Fit Secrets: Sexy Arms

Want arms like Jessica Biel?

 Arms are always a trouble area for us ladies and that's mostly because there are so many misconceptions about getting toned, sexy arms. It's easy to focus on cardio and burning fat, but for great arms, strength training and toning are musts.

Speaking from experience: lifting weights and strength training will not make you bulk up! You don't have to lift 30 pounds a rep to get toned arms; if you aren't used to weight training, you can start light. You also don't have to lift weights every day to start seeing definition. I try to incorporate variety into all my workouts and work my arms in different ways, depending on my workout. 

• Push-ups: if you want arm definition, the place you need to start is push-ups. They may seem intimidating at first, but you can start on your knees and soon enough you'll be able to work up to real push-ups and push-up variations. It's easy to throw some push-ups at the end of a cardio workout or even when you're watching TV. Once you've effectively integrated the push-up into your workout routine, you can try variations such as diamond push-ups, military push-ups, chair push-ups and wide push-ups.
• Yoga: I now practice yoga every night and it really works my arms in addition to helping with relaxation and flexibility. Low plank and high plank are basic poses that increase the strength of your arms. Upward facing dog increases the strength of your triceps. I have to be careful with handstands because of my wrist, but they are an amazing way to work on your arms.
• P90x workouts: Once a week I either do P90x Shoulders/Arms or Chest/Back to give my arms a full workout. The shoulders/arms DVD uses weights or resistance bands and isolates the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. The chest/back DVD consists of classic push-ups and pull-ups, but both leave you feeling stronger and your entire upper body feeling tighter.
• Cardio: It's easy to neglect your arms when doing cardio. However, there are plenty of ways to use your arms as much as your legs when burning calories. I love my Turbofire DVDs because they use a ton of boxing moves to increase your heart rate and tone your entire body. Upping the resistance when on the elliptical can also provide a great arm workout.

Follow some of these tips and your arms will start looking like Jessica Biel's in no time!

Posted in: arms, p90x, strength training, turbofire, weights, yoga