The Best Exercise to Sculpt Your Arms

Arm toning workouts for women over 50 don’t just sculpt your arms, they strengthen the upper body. These benefits affect your everyday life — supporting your bones, improving your posture, and reducing your chance of injury.

The LivingBetter50 fitness team has highlighted the best exercises for toned arms and steps to perform them correctly. 

Shave the head 

Not only does “shave the head” target your upper arms, but it also targets your core, thus enhancing your abs.  

Start the exercise by sitting up straight in a cross-legged position before forming your hands into a triangle and placing them behind your head. Press them over your head as you inhale but ensure that the triangle stays put. Then straighten your elbows and move them away from your body. Begin to exhale, and slowly bring your hands behind your head back to where they started. 

Perform two sets of 15 reps. 

Triceps dips 

Your triceps, shoulders, and chest muscles will be activated with this exercise. Your body weight is effective enough to feel the burn. 

Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet firmly on the ground and rest the palms of your hands on the edge next to your hips and under your shoulders. Lift your hips off the chair, remembering to squeeze your glutes, until your arms are completely straight. Next, you need to bend your elbows and lower your body until your shoulders or back round forward. To return to the starting position, apply pressure into the chair using your hands and triceps. 

Complete two sets of 15 reps. 

Arm circles 

Targeting your biceps, triceps, and shoulders, arm circles are another excellent workout for a toned appearance; you can do these with no weight, but try adding dumbbells to increase the intensity. 

Your legs must be hip-width apart while your toes are turned out, and let your arms hang in a relaxed position in front of you. Grip the dumbbells tightly or clench your fists if you are using your body weight, and then make small and clockwise circular movements while raising your arms upwards. As you lower your arms, change the direction to anti-clockwise, with this whole movement counting as one rep. 

Perform each direction for 30 seconds and complete three reps. 

Hug the tree 

Hug the tree is a must for your upper body workouts as it targets your biceps, the side of your chest, and your shoulders. Using dumbbells is recommended to elicit a better response from your body, but using its weight alone will still activate your muscles if you don’t have the equipment. 

Perform this movement by standing with your legs pressed together firmly, your toes turned out, and a dumbbell in each hand. If you’re using body weight, clench your fists. Your palms should be just below shoulder height and facing forward, with your arms extended horizontally and a slight bend in your elbows. Bring your arms together until your palms touch before returning to the starting position, and make sure you squeeze your shoulder blades together during the movement. 

Complete three sets of 10 reps. 

Spiderman push-ups 

As seen in Miley’s music video for Flowers, spiderman push-ups will work your upper body as well as your core. You will reap the benefits using just your body weight, but an anchored resistance band will push you even further. 

Start the exercise in a plank position. A resistance band is placed around your feet if you’re increasing the intensity. Move your right hand and left foot forward around six inches before performing one push-up. Place your foot and hand back to the original position to plank. Repeat on the opposite side to complete one rep. 

Perform three sets of 10 reps. 

These five exercises are great for the upper body to achieve the sculpted look in your arms. You can even try these at home without equipment if you opt for a bodyweight workout.

However, it’s important to remember that our bodies are unique, so results can vary from person to person.

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