Amazing Arms for Summer

Our diet and fitness expert Ronnie gives her top tips on how to achieve amazing arms this Summer.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Stand tall with your abs pulled in tight before you start each exercise.
• Rest for 30-60 seconds between sets.
• Warm up and cool down with shoulder rolls and stretches (raise one arm overhead and reach for the middle of the back)
• Use your natural carrying angle without resting your elbows when you raise the weights – keep elbows tucked in to the waist.
• Don’t curl your wrists as you lift the weight towards you, or move your elbows when you raise the weights.
• Keep your elbows and shoulders table during each movement.
• Move your target muscles through a full range of motion. Be sure not to swing the weight – control the move by moving slowly.
• Inhale up, and exhale down.
• Choose a weight that will feel very challenging by the final repetition – between 5-15 pounds.
• If your posture or form gets sloppy, try switching to a lighter weight.

Single-arm Bicep Curl

Works: Biceps

• Stand with your feet in a staggered stance, left foot in front of your right. Grasp both a dumbbell and a handle of the resistance tube in your right hand; place the tubing beneath your right foot so there is tension on it when your right arm is hanging by your side, palm facing forwards. Line your elbow up under your shoulder.
• Squeeze shoulder-blades together as you bend your right elbow to bring the dumbbell up and in towards your right shoulder, keeping elbow at side and wrist straight.
• Slowly lower and repeat number of reps, then switch sides and repeat move.
• 2 sets of 15 on each arm.

TRICEPS KICKBACKS

Works: Triceps

• Stand sideways onto a bench or sofa arm, with left foot on the floor, right knee and hand on the support and upper body parallel to the floor. Keep abdominals contracted.
• Take a dumbbell in your left hand, with arm bent at the elbow and raised throughout move, upper body parallel to the floor.
• Slowly extend / kickback the arm behind you until it is straight; pause, and slowly lower. Keep upper arm perfectly still throughout to avoid swinging the weight back.
• 2 sets of 15 on each arm.

DUMBBELL HAMMER CURLS

(This bicep exercise can be done sitting or standing, both arms simultaneously, or alternating).

Works: Biceps

• Stand / sit feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, head up, lower body stationary. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in a hammer grip.
• Keep upper arms close to side, using elbow as your pivot point. Concentrate on squeezing the bicep all the way up, and all the way down.
• 2 sets of 15 on each arm.