Arm Exercises for Women Using Weights
Lose Fat First
One of the basic tenets of fitness suggests that in order to gain muscle, you need to lose fat. Whether one wants to build muscle in the arms or anywhere else, a weight loss progam has to first be implemented. Most women want to tone their arms. Unfortunately, however, muscles cannot be toned in isolation, and if arm muscles have to be toned, then a total-body weight loss program has to be started. That is, only if the fat gets melted off will the muscles have a chance to show through.
Weight Workout for Toned Arms
Weights help to build muscles, especially in the arms. They also help to build a strong core and therefore, burn fat. However, women fear that too much muscle build up will make them look bulky and masculine. This fear is unfounded say fitness experts, as women dont have the necessary tetesterone for this to happen.
Exercise experts will vouch for the fact that heavy weights will do the job much better than light weights, contrary to what people tend to believe. When using heavy weights to train muscle, we tear the muscle slightly, and what we call “muscle building” is actually the muscle re-building itself. Heavy weights give the muscle more to do and hence creates a certain amount of stress from which the muscle has to recover, getting formed or toned in the process. Heavy weights also pump up the body’s metabolic activity, and so burn fat, consequently helping muscle tone to develop legs, abs, arms and all.
The Workout
It is a simple workout that anyone can implement within the comfort of their own home. The weights are called free weights, also known as barbells and dumbbells.
The first exercise to work the biceps is the barbell curl which uses the weights in the following way: stand with your feet hip width apart. Hold a bar bell in each hand placed shoulder width apart, elbows bent, and held close to the body. Move the barbells up and down without moving the elbows.
The exercise for working the triceps uses medium heavy barbells with arms shoulder-width apart, as you lie flat on a bench. Lower your arms to the level of the lowest ribs. Now use your triceps to push the weights up, and then lower it back to the starting position. As it reaches the level of the chest, push it further up a little bit. This prevents the weights from resting on your body, and takes the pressure away from the chest.
Arm toning is but one aspect of the total body workout, and any real results can only be seen when the whole body gets involved. A combination of cardio, weight bearing exercises, and a diet rich in protein is supposed to be the ideal combination for a fit and well-toned body.
