| Easy Arm Exercises |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-207 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Below, Ask DIY Fitness Expert Stacie Saunders answers five of the most commonly asked questions about workouts that result in bigger, better-defined arms: Q: I feel like I neglect my arms when I'm working out. What exercises should I start doing for them? A: First, try keeping a journal. Write down what you do and what's working for you in a plain notebook, and that will help you not to neglect anything. For a basic workout to get you started on your arms, use free weights. Do bicep curls (figure A) with elbows bent, one weight clenched in each hand. Slowly pull your forearms up to your shoulders and then lower them down to your sides. For your triceps, bend your knees and bring the weights in your hands behind your back, skier-style (figure B), with your elbows bent. Then bring the weights forward, with elbows still bent, and then back again in a smooth arc on either side of your body. Q: Biceps, triceps, how do I know what I'm working out? A: Your biceps are on the underside of your upper arm, the ones you flex to show your strength. They're what you use to lift groceries at the house and that sort of thing. Triceps are on the back of your upper arm. You can do an exercise for your triceps right at home using a chair. Position yourself as if you're sitting on air in front of the chair, with knees bent and hands gripping the chair behind you (figure C). Then, keeping your elbows in line with your shoulders, bend your elbows slightly to bring your body down (not forward or back, just down) a few inches. Then extend your elbows to bring your body back up again. Once you're used to this exercise and need more challenge, try it with your legs straight out in front of you instead of with your knees bent. Whenever you do such exercises, remember to keep breathing at a regular pace. Q: How often should I do arm exercises? A: Three times a week is more than enough. You never, ever, ever want to overtrain. Instead, give your body time to rest between workouts. Q: I'm not seeing much progress, even though I work out my arms a couple of times a week. What else can I do? A: Remember, it takes at least four weeks to see results. If you don't see progress after that, maybe you need more challenge. Try a barbell, without any extra weight at first, because it weighs around 35 pounds. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Grip the barbell with your palms facing the sky. Then, breathing out and with elbows bent, lift the barbell up toward your chest. Don't bring the barbell all the way to your chest. Just bring it far enough to keep tension on your arm muscles. Then bring the barbell down again until it's almost resting on your legs. This is definitely more challenging and gives you a way to vary the free-weight workout. Q: I can't get rid of that flabby stuff on the back of my arms. Any suggestions? A: You can't overcome genetics, but you can do exercises that really focus on triceps. Here's one: Sit with your back straight in a straightback chair. Lift a free weight to the side of your head with your elbow bent, until your hand is behind your head right about at ear level. Then slowly extend your hand, while still gripping the weight, until your arm is straight above your head (as if you wish to answer a question in class). If you have a heavier weight, use both arms at once (figure D). Web site resource for Easy Arm Exercises: Exercising Problem Spots from HGTV.Com Books: Hit the Spot: How to Target, Tone and Slim Your Problem Areas
By Denise Austin
ISBN: 0684802184
Simon and Schuster
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Web site: www.simonsays.com Stronger Arms and Upper Body
By Sean Cochran, Tom House
ISBN: 0880119772
Human Kinetics Publications Inc.
P.O. Box 5076
Phone: 217-351-5076
Fax: 217-351-2674
E-mail: hk@hkusa.com
Web site: HumanKinetics.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
