Get Your Arms in Shape

If you think about it, your arms work most of the time. Like when you work at your computer or talk on the phone, your arms work.

Each arm is attached to each of your shoulder blades at the upper back corner of the rib cage. Three bones make up the arm. The two bones that work below your elbow are the radius and ulna. The humerus works above the elbow. These bones are skinny at the center of the bone but gradually widen toward the ends, allowing strength to connect to each other. The radius and ulna attach to the wrist bones. Wrist consists of eight small bones that exceptionally move. Whenever you wave your hand or just turn your wrists, you use every bone in your arm.

Myths follow bodybuilding. Like lifting up a heavy dumbbell and exercising the arms does not give you bulky arms.

The truth is, pushing hard and purposeful at 10 to 12 repetitions per set while properly using heavy dumbbells shapes the arms stunningly. Of course, you need to use proper form as you lift the dumbbells, isolating the movement of the muscles.

It`s a good discipline to keep your stomach muscles firm in order to support your lower back. When you lift the dumbbells, do so steadily but slowly with absolute control. You must never snap or extend your elbow, always keep the arms bent like a hinge.

The muscles at the back of your upper arm are known as triceps. It`s a pretty nifty muscle that stretches the lower arm outward while it contracts.The triceps work with the biceps, controlling almost every arm movement.

In order to tone triceps, extensions need to be applied, eliminating the flabby jingles. You either sit or stand and hold a dumbbell with your hands facing back behind the head.

You need to keep the elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Extend your arms up while contracting the triceps and lower the dumbbell back down.

You can even try using band or tube by hooking it up to a chair behind you and perform the same exercise, contract and lower.

Sooner you start working on your arms the sooner they will look more shapely. It is never too late to start. Let me know how you do.

These two triceps workouts can be done at home. They are excellent and can be done every other day. I do them first thing in the morning after I finish my core exercises.

First Tricep Exercise

These effective triceps workouts require no equipment. The first one is this arm exercise because it is similar to a push-up but done on both sides of the body with one arm.

You lie down on a mat and rest on your left side. You stack your legs and bend your knees little. You place your left hand on the right shoulder cup. Place your right hand facing down on the mat near your body.

You press from your right hand and lift the upper part of your body. You extend your right arm until it straightens. Perform 12 repetitions and repeat the same steps on the right side of the body.

Second Tricep Exercise

Now, you do a push up on the mat. Set your body in a position to perform a push-up. Your hands are right beneath your shoulders.

When you perform this push-up, you need to keep your elbows near your sides, tighten your core muscles and glutes. You lower your body to the mat and feel your triceps being engaged. Raise the body back up and repeat until 12 repetitions are completed.

My favorite triceps exercise is the bar dips. The bar dips are performed on parallel bars. Most gyms have them set up for their members because the exercise is so popular. If you work our at home, you can create the same effect by using two solid chairs from your dining room.

You grab the parallel bars on each side and lift up. Lock your elbows and let your lower body hang while balancing your body so it is even.

Tighten your core muscles, faintly lean your body forward, and smoothly dip your body by letting your arms bend. You dip your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees angle and your chest is even with the parallel bars.

Lift your body back up to the original position by locking your elbows. Work up to 12 repetitions. If you are weak, use a Graviton Machine. Most gyms offer this machine, which allows you to lift a percentage of your weight. That way, you can do more dips.

Because the triceps are so hard to work out, you need to work them every other day. You will see positive results within six weeks. Then, you keep at it and never stop.

People compliment my arms because they are tone, and they ask how I keep my arms tone. I let them know about these exercises. Some have done them with success while others don't bother exercising.

The point I am trying to make is you need to exercise them on a regular basis. You will see a difference in your arms before and after toning.