Brinda Sapat tells you just how!
With soaring temperatures, it is time to bring out the strappy dresses and show off your well toned arms. Here are some exercises to get them in great shape.
Do begin with a 5 minute warm up of jogging, jumping jacks, knee ups; any movement to get you nicely warmed up.
You will need a pair of medium weight dumbbells.
1. Lift and pour
Hold dumbbells in both hands.
Stand with your feet a little more than hip distance apart.
Keep your back tall and tummy muscles tight.
Head is lifted and keep your neck and shoulders relaxed all through the exercise.
Starting with your hands placed down either side of your hips, slowly raise the arms out to the sides till the shoulder, elbow and wrist are in a straight line.
Next turn your wrist as if you were pouring some tea.
Turn wrist back to neutral and lower the arms.
This full movement should take 4 seconds.
Do 12 such repetitions.
2. Bent arm forward raise
Holding the dumbbells, bend your arms 90 degrees at the elbow. (Elbow is near the waist).
Keeping the elbows bent, raise both arms till your upper arm is in line with the shoulder and parallel to the floor.
Lower down with the elbows bent.
Do 12- 16 repetitions.
3. Reverse Flyes
Step one leg way in front of the other.
Bend the front knee and bend over from the waist letting your arms hang down holding on to the dumbbells.
Try to keep your upper body parallel to the floor.
Raise both arms up to the sides till they are in line with your shoulders.
Lower down slowly.
Focus on keeping the upper body parallel to the floor so that you are working the correct muscles.
Do 12 repetitions.
4. The three-way bicep curl
Stand holding both dumbbells at your thighs, palms facing forwards.
Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Do 4 repetitions like this.
Maintaining the same movement simply change the wrist position so that your palms are facing down all through, for the next for reps. (That's a reverse curl).
And finally turn the palms in towards each other for the last four reps. (That's a hammer curl)
5. Triceps dips
Sit on a chair, edge of the bed or sofa.
Place your hands at the edge with your fingers positioned towards your body.
Now lift your hip off the chair.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, thus lowering your hip towards the floor.
Then straighten the arms by squeezing the back of your upper arms.
The key is to make maximum movement in the elbows, the hip merely follows.
Do 12 repetitions.
6. Forearm curls
Hold onto the dumbbells with palms facing down.
Bend your elbows to place your arms in a comfortable position.
Now pull your wrist upwards like you are starting a motorbike.
Do 10 reps then turn your palms up and do the same thing.
Make sure the wrist is doing all the work.
There should be absolutely no movement in the elbow.
Repeat all six exercises once more.
Finish off with a few stretches.
Do these exercises on alternate days for best results.
Then slap on some moisturiser, slip into the string-y tops and show off your beautiful arms!
(Lead image used for representational purposes only)
Photograph: Laura/Creative Commons
Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
