Arm Toning Exercises For Women

The arms are a very important body part for women because they are often exposed, especially in the summer months, where we wear sleeveless tops. This is just one of the many reasons why it’s important for us to have well-toned arms.

Another, in my opinion, is that flabby arms are simply unattractive. The following arm toning exercises for women should help you develop the biceps and triceps within a few weeks, like I did.

Before beginning a workout regime, you have to be committed to the effort, otherwise results will be unfavorable. Personally, I worked out my arms five days a week for a period of ten weeks, focusing on the biceps two out of the five days, and the other three days were dedicated to the triceps.

I simply needed to focus my attention on firming up the flabbiness in the back of the arms that continued to wave long after I had intentionally stopped waving! I achieved my goal which was to lose 1 1/2 inches off the upper arm and expose the sexy hidden muscles that laid beneath the layers of fat. Now I only maintain those muscles twice a week.

The Biceps

 Bicep curls helped me burn fat and tone the muscle using light weights. As a beginner, my routine included two sets of 15 reps, and as I advanced, I added one more set, for a total of three sets per workout. To perform the curl, hold the dumbbells with your palms facing outward, and with elbows to the side of your body. Bend your elbows, without moving them, and curl the weights to the shoulders. Lower weights and repeat.

 Hammer curls were equally effective, and it’s important to change up routines so that all muscles are thoroughly worked. They are performed by standing with knees slightly bent, weights held by the thighs, and palms facing inward. Lift one arm at a time, slowly bending the elbow, so that the weight is raised to the shoulder. Lower the weight and repeat the exercise with the other hand. Alternate and repeat.

 Preacher curls are my favorite curls because they really concentrate on the biceps, without causing stress to any other part of my arms. Arms are placed at an angle, leaning on a preacher bench or on an exercise ball, providing for a more intense bicep workout.

Some women like to do combination arm toning and leg or thigh exercises to save time, but I didn’t find that to be beneficial to me. I preferred to focus more on my arms, which I found were my biggest issue, and being a working mom, I didn’t have hours to dedicate to workouts. In all, I would spend about 15 minutes on my arm toning exercises, Monday through Friday.

The Triceps

One should ever ignore the triceps, which are the muscles located on the back of the arms, because they complete the biceps, helping to shape and define the arm beautifully. My routine included extensions, kickbacks, and dips, which began with two sets of 15 reps each, and eventually increased to three sets over time.

Kickbacks are a great triceps exercise, which I frequently included in my routine. Stand with knees slightly bent and apart, and the body bent over, so that the torso is parallel to the floor. Maintain the upper arms in position with the torso, and the elbows bent. To save time, I exercised both arms simultaneously.

With light weights in both hands, and the abs engaged for lower back protection, straighten the arms behind you. Bend the elbows slowly to the initial position and repeat. Be careful not to swing the arms and weights, for a safer and more intense workout.

Dips are my favorite exercise to tone triceps because I find the workout to be extremely intense, truly targeting the triceps. Begin by sitting on a chair with your hands under your legs, holding the edge of the seat. Keep hands in place and shift your hips off the chair, lowering them while bending the elbows. Legs can be fully extended for an advanced workout, or the knees can be bent for beginners. Slowly lift the body using your arms, and then lowering it to the floor, and repeat.

There are numerous variations of each workout to make exercise routines more interesting and challenging. It is therefore, recommended to switch it up for the best results.

Tip: It’s never a good idea to overwork biceps and triceps, as they do develop quickly, but require a 24-hour rest to recover.