ARM EXERCISES

TONING

Dips - Seated

• Sit on the edge of a flat bench (or chair) with another bench (or chair) positioned a full body length in front of you.
• Support yourself so that your feet and ankles are on one bench and your hands are on the other. Your body weight should be on the palms of your hands, which should be extended behind you so that your buttocks are lifted off the chair.
• Keep your elbows into your sides and lower your body downward as far as possible.
• Pause briefly and then press yourself upwards until your arms are straight and you are back at the starting position.
• Be careful that the benches (or chairs) are secure and will not tip over during exercise.

Isometric Lat-Pull

• Stand with your shoulders low and relaxed, chest and rib cage lifted, and abdominals contracted. Raise your arms over your head and cross your wrists. Make two fists with your hands.
• Contract the muscles in your arms, shoulders and upper back and hold the contraction.
• Press your elbows down slowly to each side, squeezing your shoulder blades together, until your fists are level with your shoulders.
• Continuing to contract the muscles, raise your arms to the starting position.
• This exercise works your upper back, shoulders and arms without weights, so you can perform the movement anywhere, anytime. Imagine you're holding a heavy object in each hand and use your mind to work the muscles.

Parallel Dips

• Position yourself between a set of parallel bars and lift yourself so that you are held erect by your arms, with your elbows at your sides.
• Keep your elbows into your sides while lowering your body down as far as possible.
• Pause a moment and then press yourself back up to arm's length, until your elbows are again locked at the starting position.

Pull-Up - Behind the Neck

• Hang from a chinning bar, using a pronated grip with either wide or medium spacing.
• Pull yourself upward until the back of your neck touches the bar.
• Return to the starting position with your body hanging at arm's length.
• Strengthens upper back and biceps.

Pull-Up - To Chest

• Hang from a chinning bar, using either a pronated grip or a supinated grip, with your hands spaced at either close, medium, or wide spacing.
• Pull yourself upward until your chest touches the bar.
• Return to the starting position with your body hanging at arm's length.
• Strengthens the upper back and biceps.

Pushups

• Lie face down on the floor and position your hands at 6 inches apart, 24 inches apart, or as wide as possible for the close, medium or wide variations, respectively.
• Your palms should be down, in contact with the floor. Your legs and body should be straight and your head should be in line with the spine.
• Press yourself upwards, fully extending your elbows and supporting the lower body on the toes. Alternately, this exercise can be performed with the knees bent - supporting the lower body on the knees.
• Return to the starting position.
• Strengthens chest, triceps and deltoids

Pushups - Inverted

• Stand on your hands with your legs straight and supported against the wall. Your hands should be at shoulder width apart and your arms should be fully extended.
• Lower your head toward the floor by flexing your elbows.
• Push your body back to the starting position.
• Strengthens the chest, triceps and deltoids.

Pushups - Legs Elevated

• Position your hands at 6 inches apart, 24 inches apart, or as wide as possible for the close, medium, or wide variations respectively.
• Your palms should be down, in contact with the floor. Your legs should be elevated on a bench or chair and your body should be straight.
• Press yourself upwards, fully extending your elbows.
• Return to the starting position.
• Strengthens chest, triceps and deltoids.

TONING WITH RESISTANCE

Bicep Curl

• Sit at the end of a bench or chair with feet flat on the floor. Using tubing or a resistance band, place the band under both feet and step on it firmly. Hold each end of the band with your fists at waist level. The band should be no slack in the band/tubing.
• Lean forward slightly at the hips so the tubing/band does not rub against the bench or chair.
• Raise your fists up to your shoulders.
• Slowly lower the hands back to waist level.
• If you don't feel resistance when you raise your fists up, adjust the band/tube so there is less slack.

FREE WEIGHTS

Bicep Curl - Alternating Arms

• This exercise can be performed seated or standing.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Keep your back straight and your feet on the floor.
• The dumbbells should hang at arm's length with your palms facing outwards (pronated).
• Curl the weight toward your shoulders by bending at the elbows.
• Lower the weight slowly to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm.

Bicep Curl - Concentration

• Grasp a dumbbell in your right hand and sit on a bench with your feet on the floor.
• Hold the weight in front of you, hanging at arm's length between your legs with an underhand grip.
• Bend slightly at the waist and place your left hand on your left knee for support.
• Rest your upper right arm against your inner right thigh slightly above your knee.
• Without bending the wrist, raise the weight toward your shoulder in a curl motion, keeping your upper arm vertical with the floor.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat with opposite side.

