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| Friday, June 05, 2009 |
| Michelle Obama Arms! |
Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, I think we can all agree on one thing…Michelle Obama’s arms look great! I’ve been a Certified Personal Trainer for over 15 years and toned arms have never been more popular. Most of my clients in the past have wanted a better butt, tighter abs and thinner thighs, but the Michelle Obama effect has taken over. It seems that all of my female clients want better arms all of a sudden. Thin arms used to be fine for most of my female clients, but now everyone wants toned, strong biceps and triceps. I’m actually happy with this new obsession because I think women look great with strong arms. However, many women don’t work their arms correctly and therefore can’t seem to tone them. Well say goodbye to your flabby arms and hello to your Michelle Obama arms. These exercises will have you ready for your sleeveless tops and dresses in no time. Oh, and they will work for men too!
When my clients are looking to tone their arms and not build large muscles, I recommend light weights with high repetitions. With certain exercises, I recommend you start at 10-15 reps and work your way up to 50 – 60 reps. Some of my clients work their way up to 75! Some of my favorite exercises don’t even use weights. Instead they use your own body weight as resistance to really tone up the upper body. Try this workout for a few weeks and you will see a difference in your arms.
- Bicep Curl – Start with 3 pound weights. Arms in front of you, palms facing out. Raise your arms about a quarter of the way to your shoulders. From here, pull your weights toward your shoulders and then straighten your arms. Start with 15 reps and work up to 50. When you get good at this, start with your arms straight out in front of your shoulders and pull your hands towards your face then straighten.
- Triceps – Stand with right leg in front, left leg back. Extend your left arm straight down next to your body, holding a 3 pound weight. Lift your arm so that it is extended behind you with your shoulder, elbow and wrist in a straight line. Slowly move your arm toward your body and then back to starting position. Make the move small. Do 15 reps and work up to 50. Once you get to 50 reps, add some quick pulses. Switch to the other side to complete the exercise.
- Shoulders and Triceps – Start with hands at your sides, palms facing in. Hold 3 pound weights. Keep your arms straight and lift them out to the side until the weights are even with your shoulders. From here, move the weights 2 – 3 inches towards the ceiling and then back to shoulder level. Work up to 50 small lifts. You should really feel this in the shoulders and triceps.
- Shoulder Press – Start with 3 pound weights. Arms at a 90 degree angle to the shoulders with palms facing forward. Lift your hands towards the ceiling about 6 inches, lower to starting and repeat. Work up to 50 reps.
- Push Ups – The push up is a great upper body exercise that can really tone up the arms so give it a try. You can start on your knees with your feet off the floor, heels towards your butt. Bending your elbows, lower your body towards the floor and then push back up to starting. Start with as many as you can and work up to three sets of 12. When you are strong enough, you can do them on your toes instead of your knees.
Remember, you don’t need heavy weights or complicated machines to tone up your arms. Light weights and high reps will get you those Michelle Obama arms in no time.
- Jennifer
Labels: Exercise, Fitness, Jennifer, Physical Activity
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posted by My Sensei @ Friday, June 05, 2009   |
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| 6 Comments: |
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I'm with you, I'm thrilled about this new obsession with strong looking arms and shoulders! Michelle Obama is a fantastic example of a strong, intelligent, sexy lady!! Love her!
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I get more comments from people on my arms than anything else! I love muscular arms!!! Now, saying that, the body fat has to be under control to see the muscles!!! :-)
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Great post! I am very jealous of Michelle's arms. I've heard that light weights and many reps are a good way to go. Thanks for the exercises!
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love working the arms...tank top season is just around the corner...good post.
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I just wanted to make note to Allison that if she wants some real muscles vs. toned arms, she may have to do some sets with weights that challenge her in the 8-10 rep range. She needs to find out what works for her. I do a lot of reps now but I built my muscle base with some heavier weights first.
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Jody
Your comment is true. For bigger muscles, I recommend a little heavier weight. However for toned, lean arms I go with the higher reps and light weights. It's such an individual thing but many ladies are afraid of any bulk so I like to start that way. Either way, I love toned arms too.
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I'm with you, I'm thrilled about this new obsession with strong looking arms and shoulders! Michelle Obama is a fantastic example of a strong, intelligent, sexy lady!! Love her!