Arm and Shoulder Workouts
Arm and shoulder workouts can be done at home with or without the support of dumbbells or weights. Dumbbells are perfect for toning or increasing muscle mass.
The arms and shoulders are a delicate body part, even if the intention is not to build mass, it is good to carry out exercises that tone and also allow us to reduce any accumulations of fat mass. Below we will talk about the arm/shoulder exercises you can do at home, free body or using equipment such as dumbbells, weights or any DIY substitutes, like this:
As with any exercise done individually, it is good to understand what the body is doing in order to try to avoid the risks (not to be underestimated) of poorly or roughly performed training (not a rare situation). Obviously, it depends on the type of preparation, and in our "fitness culture", as well as in our experiences but the general line is not to force the movements too much.
To be effective, in general, a workout must make you feel fatigued but if you have been stuck for a while, start slowly. Giving yourself the right breaks without overdoing it and starting with a smaller number of reps per set should help. Also warming up is of fundamental importance.
There are various types of exercises to train your arms and shoulders by individually involving various muscles. It is therefore necessary to differentiate the exercises for your biceps and triceps to firm your arms. Deltoid exercises are how we tone the shoulders.
If you work out at home, you can replace the dumbbells with water bottles. Its even better if you get a rubber band and a mat for squatting. In any case, whatever the tools, the goal is always the same: to tone and train these two parts of the body. Here are some examples of exercises to do or integrate into an arm and shoulder workout.
Exercises For Shoulders With Dumbbells Or Free Body
To do the exercises that train the shoulders we must train the deltoids and we can do it either through dumbbells, weights or free body.
- Shoulder Exercises: Dumbbells
To train the delts with dumbbells, we do side raises. Stand up, spreading your legs slightly apart and flexing them, contract your abs, put your chest out and your back straight. Bend your elbows slightly and point your wrists down, inhaling. At that point, raise your arms bringing the dumbbells to shoulder height, exhaling, and hold the position for a few seconds and then go back down.
- Shoulder Exercises: No Weights
To tone the deltoids with no weights, the plank is a very good static exercise. It helps to firm the abdominals, buttocks and thighs. Lie on the ground with your stomach facing down; bend the elbows to 90 degrees, so that they become parallel to the shoulders; in the meantime, fix your toes to the ground and start supporting the whole body, resting only on your forearms and toes, contracting your abs and buttocks. Maintain the pose for at least 30 seconds, gradually increasing the resistance until you reach, with constant training, 5 minutes.
Exercises For Biceps
Various types of exercises can be performed to train the biceps, depending on the tools available.
- Biceps Exercises: Dumbbells
Stand with your legs slightly flexed and spread apart. Brace your arms to your sides and bring the dumbbell towards your shoulder by moving only your forearm. Start with the right arm, do 10 reps and then continue with the left right after. You can also alternate left and right arms if you prefer. Do at least two sets of 10. Alternatively, you can do this exercise for biceps sitting on a chair, paying attention to the back and pelvis, which must not sag, and do not close the shoulders.
- Biceps Exercises: No Weights
Doing biceps exercises without dumbbells is not a problem. If you are at home, getting a mat can be useful, or the floor can be fine too. So let's proceed with some pushups. We have already seen the push-ups for the pectorals, while for the biceps we will keep the legs extended. Then, lie down on the ground with your toes firm, put your body in position, abdominals and buttocks taut and extend your arms. Maintain the pose for 3-4 seconds and then slowly return to the floor. If you need support, you can also do elbow pushups to make the movement easier. Repeat 10 times, for 2 sets.
Triceps Exercises For Arms
Also in this case, to train triceps and quadriceps, homemade dumbbells can represent a variant to the free body exercises to be done on the mat.
- Triceps Exercises: Dumbbells
Let's start with some tricep extensions: stand up, legs flexed and slightly apart, back straight and abdominals always taut to keep the torso aligned. Raise your arms straight up and begin bending them at the elbow by slowly bringing the dumbbell back. Start with the right arm, performing the movement 10 times and then start on your left arm. Again, you can alternate between arms. Do 2-3 sets of ten, depending on your ability and strength.
- Triceps Exercises: No Weights
Lie on the ground, resting your knees on a pillow. Place your hands opening them and bringing your index and thumb together in such a way as to form a rhombus. Flex your arms bringing your chest to your hands and position for 3 seconds and then rise. Alternatively, put your back on a chair or bench if you are in the park. Keep your legs straight and initiate pushups by lowering your buttocks but without letting them touch the floor. Either way, do 2-3 sets of 10.
Stretching For Shoulders And Arms
To stretch the muscles we have been working on, it is very important to have the last 5-10 minutes of our exercise session to stretch your shoulders and arms! First of all, to loosen the shoulder muscles, let's move them up and down about 5 times.
Next, bring your right arm up, tucking your forearm behind your head. With the opposite hand, grab the elbow and gently pull it from the opposite side for about 5-10 seconds. Do the same with the other arm.
Next, bring the right arm forward, grab the elbow with the opposite arm and bring the arm to the chest by pulling lightly for 5-10 seconds. Do the same with the other arm.
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