arm exercises

If you've always wanted to master the elegant and bold Forearm Stand, this sequence will help make it happen. Aside from spinal flexibility, upper body and core strength is a must to do this posture. If you're sick of doing regular push-ups, give this Down Dog push-up a try.

1. Begin on your mat, coming into Downward Facing Dog. Be sure to have your body weight spread equally between both hands and feet. Draw your navel toward the spine, engaging uddiyana bandha (your abs). Spread the fingers wide creating a stable base in the palms. Hold here, breathing steadily for five complete breaths.

2. With your core strong, slowly lower your forearms to the floor, so they are parallel with your torso, coming into Quarter Dog. This is an odd movement for your upper body, so it may take some thought to figure out which muscles to engage in order to make it happen. If your upper body isn't strong enough, you might need to lower one elbow at a time, but you'll eventually work up to lowering both simultaneously.
3. After five breaths, reverse the move. Press firmly into your palms and engage the core to straighten both arms, coming back into Down Dog. Again, it might take some practice to be able to lift both arms at the same time, but stick with it. Repeat, building up to a total of 10 times.

Focus on flowing gracefully with strength and stability back and forth between these two postures. You're sure to notice a difference in your arm, shoulder, and core strength; this will not only help you do Forearm Stand, but you'll be able to work on more advanced variations such as Scorpion. This move isn't just for yogis, so even if you don't regularly step on the mat, you can reap the arm-strengthening benefits of a Down Dog push-up.

Despite what you might think, pull-ups are not impossible and can be adjusted for any fitness level. This infamous exercise offers a great upper-body workout that quickly tones the back, arms, and chest. Not only will it make you stronger, but conquering this move will also give an extra boost of confidence and help you feel like you can tackle anything — because let's face it, you can!

Beginner Pull-Ups

• Assisted Pull-Up Machine: The pull-up machine is a great way to try your first go at pull-ups. The machine uses counterbalance weights, which means the higher the weight you set the machine, the easier the exercise becomes. Start by setting the weight to 20 pounds less than your weight, complete three to five reps, and then adjust the weight accordingly. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to use the assisted pull-up machine at your gym.
• Band Pull-Up: With the help of a superband — a giant, two-inch-thick rubber band — you can tackle consecutive pull-ups. All you have to do is wrap the rubber band securely around the pull-up bar, put it under one knee (or one foot for even more assistance), grab onto the bar (stepping off a stool if needed to reach), and begin your pull-up. Superbands are the same length, but the wider the band, the more assistance. Eventually, you will no longer be a "groupie" to the band and will be able to use your body weight!

Intermediate Pull-Ups

• Jump Pull-Ups: Consider jump pull-ups (pull-ups with a jump start) the next level after the assisted pull-up machine. Standing under the bar, jump up to grab the bar, harnessing the momentum of the jump to pull your body and chin to the bar. If your chin doesn't come close to the bar, don't give up — this move often takes practice.

Keep reading for advanced pull-ups.

Practicing yoga is one of the best ways to relieve stress, but since you're holding yourself in challenging positions, it's also a killer workout for your upper body. Superstrong, sculpted arms not only look good in a strapless dress, but also enable you to do more advanced yoga poses. Here are some ways you can build a stronger upper body with yoga.

1. Practice, practice, practice: Taking a class once a week is better than nothing, but you'll really notice a difference in your upper body when you take three or more classes per week. Choose 90-minute classes, rather than 45- or 60-minute sessions.
2. Skip Child's Pose: While resting is important during a yoga class, if an instructor suggests coming into a relaxing child's pose and you don't feel you need it, stay in Downward Facing Dog to work your shoulders and upper back.
3. Link poses with vinyasas: If you've taken an Ashtanga or Vinyasa class, you're familiar with doing vinyasas, a series of poses (like a mini sun salutation) that involves jumping back from a seated position and coming into Four-Limbed Staff (similar to the bottom of a push-up), inhaling your chest forward into Upward Facing Dog and exhaling as you lift your hips coming into Downward Dog. Here's a video demonstrating how to do a vinyasa. Doing vinyasas between poses not only strengthens your upper body, but also makes your yoga practice more like a fluid dance, increasing the meditative feel.
4. Hold arm-strengthening poses longer: Five breaths are the standard when it comes to holding most yoga poses, but if your instructor has you do an arm-toning pose such as Beginner's Sage, Three-Legged Dog, or Full Wheel, stay in it for a few extra breaths to really feel the burn.

