Learn how to tone your arms with these easy arm toning exercises.
These upper arm exercises help you firm and strengthen your upper arms safely.
Suitability: General – ideal for home exercise or gym/fitness centre
Duration: 4 minutes 13 secs
Please scroll down below this video for more Physiotherapy information and safety tips.
About Upper Arm Toning Exercises
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This exercise video shows you two exercise variations for toning your upper arms.
These exercises help you reduce the risk of overloading your body (pelvic floor and shoulders in particular).
Which Muscles Are Trained?
The main muscles trained are the triceps muscles at the back of the upper arms.
Triceps extension exercises strengthen and tone the muscles at the back of the upper arm.
These upper arm exercises can help you strengthen your wrists, elbows and shoulders.
Benefits of Exercises Lying Down
The lying down technique demonstrated in this video allows you to strengthen your arms and progressively increase the load while minimising the risk of pelvic floor overload.
This lying down position can also reduce the risk of shoulder strain that’s sometimes associated with overhead arm toning exercises.
Technique Triceps Extension Exercises
Setting Up
- Lie down on the floor or on a bench
- Bend your knees for lower back comfort
- Grasp each end of the dumbbell
- Raise the dumbbell above your chest
Exercise Technique
- Lower the dumbbell towards your forehead bending your elbows and moving only your forearms
- Extend (straighten) your elbows and raise the dumbbell back towards the ceiling
- Breathe in as you lower the weight towards your forehead and breathe with the effort of lifting the weight back towards the ceiling.
Exercise Tips
- Keep your elbows close together throughout this exercise.
- If you are prone to having shoulder problems, you may choose to start out with your elbows locked into your waist and lower the weight towards your chest.
- You should feel the back of your upper arms working during this exercise.
Arm Toning Exercise – Barbell Variation
The arm toning exercise described above can be performed using a barbell rather than a dumbbell.
How Many Exercises?
- Start out using a load that feels comfortable and progress the weight gradually over time with strengthening.
- Repeat this lowering and lifting action up to 8-12 repetitions, up to 3 sets.
- Try to perform strengthening exercises on 2-3 alternate days per week.