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13 Exercises To Elevate Your Arms To Angela Bassett Status In No Time

Taysha Robinson

Taysha Robinson

Jan 25, 2020 07:04 AM +0000

Can't stop thinking about Angela Bassett, Serena Williams, and Halle Berry's arms? Yeah, me either. And honestly, with suns out guns out season coming up, I want those arms, too. And with you clicking on this article, I know that you do. So, how can we get them? The answer is simple: try some resistance training.

What's resistance training? Well sis, resistance training is a form of exercise that improves muscular strength and endurance. During a resistance training workout, you move your limbs against resistance provided by your body weight, gravity, bands, weighted bars, or dumbells -- aka the training you need for those bomb-ass summer arms.

If you strength train three times per week, as recommended, you'll feel a difference in strength in about two weeks. You'll see the difference, in the form of toned arms, in four weeks. For each workout, choose a combination of at least eight different arm exercises targeting various muscle groups. Complete 8-12 repetitions, and 2-3 sets.

With the arm exercises below, create your own arm and shoulder workout routines that will guarantee you the title of #armgoals in no time.

Directions:
Stand tall with knees slightly bent. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, let your arms hang by your sides, palms facing in.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you raise your arms out to the sides until the dumbbells are level with shoulders (make sure your palms are facing the floor).
Lower your arms; complete 8 to 12 reps
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Directions:
Stand tall with knees slightly bent. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, let your arms hang by your sides, palms facing in.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you raise your arms out to the sides until the dumbbells are level with shoulders (make sure your palms are facing the floor).
Lower your arms; complete 8 to 12 reps
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Works:
Pectorals, Deltoids (Shoulders)
Directions:
Lay belly down on the floor, with your feet roughly 15-20 centimeters apart. Place your palms flat on the ground and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your body straight and long, come up onto your toes and lift your body off the floor with your arms until they are fully extended. Slowly bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest towards the floor.
Stop roughly 10-15 centimeters before touching the ground with your belly. Try to keep your back and legs straight and in a single plane.
Push back up into the original position. That's one push-up.
If this is too hard, do the exercise with your knees on the floor. Or even simpler, do the exercise standing, using a wall. Start with your feet roughly 50 centimeters from the wall.
Aim for doing three sets of 8-12 reps.
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Works:
Pectorals, Deltoids (Shoulders)
Directions:
Lay belly down on the floor, with your feet roughly 15-20 centimeters apart. Place your palms flat on the ground and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your body straight and long, come up onto your toes and lift your body off the floor with your arms until they are fully extended. Slowly bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest towards the floor.
Stop roughly 10-15 centimeters before touching the ground with your belly. Try to keep your back and legs straight and in a single plane.
Push back up into the original position. That's one push-up.
If this is too hard, do the exercise with your knees on the floor. Or even simpler, do the exercise standing, using a wall. Start with your feet roughly 50 centimeters from the wall.
Aim for doing three sets of 8-12 reps.
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Works:
Triceps, Shoulders, Upper back
Directions:
Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, gripping the dumbbell with both of your hands.
Reach your arms overhead, holding the dumbbell vertically. Keep wrists straight. Bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. Keep your upper arms close to your head and elbows pointing toward the ceiling.
Straighten your arms upward; repeat to complete 8 to 12 reps.
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Works:
Biceps, forearms
Directions:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, grasping a dumbbell in your hand.
With palm facing forward, bend your elbow, and pull the weight up towards your shoulders.
Lower your arm. Complete 8 to 12 reps (and do the same on the other arm).
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Works:
Shoulders, upper back
Directions:
Hold a dumbbell in your hand and get on one hand and knee on a bench. Keep your back straight; the elbow should be slightly bent and your palm facing inward. (Make sure to align the bent knee under hips and hand under the right shoulder.)
Tighten the abdominal muscles. Squeeze shoulder blades together and lift the weight upwards until the upper arm is parallel to the floor and elbow is slightly behind you.
Return to start and finish the set. Do 8 to 12 reps, and switch sides.
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Works:
Triceps
Directions:
Start by holding dumbbells in both hands; bend forward from your hips, maintaining a straight spine and keeping your chest up. Keep your neck aligned with your back so you are gazing at the floor slightly ahead of you. Bend elbows, keeping your upper arms alongside your body.
Extend your arms one at a time behind you and squeeze your triceps muscle for a moment before returning to starting position.
Do 8-12 reps on each side.
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Work:
Prectorals, Shoulders, Upper back
Directions:
Lay on your back, on a weight-lifting bench, and plant both feet firmly on the floor.
Reach up and grab the barbell with both hands.
Pull the barbell down toward your chest, then push it away from you. Do 8 to 12 repetitions using as much weight as you can.
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Works:
Hamstrings, glutes, abs and shoulder
Directions:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms hanging relaxed in front of you, and holding the kettlebell with both hands.
Bend your knees and lower the kettlebell down between your legs.
In one quick movement, come out of the squat by straightening legs while swinging arms forward to eye level. The kettlebell should feel weightless at the top of this movement.
Repeat for one minute. (Instead of a one-minute time, you can also choose to do 8-12 reps of this arm exercise.)
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Works:
Legs, glutes, shoulders
Directions:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold kettlebell in your right hand with fist close to chest, elbow bent and tucked into body. (Allow the kettlebell to rest on your forearm throughout this movement.)
Lower body into a full squat, keeping abs tight.
Quickly drive through heels out of the squat while simultaneously pushing the kettlebell up in the air by straightening the arm (at the top, your palm will face forward). Do for 30 seconds, then switch to left hand for 30 seconds. Repeat this sequence once more.
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Works:
Core, shoulders, arms
Directions:
Start in a high plank position (on your hands instead of your elbows) with your arms directly underneath your shoulders and your core muscles engaged.
Lift one arm up and place your elbow down, followed by the other arm so you are on your elbows (traditional plank).
Return to starting position by lifting one elbow up at a time and placing your hands back in the original position, until you are back to a high plank position. Do as many as you can in two minutes.
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Works:
Biceps, shoulder
Directions:
Stand holding both dumbbells next to your hips with feet shoulder-width apart.
With palms facing toward your body, curl arms up to your shoulders.
Continue to push both arms up toward the ceiling, pausing for a second when your arms are fully extended before returning to starting position.
Do 8-12 reps.
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Works:
Biceps, triceps, shoulders
Directions:
Sit on the edge of a bench, knees bent at a 90-degree angle and feet planted on floor.
Grip the bench, hands on either side of your hips.
Push glutes off the bench and lower body two or three inches down, bending elbows (keep elbows close together).
Then raise body back to starting position.
Do 8-12 reps. (To increase the challenge, hold one weight between knees or extend legs out further.)
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Works:
Upper back, Sides of torso, Backs of shoulders, Backs of upper arms
Directions:
Lie face up, holding one dumbbell securely in both hands, arms reaching toward the ceiling and dumbbell aligned over your chest. Bend your legs, feet on the floor and knees pointing up.
With abs tight and a firm grip on the dumbbell, slowly extend your arms over your head and behind you, keeping your elbows slightly bent and upper arms close to your ears.
When your arms are parallel to the floor, return to starting position. Do 8-12 repetitions.
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Featured image by Getty Images

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Originally published on June 25, 2019

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