Keep reading for more arm-strengthening yoga class tips.

Want to get a workout in, but feeling like you're short on time? Taking 20 minutes out of your schedule — and grabbing a pair of five- to eight-pound dumbbells — is all you need to move through this abs and arms strength-training blast. The first song offers a quick cardio warmup to get your heart pumping, and then you're off. Each song on this Spotify playlist alternates between two basic exercises. Perform 20 reps of one exercise before switching to the next, and keep on moving until the song runs out. Move at the pace that works for your body, and don't be afraid to take a breather or water break.

*Hold each plank for 20 seconds.

See the Spotify playlist after the break!

If you're the kind of person who can't sit still, then plopping yourself on the couch at the end of the day is probably not an option. But you can still burn calories, even when you unwind in front of the TV! These three effective strength-training floor exercises target your upper, middle, and lower body.

Side Plank Push-Ups

• Begin in plank position (top of a push-up) with arms and legs straight, feet hips-width distance apart.
• Bend your elbows out to the sides, lowering down to do a push-up. As you straighten your arms, raise your left arm in the air, rotating your torso so it's in a side plank position (as shown).
• Slowly lower your left hand back to the mat and do another push-up. As you straighten your arms, lift your right arm this time, coming into side plank on the other side. Slowly lower your hand, coming back to plank position. This counts as one rep.
• Continue like this, completing three sets of 10 reps.

Scissor Abs

Learn this effective scissor abs exercise plus a booty-lifting move after the break.

While taking a stroll through the park, instead of sitting down on the bench to people-watch, get up and use it to tone your muscles! Here are four simple moves that target the thighs, butt, upper body, and core.

Step-Ups

Place your right foot firmly on the bench with your left foot directly under your left hip. Step up, straightening your right leg, bringing both feet completely onto the bench. Slowly bend your right knee, lowering the ball of your left foot back to the ground, keeping your right thigh engaged. For a more advanced version, you can kick the left knee up as you step up. Complete three sets of 15 to 20 reps on each leg.

Rear Elevated Lunges

If you've ever done an elevated lunge using an exercise ball, then you know how quickly it works your tush and thighs. Begin by placing the top of your left foot on the bench, with your right leg straight. Bend your right knee, engage your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground. You want your right foot out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle. Then straighten your right leg and rise back up to the starting position. Complete three sets of 10 to 15 reps on each leg.

Continue reading to learn two more park bench exercises.

Your friend's strapless dress is jealous. Your arms and upper back are looking so strong and sculpted, and it's all because of your secret weapon — the mighty push-up. And not just a regular old just-like-your-boyfriend-does-it push-up. These variations are much more challenging, so they're that much more effective. Add these moves to your strength training routine, and you're sure to notice a difference in your arms, shoulders, upper back, and core.

Up-Down Plank

Plank variations are a double whammy since they work your upper body and your core simultaneously. In this variation, moving from traditional plank to elbow plank will really sculpt your arms and shoulders.

• Come into a plank position with your arms and legs straight. Your hands should be underneath your shoulders and your feet hips-width distance apart. Draw your navel toward your spine to engage your core and to avoid straining your lower back.
• Keeping your torso parallel to the floor, lower your right forearm to the mat and then the left, coming into elbow plank (also called Dolphin Plank). Then step your right hand back onto the mat, and then the left, pushing yourself back up to plank position. Try to avoid swaying the torso from side to side.
• Repeat for a total of 10 reps and then reverse the direction for another 10 reps. Check out this video to see this move in action.

Continue reading to learn how to do three more push-up variations.

One strength-training exercise that's sure to sculpt your upper arms and reduce the jiggle when you wave goodbye are triceps dips. It doesn't take many reps to feel the burn — that is if you're doing them correctly. To get the most out of this move, avoid these common mistakes.

• Lifting and lowering your tush: The move is called triceps dips, not butt lifts, so make sure you're focusing on bending your elbows and straightening your arms with each rep rather than keeping the arms fairly straight and just lifting and lowering your pelvis.
• Rolling shoulders forward: To avoid straining the shoulder joints, make sure your shoulders aren't collapsing in toward the chest as you lower your torso. To prevent this, be sure to lift your chest and bend your elbows directly behind you, not out to the sides. This technique will also help to isolate your triceps more effectively.
• Not engaging your glutes: This isn't just a move for your upper arms. You can tone your tush and hamstrings at the end of each rep by focusing on lifting your hips and squeezing the glutes every time you straighten your arms.