How to tighten your arm muscles? Workout without dumbbells with your own weight. Video

Many girls dream of slender, toned arms, but are afraid of training with dumbbells or kettlebells because they do not want their muscles to visually increase in volume. Together with an American fitness blogger Sami Clark

We show exercises for arms without additional weights that will make your arms thinner and more prominent. The big advantage of such a workout is that it will not take much time, but will help keep not only the muscles of the arms, but also the abs and deltoid muscles in good shape.

Clark himself recommends doing the exercises for 45 seconds with 15 second breaks in between. The only equipment you will need is a gymnastics mat.

One-arm lateral push-ups

Initial position:

lying on your right side, legs bent 90°. Place your right hand on your left thigh, and push with your other hand so that your left hand is parallel to your right shoulder. Don't move your supporting hand too far from your body.

How to do it?

Extend your left arm at the elbow to lift yourself off the floor. Perform the movement smoothly, without jerking. Bend your left arm at the elbow and return to the starting position.

Try to transfer the load to your arm rather than lifting using your lateral abdominal muscles. After a 15 second break, repeat the exercise on the other side.

Cable extensions.

Cable extensions are exactly the kind of exercise that cannot be done with just your own weight, and they will perfectly complement your TRAINING PROGRAM . It's simple, convenient and affordable. An ordinary car cable is quite inexpensive and can be easily attached at home.

Arm extension.

“Arm extension” is already an exercise for more advanced users, since it requires more physical preparation than others.

Without using a dumbbell, horizontal bar, cable or some other “device”, it is impossible to train biceps. In terms of the price/convenience/result ratio, the car cable is simply unbeatable: it’s cheap, can be attached to any pole, and works perfectly on the biceps.

Reverse push-ups and touch leg raises

Initial position:

sitting on the floor, knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart and pressed to the floor. Place your hands behind you slightly wider than shoulder width. Raise your pelvis, supporting your legs and arms, so that your body forms a straight line.

How to do it?

Bend your elbows, lowering your body. Try not to lower your hips too much. Straighten your arms and return to the previous position. Repeat the movement two times.

In the starting position, raise your left leg and right arm. Touch your hand to your foot. Return your arm and leg to the floor. Repeat the movement with the other hand. Alternate exercises: after two reverse push-ups, perform leg raises with a hand touch.

A set of exercises for arms with dumbbells and elastic band

An indispensable assistant for working out the arm muscles are various weights, the most popular of which are dumbbells.

Exercises with dumbbells can effectively strengthen, build and pump up arm muscles.

The French press with a dumbbell while standing helps develop strength not only for men, but also for women.

This exercise works the following muscles well:

triceps;
deltas;
muscles of the back of the forearms.

Great for working triceps and deltoids

Correct execution technique:

Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, arms slightly bent at the elbows, raised above the head and holding a dumbbell, holding it in a finger lock.
As you inhale, gently lower the dumbbell behind your head, bending your elbows and concentrating on the sensations in the triceps area. The muscle should stretch noticeably.
As you exhale, slowly raise your arms with the dumbbell to the starting position.
We do the required number of approaches.

Also watch a video on strengthening muscles and how to properly tighten sagging muscles using the French press.

Video: French press with dumbbells

Dumbbell Bench Press

Basic exercise for the muscles of the arms, back and chest. Helps achieve excellent definition of the triceps and deltoid muscles.

Technique:

Starting position: lying down with dumbbells in your hands. Hands at chest level, elbows to the sides.
As you exhale, raise your arms with dumbbells up, straightening your elbows.
While inhaling, we return to the starting position.
Repeat as many times as necessary.

Bend your elbows

A simple but very effective exercise for working your biceps. Easy to do at home.

Technique:

Starting position: sitting on a bench or stool, back straight, arms bent at the elbows, elbows pressed to the body, hands at chest level. There is a dumbbell in each hand.
While inhaling, we straighten our arms, lowering the dumbbells down.
As we exhale, we raise our arms, bending them at the elbows, to their original position.

