Will I see quick results?
Toned arms are often near the top of the body desires for both men and women, likely because they are a body part often on display throughout the year and the majority of photos include them! The good news is that arm strength can be improved in quite a short space of time and this can be seen quite quickly too which is very motivating. Leg muscles are much bigger and so require a little more time before the work is visible on the eye but they are amazing for fat burn so keep at them too!
How long till I see change?
The hard work pays off but you just want to make sure that you are doing the right exercises correctly. Remember too that consistency is key, do not stop because you haven’t seen a complete transformation after two sessions. Try two or three sessions for 4 – 6 weeks. Take pictures of yourself before and then every 4 weeks after that. Another handy tip is to be honest with yourself in regard to how hard you worked! If 1 is easy and 10 is hard, you should be working at a minimum 7 every workout if you want to see body change. Kidding yourself will only lead to disappointment in the long run.
On Your Marks, Get your weights ready….
I have chosen three of my favourite exercises to do with weights – you can use baked bean tins or bottles of water if you don’t have. It is important though that you feel that you couldn’t do any more at the end of your set. If you feel that you can then the weight you are using is too light. Go easy if you are new to weights but if you have been using weights for a while, don’t be afraid to try lifting a bit heavier. Remember, the stronger you are, the more toned you will look and the less body fat you are likely to have. There are bodyweight alternatives to all of these but they are a little harder so I will save them for a future post!
Exercise 1: Lateral Raises
This exercise is wonderful for your shoulders and exercising the deltoids gives the upper body a really nice shape as your arms start to look like someone who lifts! It is a fab beginner exercise and can be easily progressed just by making the weight heavier. Be mindful to draw your shoulders down and back before you start, bracing your core and keeping your head and neck in neutral alignment.
Pop your legs wider than your hips for stability, brace your core and raise your arms so that they are shoulder. I encourage you to tilt the weights up slightly to encourage a lifted chest and to avoid any internal rotation of the shoulder. Pause briefly at the top and then on an exhale, slowly lower the weight back to your sides. Inhale as you lift for a second repetition.
Do 2 or 3 sets and either go heavy and do 6 -8 reps or slightly lighter and aim for 8 -12.
Exercise 2: Chest Press!
This exercise work the chest muscles (unsurprisingly) but also the triceps! These are the muscles at the back of your arm and at their full potential take up 2/3 of the arms muscular mass! So not one to overlook! It is the weighted version of the traditional press up and is great because you can start with weights as light as 2kg and just keep increasing the weight over time. This exercise stimulates the whole muscle group so is also great for fat burn and overall body strength.
Lie on a step, bench or foam roller so that your head and lower back are supported. Send your elbows out so that they are almost in line with your shoulders as your bring the weights towards your chest. Your elbows will finish closer to the floor than your body and you should feel a stretch through your chest at the bottom! Push the weights so that your arms are almost straight and the weights are over your shoulder again. Inhale on the way down and exhale as you push back up!
Do 2 or 3 sets and either go heavy and do 6 -8 reps or slightly lighter and aim for 8 -12.
Exercise 3: Tricep Extension
This one is perfect for toning up the back of your arms and also give the shoulders a nice stretch too! I prefer to do this with one heavy weight (normally a kettlebell but you can use one or two dumbells too!) rather than two small weights but if you are using two dumbells you can cross them so that both hands hold both weights together.
Start with your feet a bit wider than your hips and keeping your pelvis in a neutral position, squeeze your bottom. Take the weight over the top of your head, keeping your arms straight. Think about drawing your ribs in slightly and then slowly lower the weight towards the top of your spine bending your elbows. Start light with the movement small and then make the movement bigger as you feel more confident. You can always increase the weight for the next set if it is still easy at the end of your set.
Do 2 or 3 sets and either go heavy and do 8 reps or slightly lighter and aim for 8 -15.
How can I use these 3 videos?
Oh so many possibilities! You could use them as an arm circuit, doing one set of each exercise then rest and repeat two or three times.
You could pop cardio exercises in between each one like step ups, star jumps or squats maybe! Or maybe you are wanting to work more on your stomach, in which case you can check out our favourite stomach exercises here (insert link) and then do a workout combining them both!
How Can We Help?
If you are struggling to motivate yourself to train or to start training then you can book a session with one of our fabulous team who will come to your house with all the equipment needed for your session. They will guide you through a workout designed with your goals in mind!
Whether you want to focus on fat burn, toning your arms or improving your stomach (link to our ab toning workout) – they will coach you through all the exercises you need! Not only that but they can leave you a workout to do a few days later and also that positive support needed to maintain motivation and to keep going until you see those results.
Drop us a message, details at the bottom of the vlog.
Have a wonderful week!
Victoria xx
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