A PT’s Guide To Toning Your Arms

Start By Understanding What’s Needed
When it comes to areas of the body we wish were firmer and more toned, the arms are up there. In fact, according to recent statistics, 25% of women said they dislike their arms and would actively want to change their appearance. Whether your hang-ups are down to bingo wings or a lack of muscle definition, it’s important to understand what you should prioritise before you get going. As Hollie Grant, personal trainer and founder of Pilates PT explains, there are two reasons why you may have bingo wings. “Bingo wings – the skin that can hang down from the upper arm when lifted – are usually caused by a combination of a lack of muscle tone, stretched skin (if someone has gained and lost weight rapidly), age (skin loses elasticity as you age) and body fat. If the cause of your bingo wings is large amounts of body fat weighing the skin down and causing the sagging effect, then cardiovascular exercise will help reduce overall body fat. If, however, they are caused by a lack of muscle tone, then strength work is needed.”
 
 
Don’t Be Afraid To Lift Weights
Monique Eastwood, celebrity trainer and founder of the Eastwood Movement Method, adds that a strength-focused regime that incorporates some cardio is the best all-round approach. “If you have a lot of fat to lose, up your cardio by incorporating steady state cardio, such as fast walking, cycling and swimming, as well as a HIIT session, two to three times a week, always ensuring there are plenty of bodyweight and strength moves within your HIIT session, which is crucial for muscle mass. Any form of cardio is good for your arms as when your heart rate soars, you’ll burn sugars and fats throughout the whole body.” While cardio can help shift fatty deposits and saggy skin, strength training is vital to improve definition and strength, and can also improve bone density, which weakens as you age. So, where to start when it comes to lifting weights? “Dumbbells are a fantastic way to tone your arms,” says Katrin Schlee, personal trainer at Gympass. “If you’re completely new to resistance training, start with 1-3kg dumbbells. The best approach for targeting your arms is strength training with impeccable form and utilising progressive overload to firm and tighten the arms – i.e., the weight needs to increase over time in order to give the stimulus your muscles will respond to.” If weights feel too intimidating, don’t discard the power of your own bodyweight, says Hollie. “Bodyweight exercises are vital not only from a ‘changing your body’ point of view, but also a ‘you should be able to support the weight of your body’ point of view. Seventy kilograms of bodyweight can do just as much as those dumbbells currently collecting dust in your loft.”
 
 
But Know That Age Can Play A Role
Strength training is particularly important as you get older, although your age could also work against you, meaning you’ll need to double your efforts. As we age, the production of certain hormones dwindles and, after the menopause, many women lose the fat covering the triceps, which can leave an excess of skin hanging from the arms. In fact, studies show age is associated with a slowing of the metabolism and lean body mass decreases with age, while body fat accumulates through adulthood. This can lead to increased body fat in post-menopausal women, for whom bingo wings can be an issue. Monique adds that as we age, our stress levels, sleep patterns and lifestyle also tend to change, which can also affect how we store and burn fat.
 
 
Resistance Bands Can Help If You Have An Injury
A fantastic way to build strength, particularly while at home with limited access to gym equipment, are resistance bands, which also happen to be kind to joints. With bands, you can hit a full range of motion, working more places and more muscle, and they can improve your posture, too. A flat, longer resistance band is ideal for upper body exercises, and can be tied onto an anchor point such as a door handle or park bench for more variation. “I use both bands and dumbbells in my workouts, as they move the body in a slightly different way,” says Monique. “By using both, you can stimulate and target lots of smaller and larger muscles simultaneously. A band can also be useful if you have been injured or if you want to focus on controlled isolated movements.” When it comes to specific moves using a band for the arms, Katrin recommends tricep overhead extensions and bicep curls, ideally done with a longer, thicker band, not a looped band, such as the type which can slot over your thighs or ankles.