The exercise is performed in 8–16 approaches, the weight of the dumbbell is determined by the level of physical fitness and usually ranges from 3 kg and above.

Dumbbell Hammer Raise

This exercise, despite its simplicity and accessibility, effectively pumps the biceps, forming excellent relief.

You can raise your hands at the same time, you can take turns

Technique:

Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended along the body, palms with dumbbells turned with the inner sides towards the hips. The back is straight, the elbows do not protrude forward, being at the same level as the body.
As you exhale, bend your right arm at the elbow, lifting the dumbbell to your shoulder.
As you inhale, lower the dumbbell back down.
We switch hands, bending and lowering the left hand.
Repeat as many times as necessary.

For the best effect, you need to do about 10 repetitions on each arm in 2 or 3 sets.

Raising arms to the sides with an elastic band

This exercise requires a special elastic band or expander with handles. Both can be purchased at a sports store; the choice depends on your capabilities and preferences. If you are not at home or in the gym, you can train using an elastic band while hiking, business trips and traveling. This projectile is lightweight, but effectively helps strengthen muscles due to the resistance of the material (photo).

The lateral raise exercise is quite simple and is aimed at developing the biceps, deltoids and wings. Choose the tension level of the tape depending on your physical fitness.

Technique:

Starting position: standing, tape under your feet, feet standing on it shoulder-width apart. Hands hold the tape by the ends and lower it down.
Overcoming the resistance of the band, as you exhale, pull your straight arms up above your head through the sides.
As you inhale, slowly lower your arms down.

The exercise should be done 20–25 times in 2–3 approaches. If you are a complete beginner and have never pumped your arms before, then it is better to do fewer repetitions, about 10-15, so that the muscles do not get clogged the next day. But over the course of 4-5 sessions, it is worth gradually increasing the number of approaches and repetitions to the level.

Knee push-ups

Initial position:

emphasis lying on your knees. Hands shoulder-width apart, hands pointing straight forward.

How to do it?

Bend your arms and lower your body almost to the floor. Elbows should be directed along the body. Rise up on your hands to the starting position. Make sure that your body forms a straight line, there is no arching in your back, and your pelvis remains level.

By performing this set of exercises several times a week, you can not only make your arms thinner and stronger, but also improve your posture. To increase the intensity of your workout, repeat two or three sets in a row after a one-minute break.

An effective set of 5 exercises for hands

A training complex for arms at home should be performed regularly and each exercise should be approached responsibly. no more than three times a week ; if the emphasis is on stretching the arm muscles, then you are allowed to do it every day.

Excessive stress on the muscles of the arms, especially those who are physically unprepared, can cause pain that will not allow you to continue further exercise and will cause significant discomfort. The load should be increased gradually , and the exercises should move from simple to more complex.

So, training for arms without dumbbells is presented in the form of a set of 5 exercises.

Important! There is no need to be wary of the appearance of huge “male” hands. Without heavy weight training equipment, special sports supplements and patient work, this will not happen.

Narrow push-ups

Push-ups are the most effective arm exercise without using dumbbells. For people just starting to exercise, it is better to perform the exercise from a bed or sofa . To make it easier, you can also rest your knees on the floor. Among other things, this movement is excellent for removing fat from the underarm area.

Starting position - lying down. Straight legs together with the body create one line, with the toes resting on the floor. Place your hands on the floor so that your fingers do not leave the imaginary shoulder line;
The distance between the palms is equal to the shoulder girdle, the arms are almost perpendicular to the floor. Smoothly bend your elbows, lowering yourself down;
Immediately rise up, without spreading your elbows to the sides and keeping them along your body.

For more information on how to pump up a girl’s arms without dumbbells using push-ups, watch the video:

It is necessary to perform 3-4 sets in the range of 10-15 times.

