First Lady Michelle Obama has received attention for her well-toned yet feminine-looking arms, prompting women everywhere to ask how they can achieve this look.
In order to firm and tone your arms you will have to exercise your shoulders, biceps and triceps.
Any activity that requires use of the biceps and triceps works the shoulder muscles indirectly. By the same token, directly working the shoulder muscles, as when pressing dumbbells overhead, requires use of the forearms, biceps and triceps, to varying degrees. Activities that bring the forearm(s) toward the body work the biceps, those where the forearm(s) move away from the body work the triceps.
And don’t worry about becoming too muscular. The truth is, it is next to impossible for a woman to become overly muscular unless testosterone levels are elevated, or unless steroids or other bodybuilding supplements designed for that purpose are being used.
Workouts to tone the upper body
SHOULDERS
The shoulder area includes the deltoids and underlying rotator cuff. These muscles give shape and contour to the arms, and provide stability to the shoulder joint. Toned shoulders draw the eyes upward and attention away from trouble spots, and widening this area gives the appearance of a smaller waist, hips and/or thighs. Exercises for the shoulders include:
Shoulder press: Place dumbbells on top of the shoulders, palms either facing one another, or facing forward. Press dumbbells slowly overhead until arms are almost fully extended and then slowly lower.
Front, side and reverse raises: To work the front and sides of the shoulders, lift weights with extended arms to the front or sides of your body. To work the rear deltoids, bend from the waist and lift weights toward the back of your body.
Rotator cuff: Grasp one end of a resistance band and pin your elbow to your side. With elbow in place, pull the band outward (external rotation). For internal rotation, simply pull the band toward the body instead of away from it, keeping the elbow in place.
BICEPS
Located on the front of the upper arm, the biceps run from the shoulder to the elbow. Exercises for the biceps include:
Curls: Start with arms extended and at your sides, palms facing forward (most common) or facing one another (hammer curls). Keeping the elbows pinned to your sides, begin moving weights up toward the front of the shoulders and slowly lower.
TRICEPS
The triceps are located on the back of the upper arm and are responsible for extending the elbow, allowing you to straighten your arm. One of the best exercises for the triceps is:
The pushdown: Use a cable machine with a rope attachment, or if at home, a resistance band, placing it at a point higher than the top of your head. Standing or seated, grasp the ends of the rope or band and bring your elbows to your sides. Keeping elbows in place throughout each repetition, push downward until your arms are extended, and then slowly return to the starting position.
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