Okay! It’s time we talk about those swans’ ladies. No we don’t mean those bobbing around in the pond, we’re talking about the guns you pop when someone shouts “which way to the beach”.
It a common misconception that if you train your arms, you’re gonna end up looking like a guy in a wig and have arms ripping out of your shirt. That’s simply not the case, for starters, your hormones produce nowhere near enough testosterone for you to turn into a girl hulk so quick.
Well-toned, defined arms give your upper body a much better shape and of course they look amazing with any sleeveless outfit. You shouldn’t be afraid of lifting heavy or hitting the iron, stronger arms make that dream body much dreamier.
Without further ado, we’re going to run through the top 5 exercises you can do to help turn those little water squirters into battle ready machine guns.
Hammer curl
Hammer curls get their name from the way you hold the dumbbells, as though you were holding a hammer. The name also matches pretty nicely with what you can expect, as you’ll be ‘hammering’ your biceps.
How it’s done:
– Stand straight with your arms holding dumbbells at your sides (palms should be facing one another),
– Keeping your upper body stationary, curl your arms to raise the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows locked in place by your sides,
– Stop the movement just before the dumbbells touch your shoulder and hold the position for a second,
– Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a slow fluent motion to finish your rep,
– Repeat
Hammer curls can also be performed by curling one arm after the other instead of both at the same time,
Aim for 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Overhead dumbbell extension
This exercise puts all attention on the triceps, and excludes other muscles you’re not focusing on. We recommend you use dumbbells, however you could also try it out with a low pulley cable and rope attachment.
How it’s done:
– Start out standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbell with both hands straight above your head,
– Your hands should be facing the ceiling, holding up the weight, and your thumbs wrapped around the handle,
– Keep your elbows in-line with your arms close to your head, and slowly the weight keeping your upper arms completely still,
– Lower the weight until your forearms touch your bicep, breathing in as you perform this motion,
– Repeat
Aim for 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline dumbbell curl
Incline dumbbell does what it says on the tin. You literally do curls whilst lay on an inclined adjustable bench. This variation of a curl is designed to place more resistance on the largest part of the bicep muscle, the biceps brachii.
How it’s done:
– Put the bench up to an incline of between 45 – 60 degrees,
– Lean back against the bench and hold the dumbbells straight down by your sides,
– Keep the top of your arm completely still and curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your palms facing upwards,
– Pause for two seconds as the dumbbells reach shoulder height, and hold the tension,
– Slowly lower them back to the starting position,
– Repeat
Aim for 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Skull Crusher
The name sounds scary doesn’t it, grrrr skull crusher! To be fair, as long as you do it right, there’ll be no crushing of skulls (fingers crossed).
They are in fact an awesome way to build out your triceps quickly, and will give your arms that beautiful toned definition. We recommend using an EZ bar when doing skull crushers, this takes pressure of your wrist and helps you maintain correct form.
How it’s done:
– Lie down on a bench holding the EZ bar directly over your head with your arms straight,
– Slowly lower the bar keeping your upper arms still and perpendicular to the floor,
– Stop the movement just before the bar touches your forehead,
– Slowly push the bar back to your starting position, and repeat,
Aim for 4 sets of 8-12 reps
Cable curl
This fantastic arm killer is carried out using the low cable pulley. Yes, that’s the machine with wires and cables all jumbled up with different attachments.
You’ll find that although you’re exercising your bicep, you’ll mainly train the brachialis that is the muscle that lies beneath the bicep.
How it’s done:
– Attach your rope attachment to the cables and ensure the machine is set to the lowest point it can be,
– Hold each side of the rope handles and stand straight in front of the machine with your arms down at your sides,
– Keeping your body straight and steady, curl the ropes up towards your chest,
– Once you reach the top of your movement, squeeze the muscle and slowly return the rope back to the starting position,
– Repeat,
Aim for 4 sets of 8-12 reps
If you want to try new moves when working out, or maybe you’re a complete newbie and just need some guidance, remember we offer personal training sessions in and around Rossendale, an we’re only too happy to help.
We currently have an offer on personal training sessions when training with a friend, so you and a buddy can now get fit for less. To find out more about our personal training programmes, follow the link below.