Reverse push-ups

A simple and effective exercise that strengthens weak triceps muscles and makes the area behind the shoulders toned and elastic. It also develops biceps and forearms, muscles of the upper chest and deltoid muscles, and perfectly tightens loose skin on the inside of the arm.

Starting position - sit on the edge of the bed or sofa and place your hands at the sides of your hips, elbows slightly bent;
Move your body forward and lower your buttocks down, while your gaze is directed in front of you and your chest is straightened;
Bend your elbows and push up until your shoulders are parallel to the floor (the angle between the forearm and shoulders is 90 degrees );
Return to starting position.

Burpee

The most effective exercise for burning fat, using all muscles at once and extremely loading the upper body. It works the entire muscle group of the arms, including both superficial muscles (biceps, triceps, wrist extensor, brachyradialis) and deep muscles. Effectively reduces the volume of girls' hands.

Starting position : take a squat position, with your palms in front of you;
Jump your legs back and take a push-up position;
Push up and jump back to the squat position;
Jump as high as possible and take the starting position.

Sport equipment

The following equipment will help you pump up your arms at home without dumbbells:

» Sports mat » Bench » Rubber expander » Latex elastic bands and loops » Jump rope » Fitball » Horizontal bar » Parallel bars

Elastic bands and expanders have different levels of resistance, which allows you to adapt the exercises to your personal fitness level. Color coding depends on the manufacturer. The best solution is to buy one set with three resistance levels.

The horizontal bar and parallel bars are an excellent alternative to dumbbells and barbells. However, such sports equipment may not be available in every home, but is most often available in outdoor areas. Street workout and calisthenics programs are an excellent option for pumping up your arms for those who don’t want to work out in the gym.

Exercises for pumping up biceps

1. Alternate bending of arms with an expander

IP: standing, heels in the projection of the shoulders, knees slightly bent. Secure colored elastic tubes under your feet. Grasp the handle of the sports equipment with a reverse grip. You can bend your arms slightly at the elbow joints, maintaining a slight tension in the expander.

Alternately pull the expander towards your shoulder, bending your arm at the elbow joint. While performing the exercise, maintain tension on the tubes in your other hand. Return to IP with an inhale. You can perform simultaneous arm curls.

2. Overhand Curl

IP: clasp the handles of the projectile from above, pointing your palms down and your thumbs towards each other. Secure elastic bands under your feet. The feet are in the projection of the shoulders, the knees and elbows are slightly bent.

As you exhale, bend your arms ONLY at the elbow joints and pull the expander up. Don't push your elbows forward. The maximum level of the hands is the top of the chest. Return to IP while inhaling.

3. Biceps row

Attach the expander with an anchor to the wall, to the door handle, wall bars or cabinet at chest level. Grasp the holder with a neutral grip with your palms facing the floor. As you exhale, pull the expander towards your head. Secure your torso and try not to stretch your core.

4. Hammer Grip Curl

Grasp the elastic band with a neutral grip. Secure the central part of the elastic band under your feet. As you exhale, bend your arms at the elbow joints.

5. Horizontal bar

Pull-ups with a direct and reverse grip will help pump up your biceps at home without dumbbells. The most effective is considered to be a reverse grip with a narrow hand position. It is recommended not to extend your elbows all the way to maintain isometric tension in the muscles and reduce the risk of injury.

Exercises for pumping triceps

1. Push-ups

Various types of push-ups are the most effective type of load for developing and pumping triceps. To perform them, no special sports equipment is required; a gymnastic mat or some kind of blanket is enough.

Reverse push-ups

The exercise is aimed at strengthening all three heads of the triceps and partially the thoracic segment. Bench push-ups are considered the optimal type of load for beginners, allowing you to move on to dips over time.

IP: take a chair or bench and place it behind your back. Place your palms on the seat, placing your palms in the projection of your shoulders. Performing push-ups with bent knees or with emphasis on the floor is considered a lightweight version of the load.

Bend your elbows until the angle is 90 degrees. Do not spread your elbows to the sides. As you exhale, push your body upward using your triceps, being careful not to engage your leg and core muscles.

