It’s t-shirt season! 5 moves to tone all areas of your arms

Tone up your arms ready for summer with these simple dumbbell moves

As the seasons change and we enter the warmer months, it’s only natural for us to start stripping off and exposing our arms and legs. So, if you’ve been skipping arm day, now’s the time to pick up those dumbbells and work the upper body muscles, not just to help sculpt and define, but to help build lean muscle for strength and good health. All you need for the below 5 moves is a set of dumbbells, so you can do these at home or in the gym. Plus the entire workout takes just 20 to 25 minutes, so there’s no excuses!

Do the exercises in the order below. Aim for 10 reps of each move, before taking a 30 second pause. Then repeat the move again for 10 reps with a 30 second pause, and then again for a final time, before moving on to the next exercise. Be sure to use a weight that makes the final couple of reps a challenge...this shouldn’t be an easy workout and if you want results, your muscles need to be held under tension with a weight that offers a challenge! If you’re a beginner, aim for 2 sets on each exercise and work your way up.

 

Tricep Extension

This is a great move to work your triceps, the muscles that run along the back of your upper arms. If your dumbbells are too heavy, simply use one dumbbell instead of both.

• Start standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold your dumbbells above your head, and keep arms up straight. Maintain a straight back and core with soft knees.
• Slowly lower your weights back behind your head, keeping your upper arms and elbows locked into the side of your head. Your forearms are the only part moving here.
• Once being careful not to flare your elbows out too much. Once your forearms are down to your upper back, slowly stretch the arms upwards again so they’re straight above your head. Go nice and slow throughout this move.

 

Shoulder press

This works your shoulders and your biceps.

• Hold a dumbbells in each hand by your shoulders. Your palms should face forwards and your elbows should be at a 90 degree angle. Again, maintain a straight back and core with soft knees.
• Using force from your shoulders, press the dumbbells up, hold for 3 seconds, then slowly lower back down to the start position.

You can also do this sitting down on a bench, with your back upright. In fact you may find that you can use a slightly heavier weight when sitting down as the muscles supporting your torso don’t have to work as hard and more focus can go on the arms.

 

Single Arm Alternating Lateral Raise

Work all the muscles in your shoulders with this move, as well as your serratus anterior; these are the muscles under your armpit that run along your ribs.

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand down at your sides.
• Raise your left arm out to the side, up to shoulder height, making sure your upper arm and elbow are up at a 90 degree angle to your body.
• Pause here for 3 seconds then slowly lower the left arm back down. Repeat on the other side.

 

Chest Press

As the name suggests, this works the chest muscles, plus it also gives biceps and shoulders a little workout too.

• Lying back on a bench, ensure your head, neck and shoulders, as well as your bottom, are firmly pressed down. Feet should also be pressed into the ground.
• Hold two dumbbells straight up above you, one in each hand, palms facing forward.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells down, so your elbows bend. Pause when the dumbbells come down to your chest. Then, press the dumbbells back up above you.

Remember this is a chest press, not a face press, so keep the dumbbells well away from your head.

 

Arm Curl

Give those biceps a real workout with this basic move.

• Stand tall, knees soft and back and core flat. Hold a dumbbells in each hand, arms down by your side.
• Keep upper arms and elbows locked into the side of your body, then bend at the elbows and lift each dumbbell up to shoulder level. Squeeze your biceps as you do so.
• Then, slowly lower back down to the starting position.