Advice from Pittsburgh personal trainer and lifestyle coach, Jackie Omotalade, “The First Lady of Fitness, Fashion, and Fun.
Have you seen Michelle Obama’s arms? Wait, let me rephrase that. . .Who hasn’t seen Mrs. Obama’s arms?
They are to die for- toned and sculpted and so is her 5″11 frame. Her arms have taken on a life of their own, with women all over the world declaring that they want arms “just like Obama!” And it doesn’t hurt that the woman with the arms is the epitome of style, grace, and class. Man oh man. . . neither Hillary Clinton or Laura Bush had arms like those!
And you too can have amazing arms. . .but in the word of Rue Paul. . YOU GOT TO WORK IT! Before you start any workout routine it is best to check with your physician to make sure you are fit for physical exercise (Man. . I sound like a Cialis commerical, but the only side effect here is AMAZING FREAKING ARMS).
Next, you must understand your arm as a series of muscle groups. Your arms are made up of three target muscles:
- the Triceps – they are located at the back of your upper arm and straigten the elbow. Triceps are sometimes called “bat wings” or “grandma arms.”
- the Biceps – these muscles are the front part of the upper arm and are used to raise your forearm
- the Deltoids – these muscles run from your collarbone to the long bone on your upper arm and they are used when you lift your arm away from the side of your body
Now. . .what is strength training? Strength training increases muscle mass and revs up the body to burn fat at a higher rate, allowing for the lean muscle definition to show.
Even if you just want Obama arms, you will want to train all major muscles, because if you fail to strengthen the entire body, it limits lean mass. Strength training builds lean body mass and decreasing body fat. If you are a video person, I would suggest Leisa Hart: Sexy Arms Upper Body Toning Workout
. The video does an excellent job of showing you a variety of exercises perfect for toning your upper body and getting arms like Michelle!
You do not have to lift heavy weights to tone and sculpt your arms, but the lower the weights, the more repetitions you want to do. I would recommend 3lb, 5lb, or 8lb, weights to begin. You should do 3 sets of either 8-10 repetitions or 10-12 repetitions. You should choose a weight that is heavy, but not too heavy and that by the last set, you have to struggle a little to complete. Lift weights three times a week, every other day. I suggest doing bicep curls, triceps kickbacks to exercise the back of the arm, shoulder and lateral raises. Visit the American Council on Exercises library for detailed instructions on these arm exercises.
A common misconception is that women will bulk up if they lift weights. THie simply is not true. Woman do not produced enough testosterone naturally to bulk up in the same way men do.
I also suggest moderate intensity cardio for 30 minutes, five times a week or vigorous intensity cardio for 20 minutes, three times a week. Both cardio exercises and strength training are needed to speed up metabolism and burn body fat.
Are you ready? Now go get those arms you have always wanted. Above is a list of some of may all time fav and time tested killer arms products. Why wait to get those arms? GO FOR IT!
