Are you ready to say "goodbye" to jiggly arms and "hello" to shapely, toned arms? You don't have to lift heavy weights to tone your arms as you lose weight all over your body with cardio exercise. Three-pound weights are sufficient for toning your forearms, biceps, triceps and shoulders so you can look sexy in a halter dress. Combine your strength training program with aerobic exercise to shed flab while toning because weight training exercises alone are not enough to blast fat.
Triceps Overhead Extension
Firm up the backs of your arms with this effective exercise. Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart while holding one end of a three-pound dumbbell with both hands. Extend your arms above your head, keeping your elbows about 3 to 6 inches from your ears. Bend your elbows as you dip the weight behind your head toward your shoulder blades. Raise the dumbbell up again as you extend your arms toward the ceiling to complete one repetition. Perform eight to 24 triceps extensions during each arm-toning workout.
Biceps Curl and Hammer Curl
Tone the fronts of your upper arms and your forearms with biceps and hammer curls. Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart while holding a three-pound dumbbell in each hand. Position the dumbbells so they're parallel to the floor with your palms facing up. Raise your forearms to bring the dumbbells close to your shoulders, and then lower them again to complete one repetition. Do eight to 16 bicep curls during each workout session.
Transition immediately into hammer curls by holding the dumbbells with their respective ends pointed at the floor and ceiling and your palms facing inward. Raise and lower the dumbbells in the same fashion as you did with the biceps curl. Perform eight to 16 hammer curls to tone your forearms and biceps.
Front Raises
Get buff upper arms and shoulders with front raises using three-pound dumbbells. Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart while holding the dumbbells in front of your thighs with palms facing toward you. Raise your arms in front of you until your arms are parallel with the floor. Lower the dumbbells with control until you return to the starting position. Continue doing front raises until you've completed a total of eight to 24 repetitions.
Other Considerations
It's tempting to do strength training exercises every day in hopes of getting faster results. But doing this could lead to injury and fatigue. Three strength training sessions per week, done every other day, are sufficient for toning and sculpting your arms. You can always spend the other day working on lower body exercises to even things out. Check with your doctor before you start your exercise program to get clearance.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Why is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
- Mayo Clinic: Strength Training--Get Leaner, Stronger, Healthier
- American Council on Exercise: Standing Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
- ExRx.net: Dumbbell Hammer Curl
- American Council on Exercise: Dumbbell Front Raises
Writer Bio
Mary Ylisela is a former teacher with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and mathematics. She has been a writer since 1996, specializing in business, fitness and education. Prior to teaching, Ylisela worked as a certified fitness instructor and a small-business owner.