Flabby Arms No More: 2 exercises that are guaranteed to tone your arms
Jason Weslosky
| 3 min read
Whenever I walk through the doors of my local gym I guarantee I will see huge muscle guy. I”m sure you know who I am talking about. He is that huge guy in the corner, wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off, lifting every incredibly heavy weight he can find. His face is completely red and he yells out in pain every time he lifts. Clearly it must work because the guy is HUGE.
Most people that know me know I am not the strongest person at the gym nor do I have the biggest arms. However, I know that working out is not always about getting huge muscles. I lift weights to tone myself rather than to become huge muscle guy.
What is the point you ask? To trade flabby arms in for lean ones, free of the excess skin that dangles there, wobbling back and forth. But it isn’t just excess skin. It is a combination of skin and fat that collects as the result of genetics and muscle loss on the back of the arm, or triceps atrophy. Luckily, it is easily fixed with simple toning exercises.
Muscle toning is actually extremely healthy for you. It burns fat stored around the muscle which bodybuilding does not do. Toning involves lifting lighter weights many times rather than heavy weights few times. Including many repetitions will burn the fat without bulking up.
Research done at the University of Wisconsin found that some exercises were more effective in toning than others. They measured the amount of triceps activity in participants doing different exercises; the most activity gave the best results. They found the following to be the best toning exercises for flabby arms:
#1: The Triangle Pushup
According to results, this is the best exercise for toning your underarms. To perform, simply set up like you would a normal pushup but rather than keeping your arms shoulder width apart, bring them in closer so that your index fingers and thumbs touch to make a triangle. From there, perform the pushup either on toes or knees if you are just starting out. A simpler way to perform this is to first begin by doing the pushup vertically against a wall.
#2: The Dip
Using a medium high surface such as a table or desk or bench, place your rear on the edge of the surface. Place your hands shoulder width apart, securing your palms on the edge. Keep your feet together and lower your body until your arms are bent 90 degrees. Once completely down, extend your arms and push yourself back up to resting position. This is one of several great exercises to perform while at your desk/office.
These exercises are quick and easy and can be performed without a gym membership, weights, or expensive equipment. It only takes a few minutes to knock out a set of these exercises, perfect for commercial breaks or while waiting around for dinner to cook.
What are your thoughts on toning versus bodybuilding?
Photo credit ggvic
