Workout Inspiration - The secret to toned arms!

Yes ladies!

The infamous upper arms! Tightening up the back of the arms seems to be a real stubborn spot for alot of women out there.

Answer me this, do you lift weights at the gym but still feel that your arm definition is lacking? would you like that sexy cut in the back of your arms to boost your confidence in a tank top? are you unsure of how to achieve this?

Well! Look no further as I have the answer that you are searching for! You have got to work your triceps! Your tricep muscle is that little hidden muscle at the back of your arm that is likely looking for some extra attention - an area that is also a common fat-storage spot in us ladies (Damn it!!!).

Aside from wanting to look good, the triceps also play an important part in our functional upper body and arm strength. In order to make overall improvements with your strength, it is vital that balance is achieved between biceps and triceps - both the front and back of the arms to prevent muscle imbalance and injury.

So that brings me to todays workout inspiration post! I have drawn up a quick triceps circuit that you can try. Do 1 round of this back to back, take a minute rest and then repeat.

1. Tricep Push-Ups

• First get into a standard push-up position - arms directly under shoulders with your body aligned in a plank position. (Tip: focusing your eyes on the floor slightly in front of you will keep your neck in a neutral position and prevent any injurys).
• From here bring your hands closer together so that your elbows are tight against your sides. (Tip: for added wrist comfort, rotate your wrists outward slighty for more comfort)
• Breath in and slowly lower your chest towards the floor. Your elbows should bend backwards as you lower down - ask yourself  'are my elbows grazing my ribcage?' if the answer is no then your hands may still be too wide.
• Breath out and push through your hands, pressing your body back up to the starting position.

You can modify this easily by going down to your knees instead of your toes, or by doing an incline version with your hands placed flat on a level weight bench or sturdy chair to incline your body and take pressure of your wrists 



2. Tricep Hover

• Align yourself into the tricep push-up position.
•  Breath in and bend your elbows backwards and lower your chest slowly and stop just a few inches above the floor. 
• Make sure your core is engaged. Stay here for 30 seconds. 

You may need to go to your knees as you start to fatigue or start this exercise from the modified push up position as above in order to build up you strength and progress to the more advanced position.



3. Dumbell Tricep Extension

• Stand up with your feet shoulder width apart and your core engagedur , holding a dumbell with both hands.
• Slowly raise the weight over your head with both arms straight (extended arms). This is your starting position.
• Breath in and bend your elbows, slowly lowering the dumbell behind your head. Your elbows should be held close to your head and only your forearms should move.
• Breath out and slowly raise the weight back up to the starting position.

 4. Dumbell Tricep Kickback 

• Hold a dumbell in one hand and stand with the opposite leg leg slightly forward in a split stance.
• Slightly bend your knees and lean your chest forward, hinging at the waist, keep your back flat.
•  Your elbow should be in a bent position against the side of your ribcage.
•  Breath out and slowly try to straighten your arm pushing the dumbell back behind you. 
• Breath in and slowly lower the forearm down again. Tip: again as in no.3 your elbow should remain fixed and only your forearm should move. Repeat holding dumbell on opposite side.

5. Tricep Dips 

• Start by sitting on a level weight bench or sturdy chair. Place your hands by your sides about shoulder width apart.
• With your arms straight, slide your bum off the edge of the bench. 
• There are 3 difficulty variations:
• Advanced: legs extended straight in front of you with weight on your heels.
• Intermediate: knees bent with one leg crossed over the other.
• Beginner: knees bent with both feet resting on the floor - choose your variation
• Remember! the further your feet are positioned from your bum the more difficult this becomes.
• Once you have chose your difficulty level position yourself properly, then breath in and bend your elbows, lowering your body towards the floor until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
• Breath out and slowly push your weight into your hands, straightening your arms back up to the starting position - keeps a slight bend in the elbow to take any excess pressure of your elbows and wrists.

 Note! This is an important angle to achieve as it is the best for working the tricep, if you struggle to lower to 90 degrees - consider modifying with knees bent and feet closer to bum until you can achieve full range of motion - sometimes its better the master the basics before diving into advanced!



Final Note: remember to chose a weight that is heavy enough to challenge your strength, but not so heavy that your form suffers - core should be activate and spine should be straight throughout. You want to aim to master good form and posture in order to reap the optimum benefits of these kinds of exercises. 

And there you go! A good killer tricep workout that challenges the triceps from all angles! Enjoy the burn ladies, I know I did! 

Mary xxx