10 exercise options for arms that will strengthen your body

Practicing physical activities improves the health of the body and mind. For example, the arm exercise can be done at home or in the gym and helps to tone and strengthen the upper limbs. See below different types of arm exercises recommended by the personal Camila Bueno.

10 types of arm exercises to include in your routine

According to personal Camila, training the upper limbs “helps to tone, tighten, reduce fat and improve bone density, preventing osteoporosis”. For her, the benefits go beyond aesthetics, they also influence the quality of life. Check out the best arm exercises and how to do each one below:

1. Arm flexion

Lie on your stomach on a mat and place your knees on the floor. Place your hands beside your chest and lift your torso to hip height. Pause and repeat the movement.

2. Bench press with dumbbells

Sit on a straight bench, support a dumbbell on each thigh and, in a leg thrust, raise the weights while laying your body on the bench. Hold the dumbbells high, in line with your chest, forming a 90º angle, and bend your elbows down until the weights reach your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat the movement.

3. Rowing with elastic

On a mat, sit down, stretching your legs forward, hold the ends of the elastic and wrap it around your feet. Then pull your hands towards your body, bending your elbows. Then return to the starting position and repeat the movement.

4. Bent dumbbell row

With the dumbbells in your hands, spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, lean your body, throwing your hips back without bending your knees and with your head in line with your spine. Do the movement of pulling the weights towards the hips, bending the elbows and maintaining the posture.

5. Unilateral rowing with elastic

Standing, step on the elastic, hold one end with one hand and bend your knee slightly. Then, spread the other leg a little and keep your body leaning up. Pull the elastic towards the body for a few times. Repeat the exercise with the other leg and the other arm.

6. Barbell curls or elastic band

Standing, keep your legs slightly bent. Holding the weights, lift your forearms keeping the tops of your arms in line with your torso. Do a few reps and rest. If you want, you can use the elastic band for this exercise.

7. French curl with dumbbells

Stretch both arms up parallel holding the weights. Flex both at the same time forming a 90° angle backwards. Return your arms to the starting position and repeat the process.

8. Parallel triceps on the chair

Sit in a chair and place your palms on the seat so that they are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. She extends her legs, resting her heels on the floor, pulling her hips out of the chair. Then, lower your hips by bending your elbows at 90º. A tip: don’t leave your body too far away from the chair to perform this arm exercise.

9. Development with dumbbells or elastic

Standing, spread your feet apart and keep your arms open with your elbows bent and dumbbells up. Push through the weights, raising your arms alongside your head, then return to the starting position. Repeat the exercises a few times and if you want, use the elastic band for this exercise.

10. Front raise with dumbbells or elastic band

Place one leg in front of the other leaving them slightly apart. Hold the dumbbells with your hands facing down and align the weights. Then, raise your arms to chest height and return to the starting position.

Professional Camila suggested using PET bottles, cleaning products, books or any other heavy material as an alternative weight to replace dumbbells. So you can reuse what you already have at home. In addition, the repetitions of each exercise are very individual and the personal warned: “the ideal is not to perform all 10 exercises on the same day”. Respect your body and train at your own pace!

Food: a great ally

According to the personal, the ideal would be to combine “training with a healthy diet to achieve good results”. A recent article (1) demonstrated that this combination improves quality of life, helping to prevent unwanted body changes, such as weight gain or loss, and disease prevention. According to the same article, a “healthy diet is based on the diversity of consumption of good quality food and in adequate quantities”.

Valuable tips for good results

Starting a physical activity routine can seem complicated for someone just starting out. So, here are some tips from personal Camila that will help you achieve your goals more easily:

• Start small: To create a good routine, Camila recommended starting your workouts gradually. According to the personal, the ideal is to start by “establishing 1 or 2 days a week to train the upper limbs”;
• Stay focused: it’s important to focus while doing physical activity, so choose a “good time to train and avoid distractions like your cell phone”;
• Be patient: results take time to appear, but don’t feel discouraged. “Frequency, patience and constancy are the factors that will make you reach your goal. So, as slow as it seems, the results will appear and the process will be worth it!”, added the personal;
• Consult a specialized professional: it is possible to train at home, but Camila highlighted the importance of looking for a professional, as he will help you organize your workouts and perform the exercises regularly.

Did you like these arm exercise tips? The most important thing is that you are healthy and happy with yourself! And if you are starting your physical activity routine, see what are the best exercise options for beginners.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.