5 Exercises to Tone Your Arms Without Going to the Gym
There are a variety of machines and equipment at the gym that can help strengthen your body and tone your arms in various ways.
Considering that not everyone has time to go to the gym, however, it’s good to know that there are plenty of exercises that will provide you with results without having to have a membership.
Although some people may the excuse that they don’t have enough time, many of these exercises can be done in short routines and take up hardly any space.
This is why today we want to share five of the best exercises you can use to shape and tone your arms, without having to leave your house.
Start them today!
1-Pushups
This exercise will work your chest and triceps. You’ll also need to contract your abdomen to keep your lower back straight, however.
How do you do it?
If you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of strength, support yourself on your knees instead of the balls of your feet.
- Place your palms on the floor, a little wider than shoulder width, and push yourself up and down without bending your elbows too much.
- Perform 10 to 12 repetitions, and three sets.
- Once you build up some strength, you can start in the classic position on the balls of your feet.
We recommend you read: 6 chair exercises for a flat stomach in 3 weeks
2-Tricep dips
Tricep dips will help you tone the backs of your arms, an area that typically loses strength due to the build up of fat.
Among other things, this exercise will strengthen your back and increase your strength overall in your entire upper body.
How do you do it?
- Start with your back to a sturdy table or chair and rest your hands on the top.
- Spread your legs apart to hip width and bend your knees.
- From this position, flex your arms until they make a 90 degree angle with your elbows, and lower your hips without touching the ground.
- Return to the starting position and perform 12 repetitions.
- Do three sets.
3-Shoulder press
The shoulder press is an exercise that will build strength in your upper body. It also helps reduce tension around the neck.
How do you do it?
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell or hand weight in each hand around the height of your ears.
- From this position, extend your arms up and over your head until they are straight.
- Return to the starting position and complete between 12 and 15 repetitions.
- Do three sets.
Read also: The best yoga poses for beginners
4-Butterfly lying down
This exercise will work your arms and shoulders at the same time. It’s excellent for toning the muscles and reducing any sagging skin.
How do you do it?
- Lie on a yoga mat on your back, with your knees bent.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise both arms until they are stretched out in front of your face.
- Flex your elbows and bring the weights back down until they are level with your ears.
- Straighten your arms again and do three sets of 12 repetitions each.
5-Bicep curls
It’s important that you keep your elbows at your sides during the full exercise, because you don’t achieve the correct execution if you let them move outwards.
How do you do it?
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows, while moving your wrists toward your shoulders.
- Descend slowly until your arms are fully extended.
- Raise the forearms again and perform 12 to 15 repetitions.
- Do three sets.
Have you been procrastinating on exercising your arms at home? As you can see, there are some simple exercises that don’t require any special machines or a professional to do them correctly.
Try this simple routine every day and you’ll see that you don’t need to go to the gym to improve the way your arms look.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Ramírez-Campillo, R., Andrade, D. C., Campos-Jara, C., Henríquez-Olguín, C., Alvarez-Lepín, C., & Izquierdo, M. (2013). Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 27(8), 2219–2224. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23222084/
