No Big Biceps for Women
No matter how shapely a woman wants to be, she doesn’t want to sport big, manly biceps. For women, the goal is usually one of toning and shaping. Fortunately, without the levels of testosterone found in men and without tossing steroids into the mix, most women will never develop the kind of bulk their male counterparts will. That means a good arm workout is A.O.K.
Arm Exercises for Women
Pushups are a great arm exercise. They also serve to tone your shoulders, back, and abdomen, if done correctly. For beginners, it is best to balance on knees and hands, rather than toes; the extended position on toes can cause back strain. Keeping the abdomen tight and eyes ahead, start with arms extended, bend to 90 degrees and straighten back up. Build up until you can do 10-15 easily.
Shrugs are good for developing shoulder muscles. Begin with a light weight and build up. Holding your weight in your palms, with the palms facing inwards, shrug your shoulders slowly and deliberately to the end of their range. Let your shoulders drop back down in the same manner.
Skull crushers help to tone the triceps, an area many women worry about. Lie flat on a bench, or even the floor, with a barbell evenly balanced in both hands and arms extended. Keeping the upper arms in line with your shoulders, bend the upper arms so that the barbell approaches, but doesn’t touch your head. Lift the barbell back into place. 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps is ideal.
Gym Machines and the Isolator™
By including cable based machines at the gym and adding on the Isolator™, a tool designed to help you isolate specific muscle groups, you can incorporate many more exercises which can help you tone and strengthen your back, shoulders and chest as well. Don’t worry; just like your biceps, these muscles won’t bulk up in a manly fashion either.
The Isolator™, and its partner The Cuff Edition™, are designed for targeted workouts which eliminate the use of the hands. Easy to attach to just about any gym machine, small and compact, these American made accessories can go with you anywhere; even when you travel.
Whether you opt to spend time getting some cardio activity on the rowing machine, use the Isolator™ to do flies, raises or presses, and you will be developing great tone and definition wherever you want. You can find the manual online, while also making use of training videos and learn how to expand your workout without developing excessively big biceps.
