Women often neglect strengthening their arms simply because they don’t know which exercises to do, but building arm strength is important for a number of reasons. A woman with strong arms can help…
1. Prevent osteoporosis
2. Strengthen the spine
3. Improve posture
5 More Reasons Women Should Lift Weights
Plus, who doesn’t love toned arms?! Allow me to take you through my five best arm exercises for women. All you need for this routine is a pair of dumbbells and a few short minutes in your living room, hotel room, or wherever you may have a few spare minutes!
OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION
— Begin standing with your feet shoulder distance apart.
— Hold a dumbbell with both hands in a heart-shaped grip (it should feel like you’re cradling the dumbbell).
— Bring the dumbbell behind your head, bending your elbows.
— Engage your core and extend your arms straight, reaching the dumbbell overhead.
— Slowly return to the starting position. This is one rep. Complete 8-12 reps.
UPRIGHT ROW
— Begin standing with your feet shoulder distance apart.
— Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight, with your palms facing in toward your body.
— Engage your core and pull the dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping them close to your body.
— Pause at the top and slowly lower dumbbells back down. This is one rep. Complete 8-12 reps.
BICEPS CURL + SHOULDER PRESS
— Begin standing with your feet shoulder distance apart.
— Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight, with your palms facing forward.
— Slowly bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
— Rotate your wrists so that your palms face out and press the dumbbells overhead until they touch.
— Slowly reverse the motion to return to the starting position. This is one rep. Complete 8-12 reps.
MODIFIED PUSHUP
— Begin in a pushup position. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders.
— Without moving your hands, come onto your knees and cross your ankles.
— Your body should be a straight line from the crown of your head to your knees.
— Keeping your core engaged, bend your elbows, lower your body down until your chest almost touches the floor.
— Push your body back up by straightening your arms. This is one rep. Complete 8-12 reps.
Try Our Ultimate Pushup Guide!
DOLPHIN POSE
— Begin on all fours, with your shoulders stacked above your wrists and your hips stacked above your knees.
— Tuck your toes and send your hips up and back into Downward Facing Dog.
— From Downward Facing dog, lower your elbows to the ground. Keep your forearms parallel to each other – this is dolphin pose.
— Hold for 8-10 breaths.
ALSO READ:
Dempsey’s Strawberry Banana Crunch Smoothie Bowl for Post-Workout Recovery