Options:

» supported by two benches; » with feet resting on a hill; » with weights on the legs; » with crossed legs; » with two support points.

2. Diamond push-ups

IP: take a lying position with support on the toes of your feet and palms. Place your palms under your chest so that the index fingers and thumbs of both hands touch and form a triangle. The back from the crown to the tailbone should be flat, without bending.

As you inhale, bend your elbows without touching your chest with your fingers. Exhale as you rise up.

3. Triceps row

IP: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Take the elastic band in one hand and place it behind your back. With your other hand, grab the other end of the elastic from above, above your shoulder.

As you exhale, stretch the band up above your head. The hand behind your back should remain motionless. Return to IP.

4. Triceps extension with elastic band

IP: standing, feet in the projection of the shoulders. Secure the elastic band with the fingers of one hand on the shoulder of the other hand. Place the fingers of your other hand through the loop of the ribbon.

As you exhale, straighten your arm at the elbow joint, keeping the band in place. As you inhale, return to IP.

5. Triceps extension with expander

IP: standing, feet in the projection of the shoulders, legs bent at the knees. Secure the expander tubes under one foot. Grab the handles with an overhand grip. Bend your torso forward.

As you exhale, move your arms back, stretching the expander. Do not spread your elbows to the sides. As you inhale, return to IP.

6. Pull-ups on the bar

To pump up the triceps, pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a wide straight grip are recommended. To activate the muscles and place maximum emphasis on the triceps muscle, it is important to lower down smoothly and slowly.

Anatomy of arm muscles: what makes triceps and biceps grow

Basically, working out the arm muscles is aimed at increasing the mass and volume of the biceps (biceps) and triceps (triceps). Regular exercise promotes muscle development, improves tone and increases strength and endurance. For beginners, it is recommended to work on the whole body and overall fitness, including arm exercises in the fitness program.

What makes biceps grow?

Exercises that specifically use this muscle will help you pump up your biceps without iron. The key task of the muscle is to flex the shoulder and elbow. Accordingly, to increase the mass and growth of the biceps, you need to perform traction-type exercises.

What makes triceps grow?

The triceps make up 2/3 of the volume of the muscular frame of the arm. It performs the function of abduction and extension of the limb. Pumped triceps are the key to beautiful relief and the absence of fat “jelly”. To develop the triceps muscle, it is enough to perform exercises 2 times a week as part of a general strengthening complex.

Exercises for men

Circular swings of arms

Starting position: hands at your sides, place your feet at shoulder level.
With straight arms, describe circles in the air with your hands.
First, rotate your hands counterclockwise for a minute, and then clockwise. This will warm up the muscles and prepare them for the upcoming loads without iron.

Classic push-ups

Lie on your stomach, bend your elbows, place your palms at the same level as your chest, slightly wider than your shoulders.

As you inhale, bend your arms so that they create a right angle. You cannot touch your chest to the floor.

As you exhale, return to your previous position. The initial position is the same as in the previous case.

The only difference is that the index fingers and thumbs should touch each other.

Slowly lower yourself down. Stop your chest next to your palms. After that, get up.

Knee push-ups

Starting position: get on all fours, place your arms parallel to your shoulders, spread your knees wide.
Keep your back straight, place your palms so that they are facing in different directions.
Bend your elbows until your chest touches the floor.

This exercise is great because it allows you to work all the muscles in your arms without using iron.

Lying position with legs thrown back

The starting position is similar to the position for standard push-ups, the only difference being that the legs are located above the floor, for example, on a chair.

Start doing push-ups exactly like the standard version.

Horizontal bar

Grab the bar, arch your back, flex your shoulder blades, and begin to move up and down without any jerking.

At the same time, raise your chin as high as possible on the bar. Return to your previous position.

Two or three such training sessions per week will be enough.

It is better to carry out three 10-time approaches. It is better for beginners to do as many pull-ups as they can.