Sculpt And Tone Your Arms With No Weight Exercises

Great arm workouts that you can do without going to the gym or using weights to sculpt and tone your arms.

Enjoy your festive shopping experience even more by carrying more bags on your shoulders and arms. Try these strength and stretching arm exercises.

December is the holiday and festive season, which can cause fatigue in the arms and shoulders. The majority of countries celebrate Christmas during the cold and snowy winter. However, in countries such as Australia, it is summer during Christmas. 

The holidays are fun but also a lot of work. Planning to meet families, organising parties, carrying shopping bags, shovelling snow out the door and parking, pushing the stuck car out of the snow, traveling, baking, and so on. The burden of most of these things is carried by your shoulders and arms. Though I am not suggesting that you bulk up like Dwayne Johnson, some simple arm exercises are a good idea. Toned arms are stronger and leaner.

Another good reason to do arm exercises is to prepare for new year’s goals, keep a check on your health, and welcome the new year with toned arms.

Disclaimer: All content in this post is for general health information only. Please consult a specialist physician before trying any new exercise, diet, or health advice. There are no affiliate links attached to this post. 

What are toned arms?

Most busy people avoid going to the gym because they don’t want bulky muscles; they only want to stay fit and healthy. Toned muscles mean defined muscles that do not have excess muscles or fat. And toned muscles are most wanted not just by women but by men too. None of us want saggy muscles. Keeping yourself fit is a necessary part of a modern lifestyle that helps us enjoy life and prevent many diseases.

Different ways to build arm strength

One way of building arm strength is to go to the gym and train under a coach who understands your requirements. He or she will give you selective exercises for your body type and lifestyle. They will also suggest you use some heavy weights, which is the easiest way to lose weight.

Yes, you heard it right! Strength training does lead to weight loss. It is also the best way to retain toned muscles long after you have finished the workouts. But people don’t want to spend money on expensive gym memberships. Covid and Lockdown have helped us discover various online workouts. And we now know that working out at home is as effective as going to the gym. The only thing required are short-interval basic exercises that can be done at home without any equipment.

The best way to stay fit is to exercise on a regular basis. Below are some selected arm workouts that are a combination of strength and stretching exercises that you can easily do at home whenever possible. They are dynamic as well as static exercises and include both cardio and yoga to tone your arms and also improve shoulder mobility. Depending on your health, advice from your physical therapist or coach is essential. 

Holding your arms by your sides is the most basic exercise for assessing your strength and balance. Though 60 seconds seems like a very short time, you can always add more if you feel comfortable. This exercise requires focus and a lot of patience. It is also a good warm-up before you start more dynamic exercises. This exercise can be done either sitting or standing. 

Arm circles are a great way to add movement to your arms and shoulders simultaneously. You can do 10 arm circles forward and 10 arm circles backward. Try to not move your body too much while doing this exercise. Focus only on moving your arms. Look forward and maintain a long neck with your shoulders pressed down in your shoulder socket.

Air Punches

Air punches, with or without boxing gloves, are a great exercise to reduce stress. It is a wonderful, dynamic exercise that makes you feel strong instantly. Simply make a fist and punch in the air in any direction 10 times, first with the right arm and then 10 times with the left arm. To properly balance, stand in a wider stance when performing this exercise. Try not to jerk your arms too much. Play music and punch to the beats, which will give you a certain pace to work on.

Side arm stretches work on your side bulges. Stand with wider feet, keep one arm bent at the waist, and stretch the other arm in the opposite direction. You can keep your elbows bent or straight, but look straight ahead. Bend to the side as much as is comfortable, but never overstretch. Do five stretches on the right and five on the left side.

Improve your tricep strength by doing tricep dips. You can use the support of a steady table or your couch. Keep both your legs stretched forward and hold onto the edge of the couch. Bend your arms gently and come back to the starting position again. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Cowface Yoga Arm Stretch

To do this exercise, you don’t have to sit cross-legged on a yoga mat. You can sit on the couch in a comfortable position or stand with wider feet. Keeping your back straight, bring your arms together. Fold and bend your right elbow over your left arm in front of your face. And then try to hold your left palm with your right palm, making a criss-cross position of arms. Now, lift your crossed arms with your head looking up and hold for 15 seconds. Repeat one more time. And then change arms by overlapping your left arm over your right arm.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are a fun cardio workout that not only adds movement to your arms and legs but also increases blood circulation throughout your body. It’s a good warmup, especially for the winter season. Do as many jumping jacks as you feel comfortable with, and don’t forget to play your favourite music to set the correct pace for your workout.

You can do pushups facing the wall, on the floor, with the support of your office table, or even on the kitchen counter. There are different types of pushups, but if you are an absolute beginner, start with the basic 10-pushup. Keep your hands parallel to your shoulders and dip as low as you feel comfortable.

Bear Crawl

Moving on the floor with the help of your arms is a lot harder than you think. Of course, when we were younger, crawling was all we did. But with a stationary lifestyle and incorrect postures, our bodies adapt in weird ways, disturbing the correct balance. A bear crawl workout has many benefits, like hand-to-leg coordination and strong arms and shoulders.

In a tabletop position, move first your right hand forward and your left leg, and then your left hand forward and your right leg. Keep your knees off the floor and try to balance with the support of your wrists and feet to move in different directions. Move forward for 10 counts, and then slowly increase the counts. The pace of this workout should always be slow because it helps you keep a check on maintaining the correct form.

Read also: <strong>Discover The Amazing Benefits of Bear Crawl Bodyweight Exercise </strong>

Planks are also basic and simple exercises that you can do anywhere at home. It is great for improving balance, core strength, and arm strength. Planking up and down is an amazing variation that increases the intensity and challenges the body’s overall balance.

Bend your elbows to come to a plank position from the basic pushup position, keeping your balance by engaging your core muscles and keeping your toes steady. First, bend the right elbow and then the left elbow into the plank position. Now, slowly straighten your right arm and then your left arm, and you are back in your pushup position. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Read also: 5 Plank Mistakes To Correct Immediately

Stretching your arms and hips is important for mobility. Stand with your feet wide and first bend forwards to touch the floor. Still bending, move your arms to your right side, twist your upper torso, and turn your head to look up as you stretch your right arm towards the sky. Do this exercise gently and never rush. Repeat 5 times on each side.

The cobra stretch is a yoga exercise that is often done after all the dynamic exercises. It gives a good stretch to your neck, arms, wrists, spine, and hips. This exercise also helps your shoulders regain balance and correct posture. It opens up your neck and chest muscles. You can do this exercise five times in a day.

Stretch your entire body with this amazing and simple exercise. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend down to the floor with your arms straight. Slowly stretch your arms forward, keeping your feet planted in the same position, to make a V pose with your body. Keep looking towards your feet and stretch your arms as much as you feel comfortable. This exercise is also great for hip mobility and hamstring stretching. Stay in this position for 15 seconds, and then come back to the starting position.