Wave With Confidence.
You know what I’m talking about. The backs of your arms that either you or someone you know complains about from time to time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this complaint! But there are some things you need to know if you want to try to improve your arms. First of all, when you put your arm up into the classic “waving” position, your triceps (the muscles on the backs of your arms) are in a relaxed position, making them appear "loose." The next thing you need to know is that just like the rest of your body, you can’t “spot train.” This means that you cannot train a specific part of your body to lose weight in that one spot. To lose fat, you MUST participate in regular cardiovascular exercise, elevating your heart rate for at least 20-30 minutes on most days of the week. You must also eat a healthy diet, limiting your caloric intake to the specific needs of your body. This is a very vague statement I know, but these details are all for another post. The main point is that you must participate in regular physical activity for your entire body to lose fat. Period. That being said, you CAN improve the strength and tone of your muscles, thus firming up so that when the fat does start to come off, those muscles can shine through! In addition to your overall workout, here are some exercises you can incorporate to firm up that wave!
1. Push-ups. I know, you’ve heard a lot about these from me in the past. But push-ups are perfect for improving that arm strength that so many of us may lack. They also work on your shoulders, core, chest, and back muscles, toning many “problem areas.” There are a variety of ways to do this exercise. Click here to check out my latest post on Simplifying the Push-Up.
2. Dips: This exercise directly targets the backs of your arms, the triceps.
3. Shoulder Press-ups: By pushing your arms straight up from your shoulders, you not only train your triceps, you also train your shoulder muscles.
4. Shoulder Squeezes with bands: This strengthens the backs of your shoulders and the upper part of your back.
5. Biceps Curls: These are for the front of your arm, or as my kids would call it, “Your Bump”. Think of the muscles that you want to show when you “flex.” Let’s make those arms look good in any position!
As I stated above, these exercises alone will not improve your “Queen’s Wave” to your loved ones. But by incorporating these into an already well-rounded workout, you will start to see a difference in those beautiful arms!
