Finding Effective Arm Exercises that Work

Article by Protica Research

There are some parts of the body that simply defy toning, no matter what you do to them. Some people are blessed with arms that stay slender even when they gain a little bit of extra weight while others may have toneless, flabby arms even at their thinnest. No matter which one you are, if you are interested in arm exercises, there are several things that you should know.

First, you should know the mechanics of bulking up. There are a number of myths that still keep women from picking up a dumbbell. Second, you should know where to go to learn not only exercises but to learn proper and safe form as well. If you are not going to do your arm exercises correctly, you would be better off not doing them at all. Third, you should also understand how good nutrition is as important as the right exercises at toning your body because no matter how much weight you pick up or how many times you lift it up and down, it won’t be effective if your muscles are hidden by a layer of fat and flab.

The Truth About Bulky Arms and More

Women have often refused to pick up more than a two or three pound dumbbell, curling it once or twice and then putting them down, aghast that they are suddenly going to turn into the Terminator. It is important to note that women do not automatically bulk up and that genetically, they are not predisposed to being big and beefy.

The women who compete in the body building competitions are rare- they have worked very hard, often for hours at a time, putting particular effort into each and every muscle group in their body to look the way they do. In addition to all of the hard work that they do in the gym, they also know how to flex and pose their muscles to make them appear even bigger and more toned. A man may do a few reps with a dumbbell and get some pretty solid definition because genetically he is meant to have more upper body strength than a woman does.

Even when a man does a lot of repetitions with a dumbbell, he may only see so much progression because he is not challenging his arm muscles. Once they learn the arm exercises that are being used they use muscle memory and work more efficiently. While you want that with your heart and with your car’s engine, you don’t want your muscles to be so efficient that they do not have to work to accomplish what they need to do.

The key to finding the right arm exercises is to find one that exhausts your arm muscles within twelve reps. If you can safely and effectively do more than fifteen reps, you are either using improper form or you have been using a weight that is too light. If you cannot complete ten reps, your weight is too heavy.

Proper Form and Safety

There are several different types of arm exercises that can be used effectively including those that use weights and those that do not. Exercises that do not rely on weights may instead use body weight as the resistance and can include pushups, chin ups, arm dips, and others. Exercises that use various types of weights or others should be designed to hit all of the muscle groups in the arms. Regardless of the type of arm exercises that you are doing, you need to be sure that you are using proper form. If you are lifting too high or not high enough, you are not going to see any results and are far more likely to cause injuries which can lead you to slacking off on upcoming workouts and then not managing to accomplish you goals.

The Tools You Need for Arm Exercises

You can use a solid bar with several pounds on each end (called a barbell) or a small hand weight called a dumbbell. These are not the only tools that can be beneficial for arm exercises however. There are stretchy bands that can also give you fast, effective and very portable exercise no matter where you are going.

In addition, there is the kettle bell which delivers more fat fighting and body toning benefits than both 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes of traditional weight lifting. The kettle bell uses full body motions that rev your heart rate faster and causes more calorie burn with an estimated 400 calories in 20 minutes. Just as with other types of arm exercises and tools, the kettle bell has a number of guidelines including: standing tall, keeping the shoulders down and the chest lifted. Contract your core to both stabilize yourself as you lift and to provide a secondary ab workout at the same time. And finally, whether you are using the kettle bell or doing the same movements with a dumbbell, you should make sure that you are using controlled movements throughout each repetition. Do not let momentum make the move for you.

Why Good Nutrition Matters to Your Arm Exercises too

As previously mentioned, the arm exercises will have no impact on the look of your arms if you are buried under the flab and fat of being overweight. Muscle burns more calories than fat does so once you start building solid and lean mass, you will be able to eat a little more without gaining weight, however you have to kick your metabolism into gear before that can happen.

A good diet is one that has the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and the right number of calories per day. As you get active, your hunger will pick up- you have to work to find the right number of calories that keep you satisfied but do not pack on more weight. You may also find that you need to boost the amount of protein that you are consuming as well. For some, protein supplements are a good idea and can include Profect from Protica which has 25 grams of protein per 110 calorie serving.

Build triceps and arms with exercise bands; learn resistance band exercises for upper body muscles in this free video. Expert: Jeanette Stojcevski Bio: Jeannette Stojcevski has been an avid runner for over 15 years. Her track career started in middle school and spans through college. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan