By Lauren Zedlar
Elm Staff Writer
Having strong and toned arms is a goal for many people. People commonly associate strong arms with huge biceps, but there are many other muscles that can be worked to achieve personal arm goals.
Biceps are located on the front of the arm, above the elbow. On the other side of the upper arm is where the triceps are. There are back and shoulder muscles connected to arms like the deltoids, which are located on the tops of shoulders, and lats, located on both sides of a person’s spine.
According to experts at The Joint Chiropractic, introducing exercises into your workout routine that focus on each of these muscle groups will give you the best results. These exercises could be completed with the help of kettlebells, dumbbells, workout machines, or even body weight.
The Joint Chiropractic also said “if you haven’t been lifting, you should start with a small but challenging weight.” As you begin to build strength, you can add weight.
While many people might associate strong arms with bench presses and heavy equipment, you can achieve them with no weights or gym membership. There are several arm exercises that can be done at home without equipment.
According to Healthline, arm circles can workout shoulders muscles as well as triceps. Triceps can also be worked out with tricep dips, where a person lowers themselves using their arms to hold something behind them and raise themselves again
Healthline recommends using a chair, bench, or coffee table to complete this exercise.
Healthline also recommends bicep curls to target biceps. If no weights are available, household items can be used like canned food or water bottles. Other good exercises to complete at home include pushups, planks, and supermans.
Planks are done by holding your body at the highest point of a pushup. Supermans require a person to lie on their stomach and raise their arms and legs up multiple times. Both workouts also double as an ab workout.
While toning arms is often a goal, focusing on losing arm fat is also a priority for people when working out their arms. Along with working out, there are several other tips that can help achieve this goal.
Research published in The Journal of Nutrition reveals that adding more protein to your diet increased muscle synthesis by as much as 25%.
A good source of protein include lean cuts of meat, eggs, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt. An increase in protein can also help fuel the body for longer and keep appetite under control.
Experts at Healthline said “A study in 20 young women found that eating a high-protein breakfast reduced hunger, increased fullness, and decreased levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger.”
Another tip from experts at Healthline is to increase cardio. Cardio helps promote weight loss so that new muscle definition can show. Some suggested forms of cardio include running, walking, or jump rope.
Cardio can also be done in the privacy of one’s home too. Examples of this would include burpees, jumping jacks, kickboxing, or dancing. Healthline recommends doing cardio every day 20 minutes a day or between 150-300 minutes a week.
Other tips from Healthline include drinking lots of water to stay hydrated and setting a sleep schedule. Drinking lots of water with meals promotes a feeling of fullness and increases metabolism.
Studies from Healthline found that getting the correct amount of sleep each night is also vital for success in weight loss and exercise. Sleep deprivation leads to more feelings of hunger due to the production of a hormone called ghrelin which stimulates feelings of hunger.
Whether toning arms or losing arm fat is the overall goal, a good balance of exercise, diet, and sleep will help achieve these outcomes.