With the weather warming, everyone is starting to think about those batwings and flabby arms that have been in hiding under layers of clothing all winter. If you’re one of our boxing students, you probably don’t need workouts for toned arms, because boxing naturally tones the arms. However, for everyone else, these workouts can change flab into toned muscle quickly. If you’ve recently lost a lot of weight, it may take a little time for the skin to tighten.
It’s easier for younger people to get rid of batwings, but still possible no matter what your age.
Strength training is the key to toning arms, but so is throwing a punch. You use your shoulders and arms, putting forth a lot of effort every time you spar or train. You can build muscle suing dumbbells. For the forearms, do palm-up and palm-down wrist curls with bicep curls for the biceps. Overhead extensions and tricep kickbacks are good for the back of the upper arm.
Bodyweight exercises can boost your strength, while they tone the arms.
There’s no doubt about it, sometimes old school is the absolute best for getting into shape. For the upper arms, you can use push-ups and modify your hand position to affect different areas. If you’re not yet ready for a traditional push-up and need to build strength first, start with a modified one on bent knees. The area of the arm the push-up works will vary by the placement of your hands. Placing hands closer together, directly under the chest to form a triangle will help eliminate bat wings. Traditional push-ups with hands shoulder width work the triceps also and the small muscle in the front of the arm, the coracobrachialis. Holding your hands wider than your shoulders will work the shoulders and triceps in a different way.
Use furniture or the bench in the gym for bench dips.
You can workout your arms anywhere, even in the office, if you have a sturdy chair that doesn’t roll or a strong coffee table. Bench dips, normally done in the gym are versatile. Sit on the edge of your chair or table with legs extended and slowly lower yourself to the floor, holding the side of the chair or front of the table. Lower your body until your arms are bent at a 90 degree angle, then lift your body back to seated position. It’s a great workout for the arms.
- A bent over row uses dumbbells. Hold one in each hand and bend at the waist, pushing shoulder blades together and back flat. Your arms should be straight down with palms facing. Pull the dumbbells up to your chest and then lower them back to start position.
- Keep it simple with a plank. Just hold your body in plank position for as long as you can. It’s so simple and quick, you can do it at home during television commercials.
- Being your best and getting your best results also requires good nutrition. Besides building muscle tissue, eating food that has plenty of collagen and protein can improve the elasticity of the skin.
- Whether you come for personal training or boxing, at Revolution Training, we’ll work on toning your upper arms, whether you’re using personal training or boxing. We can have you short sleeve ready in no time.
For more information, contact us today at Revolution Training