Bicep Curl - Incline, Supinated Grip

• Lie face up on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Hang the dumbbells at your sides at arm's length and with palms facing inward.
• Curl the weights towards your shoulders.
• Slowly lower the weights to the starting position.

Bicep Curl - Preacher

• While seated on a preacher bench, grasp a barbell or dumbbells using a supinated or pronated grip.
• Curl the weight towards your shoulders by flexing your elbows as much as possible.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Bicep Curl - Standing

• This exercise can be performed using a barbell with a supinated grip or a pronated grip, or with dumbbells using a hammer grip.
• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. The weight should be hanging at your side (dumbbells) or in front of you (barbell) at arm's length.
• Curl the weight toward your shoulders by fully flexing your elbows.
• Slowly return to starting position.

Flys - Decline Bench

• Lie face up on a decline bench, grasp a dumbbell in each hand and place them at arm's length above your shoulders with palms facing inward and the arms straight.
• Using a semi-circular motion (as if you were hugging a big barrell), lower the weights out to each side of the chest, keeping your elbows slightly flexed.
• Return to the starting position.

Flys - Flat Bench

• Lie face up on a flat bench, grasp a dumbbell in each hand and place them at arm's length above your shoulders with palms facing inward and the arms straight.
• Using a semi-circular motion (as if you were hugging a big barrell), lower the weights out to each side of the chest, keeping your elbows slightly flexed.
• Return to the starting position.

Flys - Incline

• Lie face up on an incline bench, grasp a dumbbell in each hand and place them at arm's length above your shoulders with palms facing inward and the arms straight.
• Using a semi-circular motion (as if you were hugging a big barrell), lower the weights out to each side of the chest, keeping your elbows slightly flexed.
• Return to the starting position.
• Strengthens chest and arms

Overhead Tricep Extension

• Sit at the end of a bench or stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with a palms down grip and press the dumbbells overhead so your arms are fully extended and your hands are facing one another.
• Bend the elbows and lower the weight, while keeping your upper arms vertical, your elbows pointing toward the ceiling.
• Keep your back straight, your head up, and your elbows straight toward the ceiling.
• Continue until your biceps and forearms touch.
• Lift the weight back to the starting position.
• This exercise can also be performed with an angle bar, or with one arm at a time.

Skullcrushers

• Lie on your back on a flat bench and grasp a barbell with both hands, using an overhand grip with hands spaced 12-14 inches apart.
• Press the bar straight up to arm's length, keeping it in line with your shoulders.
• Bend the elbows and lower the weight toward your forehead. Keep your upper arms vertical, your elbows pointing toward the ceiling.
• Press the weight back to arm's length above the shoulders and repeat.

Tricep Kickback

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with the palm facing inward.
• Bend at the waist until your upper body is almost parallel with the floor. Place your left hand on a bench (or on your upper thigh) for support.
• Bend your knees slightly and keep your abdominal muscles tight.
• Raise your right elbow and upper arm to the back, keeping your elbow in tight to your body.
• Press the dumbbell backward, straightening your elbow until your entire arm is parallel to the floor.
• Hold briefly, then lower the weight.
• Perform one set, then repeat with the opposite arm.

Tricep Press

• Lie on your back on a bench with your feet on the floor.
• Grasp a barbell, using a pronated grip with your hands 4-6 inches apart.
• Slowly lower the barbell to the chest, slightly below the nipple line, keeping the elbows close to the body.
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Wrist Curl

• Grasp the barbell or dumbbells with an pronated or a supinated grip while sitting on the end of a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.
• Lean forward and place your forearms on your upper thighs or on the bench between your legs. Your hands should extend slightly past your knees.
• Lower the weight until your wrists are fully flexed.
• Extend your wrists upwards as far as possible. Be sure that you don't move your forearms from your thighs or the bench.
• Return to the starting position.

Wrist Curl - Behind the Back

• Place a barbell on the floor behind you.
• With your arms straight and the back of your hands resting on your buttocks, squat down and pick up the bar, using a palm down grip. Then return to a standing position.
• Curl your wrists as high as possible.
• Slowly lower the wrists to return to the starting position.