Strong, Sexy Arms in 4 Moves

Ladies, I know you’re not all out their spending copious amounts of time pumping iron with the meatheads, watching your biceps grow in the gym mirror. However, I also know that when you put on a dress, a short sleeve tee or a tank top, nothing says “I get $hit done” like lean arms with some muscle tone. Cash me outside, yo.

Biceps get a lot of the arm-attention at the gym. That’s too bad because triceps are the quieter, sexier sister set of muscles. Working your triceps is the key to tight, jiggle-free, feminine arms. The following 4 exercises incorporate simple movement patterns and workout variables in order to help you sculpt strong, sexy arms.

Dumbbell Floor Press

The dumbbell floor press is a great variation of the typical bench press (which let’s face it, can be intimidating without a gym partners help). Lying on the ground automatically shifts tension to your triceps, without putting pressure on your elbows (not to mention lying on the ground forces you to engage your core).

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and gently lie down flat on your back. Plant your feet on the floor and bend your knees. Extend your elbows to a 90 degree angle, holding the dumbbells above your elbows with your triceps resting on the floor.
2. Exhale, brace your core and extend the dumbbells towards the ceiling, pausing at the top. Gently retract to the starting position.

Perform 4-5 sets in the 6-8 rep range.

 Diamond Pushup

The pushup is a body weight exercise, and it’s benefits are enormous. By bringing your hands in as close together as possible for a Diamond Pushup, you make the classic exercise a tricep-focused master. If you are a beginner, try incline, close-hand pushups by resting your hands on a bench in front of you. Keep your back straight, your butt down, and your elbows tucked in closely to your sides.

Perform 3-4 sets in the 12-15 rep range.

Rope Attachment Cable Pushdowns

Elbows, naturally, want to extend. But add significant weight and that extension quickly leads to achy elbows. The idea with pushdowns is to use lighter weights for more reps to exhaust the muscle and really get the most out of the exercise, without putting undue stress on your elbows.

1. Attach the rope to a high pulley and grab with palms facing towards each other. Stand upright, with a very small lean forward from the hips. Squeeze upper arms close to your body, perpendicular to the floor. To start, your forearms will point up towards the pulley.
2. Keeping your elbows tucked to your sides, use your triceps to bring the rope down to the sides of your thighs. Only your forearms should perform this movement.
3. Hold that position for a 1-2 count and then slowly bring forearms back up to the start position.

Perform 2-3 sets in the 12-15 rep range.

 Bench Dips

Bench dips are wonderfully designed to hone in on those triceps and build strength. True to its name, the tricep is actually made up of three (tri) heads, and the bench dip hits each one. It’s a versatile exercise and can be done at the gym or at home. Beginners, keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. As you get stronger, slide your feet out away from the bench, so you’re pushing more weight with your arms than you’re supporting with your legs.

Perform 2-3 sets in the 10-15 range.

It doesn’t take much to start strengthening and toning your triceps. Incorporate these 4 moves into your weekly routine and you’ll soon see the difference.