Each person has their own reason and motivation for going to the gym, and when it comes down to it, the physical, mental and emotional benefits are endless. However, the one area many of us aren’t training? Arms. Whether it’s a fear of getting bulky, or just not knowing where to start, we’ve got the motivation you need to never miss an upper body day again.
Bulking Up: The Myth That’s Totally Busted
Are you one of the many women who doesn’t reach for a dumbbell because you’re afraid it will make you look “bulky?” Rest assured, you’re not alone in being very wrong about this statement! Working your upper body will not make you bulky overnight- that’s just not how muscles work. They need a long time filled with many repetitions, high weight, and high calories to produce the “body builder” effect. Rather, working your arms will get them toned with nice definition if paired with a healthy diet.
A Boost In Your Confidence
Elle Woods wasn’t lying when she said “exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy…” Exercise such as lifting weights is proven to help the body release the mood-boosting chemical, which in turn helps to reduce stress and fight off depression. Additionally, there are different power poses, such as standing with your hands on your hips like Wonder Woman, that are proven to increase your confidence and energy levels. And might we add that Wonder Woman has some pretty amazing arms…
Strong Arms Means Easier Full Body Workouts
Ever tried to do some planks to work your core, only to find your arms were shaking profusely twenty seconds in? You can’t do many exercises for your abs, back, legs, (even booty!) without having solid arms to assist you. Exercises like lunges, deadlifts and core stabilization require arms to get the full results and strength training. No more excuses for no upper body work!
How To Get Started
According to Instagram Famous Fitness Trainer Katie Crewe, the best way to train arms for beginners is to aim to work these four movements: Vertical Push, Vertical Pull, Horizontal Push, and Horizontal Pull. Completely lost? To break it down for better understanding, some examples of each are: a Lat Pulldown for Vertical Pull, a Dumbbell Shoulder Press for Vertical Push, a Cable Row for Horizontal Pull, and a Push-Up for Horizontal Push.
Whenever starting to train for the first time, a good goal to aim for is 8-12 repetitions of one exercise, for 3 sets total. If you find you are reaching 12 repetitions easily, try going up a weight. On the contrary, if you are struggling to do 8 repetitions and are starting to use bad form, try lowering the weight. You’ll soon see the results of your strong, superhero arms!
Photos: Freepik