I mostly see three things when it comes to women training their arms: They’re getting stronger, but not toned. They’re scared of becoming bulky so avoid it all together. Or they’ve struggled to lose stubborn fat.
So why do toned arms feel so out of reach for women?
Let’s start with fear of bulking. Bulking is a difficult process that involves making specific changes to your diet and training i.e. seriously upping your calorie intake and investing in some heavier weights. Having less testosterone than men, it is also a much more difficult undertaking for women. So fear not!
Other than bulking concerns–and the glute-growing media hype that we can all thank the Kardashians for–another factor I see influencing women toward lower body workouts over arm training is the fact that, generally, your legs and glutes are simply see faster results. Being larger muscle groups that contain more muscle fibres than your arms, they’re able to take on a larger load of resistance and have more muscle growth potential. Toning your arms can be more complicated and time consuming–more on that in a moment.
Targeted fat loss 101
I’ll be frank: You can’t spot burn arm fat–or any specific areas for that matter. While your body uses your fat stores for energy, it is also biologically programmed to access this fat from all over your body. So in order to understand how to work toward toned and sculpted arms through training, it’s also helpful to understand this process.
- Let’s start with triglycerides. This is the form that fat takes when stored in your body and is a type of fat molecule we use for energy. Did you know that 95% of the fats we consume are triglycerides? That old saying “your health starts in the kitchen and ends in the gym” is starting to make sense now.
- Triglycerides are stored in fat cells. These fat cells are then released into your bloodstream and sent to your adipose tissue AKA the body fat stored around your organs (visceral fat) and under your skin (subcutaneous fat). These fat stores are your energy reserves.
- This ‘energy’ then travels to your muscles through your bloodstream as required via a process called lipolysis. Where you lose it from is dependent on factors outside of our control–genetics being one.
Therefore just because you’re working your biceps doesn’t mean that’s where the energy is coming from.
Simple steps to get toned and sculpted arms
Toning is simply recompositioning the body: the combination of growing your muscles and reducing body fat, so it’s essential to focus on both. My body has transformed tenfold over the years–from gaining 30 kilos during pregnancies to losing muscle mass and shape while injured–which has meant gaining and regaining toned and sculpted arms time and time again and perfecting this method in doing so.
1. HIIT training
What is it exactly? Short periods of intense exercise that spike your heart rate, followed by short recovery bursts. Why? HIIT training is known as one of the most efficient ways to train as it can burn up to 25–30% more calories than other forms of exercise such as running or cycling.
This is partly attributed to an increased metabolic rate (i.e. how much energy you burn at rest) that can last for hours following the workout. Translation: you could still be burning fat while watching TV! Your workout doesn’t have to be arm focussed either–but I’d throw a couple of burpee pushups in there for good measure.
2. Resistance training
If you’re sculpting muscles, resistance training is a must. That means adding a pair of dumbbells or exercise bands to your workouts a few times a week. During resistance training your muscle fibres breakdown which is the first step to them growing and firming. As you grow your muscles, your BMR (basal metabolic rate) increases which demands more energy. In short: bigger muscles burn more fat.
Start with a light weight to isolate smaller muscle groups and perfect your technique then gradually build up. The idea is that you continue to challenge your muscles with each progressive overload.
3. Rest and recovery
Whether you choose another muscle group that day or do nada, a rest day for your arms after resistance training is crucial. This is the time your muscles take to adapt, repair and grow.
4. Perfect your form
You’ll notice a lot of slower movements in this workout. This is to make sure you’re squeezing every inch out of your movements. Quality reps are far more beneficial than rushed ones. Losing form? Your weights are too heavy.
5. Bend and stretch
Your workout pre-game is just as important. Stretching leads to greater flexibility, and greater flexibility leads to expanding your range of movement and greater mobility. This allows you to hit some of those muscles you couldn’t before.
6. Compound exercises
These are exercises that engage multiple muscles at the same time. As opposed to isolated exercises that can lead to some muscles becoming more dominant than others, the benefit of adding compound movements to your arm routine–think pushups, pullups, bench press and rows–is that you also can engage muscle groups beyond your tris and bis with one movement such as your back, shoulders and chest to build a stronger, more confident-looking upper body overall.
7. Don’t ditch your lower body workouts
Did you know that your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle group in your body? As we learnt earlier, muscle burns energy in the form of fat so it’s safe to say that your glutes require a lot of that ‘energy’ when worked. Squat presses may just be the leg up you need to reach your arm goals.
Arm workout to sculpt and tone
Try this arm workout a couple of times a week to hit all the right muscles for sculpted arms, and head to my site for more online coached workouts for women.
Repeat exercise four times.
W curls x 10 reps
Dumbbell drives x 30 seconds
Arnold Presses x 10 reps
Biceps curl reverse arm raise x 8 reps
