women to "bulk". A gallon of milk weighs 8.5lbs. and you can probably pick up two right now with one hand and carry it in the house without much work.

Also, not to ruin the image in your mind, but very few bodybuilders and fitness competitors look like they do in the magazines most weeks of the year. If you saw what they put themselves through to look that way, even for that short time, the LAST image in your mind is "healthy".. Yes, they're in the gym training so are healthy in that respect, just not the final 16 weeks when they're getting ready to compete/do photo shoots. They also aren't following the page out of the magazine or using the latest and greatest supplement or "vitamin", there's a big component involved called hard work..

I also highly recommend a gym membership if you don't already have one, there are $20/mo places that will get the job done to start, and there are places that have babysitting for when you have the LO. Best bet is to link up with a powerlifting/bodybuilding gym in your area instead of a chain. The chains will do a lot of "upselling", power gyms will get you in and focused on your goal/objective for being there and the people there know how to prevent injuries and teach good form! Bench pressing, even on an incline, is going to do a lot for your lats and shoulders (tuck the elbows don't flair them!), you can do this with a yoga ball and weights, but don't sell yourself short, keep the resistence there. Also, doing "arnolds" will help hit the rear delts.. curls, they are what they are, for show... lat pulls with a cable are also good. Seated rows... Assisted pullups are also GREAT in that they hit just about everything and you can adjust your grip to hit different muscle groups. Whether you're at home or the gym, keep the resistence there! If the weight feels light enough to juggle, you're wasting your time.

StrikeGirl · June 2011

I love what a PP said, "Ditch the weight that is lighter than a newborn." PERFECT. CHEERS TO THAT!

I am a personal trainer and daily I have women telling me they want to know what to do to "tone" but they don't want to get "big". Fact of the matter is, toning is building muscle. And there's no way in hell you'll get big or bulky without use of steroids.

Get a set of dumbbells in 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 if you can swing the cost. OR, just join a gym.

Some great exercises to start with:

PUSH-UPS (pectorals): the perfect exercise. Hands wide, isolate the pectoral muscles, drop your chest to the ground and keep your head in neutral alignment with your spine. A LOT of women I see half-ass these and bob their heads up and down while their elbows are barely bending. FULL RANGE OF MOTION is needed to maximize your muscle growth. Do these on your knees on the floor or on a incline if you aren't ready for that yet even. (LIke hands on a counter top edge or something) You want to work against gravity. The closer you are to parallel with the ground, the harder it will be. The closer you are to standing, the easier. I have my very deconditioned people will start with wall push-ups. (Hands on the wall)
BENT OVER ROWS (back) Back in neutral spine alignment, no hunching or elevating or scapula. Think SPACE between your shoulders and ears. The trapezius is a very selfish muscle and likes to elevate our shoulders to help. Tell that guy to relax!
LATERAL RAISES (shoulders)
OVERHEAD PRESS (shoulders)
SKULLCRUSHERS (triceps) Lie flat on your back with your dumbbells in hand. Hands up to the ceiling, stacking the wrist, elbow and shoulder. Now imagine you have a basketball between your elbows. Stabilize the shoulder and drop the DB's down to your skull or next to your ears, If your elbows flare out, you've dropped your invisible basketball on your face and that's no good. Keep those elbows tucked in, isolating the triceps.
BICEP CURLS

Remember the muscles will grow and adapt to overload so remember that when you are lifting your weights. Fatigue is your friend when it comes to muscle building. You are wasting your time with multiple sets with wimpy weights doing rep after rep after rep. If you aren't feeling the "burn" by repetition #15, INCREASE the amount of weight you are lifting. Seriously. Big Smile