While building strong, toned arms can be difficult for those of us over 50, it isn’t impossible. After all, you don’t want to miss out on having gorgeous arms just because you’re older than 50. Luckily, some simple steps will help you get sexy and strong arms no matter how old you are!
Get stronger
To get stronger, it’s essential to do exercises targeting your arms’ muscles. At-home options include push-ups, dumbbell bicep curls, and triceps extensions.
To do a push-up:
Get into the plank position by lying facedown with your hands directly below your shoulders and feet slightly wider than hip-width apart on the floor. Keeping your back straight, bend at the elbows until they’re level with your chest, then push back up until all limbs are extended again (you may need someone else’s help if you’re new to this exercise).
To do dumbbell bicep curls: Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart and hold two 5-pound weights at arm’s length in front of thighs–elbows bent 90 degrees, so forearms are parallel to floor–then curl one weight toward shoulder as far as possible without moving other arm or torso; lower weight slowly back down until fully extended before repeating with other arm; do 12 reps total per set (three sets total).
To do triceps extensions: Lie faceup on a mat or carpeted floor holding a 3-pound barbell behind your head using both hands; extend arms entirely above head while keeping upper arms against ears (do not lock elbows); lower barbell behind the head without allowing elbows to bend forward over chest; repeat 12 times per set (three sets total).
Do more reps, not more sets
The best way to get toned arms is by increasing the number of reps you perform. In other words, rather than doing more sets of an exercise, do more repetitions of each set.
This approach works well because it recruits more muscle fibers and burns more fat than high-volume, low-intensity workouts. The more muscle fibers you recruit during a workout (i.e., the higher your intensity), the more significant fat is burned after your workout ends!
Strengthen your core
A strong core is the foundation of a strong upper body, the center of all body movement. A strong core helps you perform daily tasks more easily and efficiently and enables you to lift heavier weights during weight training sessions. Many exercises can be done at home that will help build up this area:
- Planks are one way to strengthen your entire abdominal wall (front to back). Starting from lying on your stomach with arms extended straight out behind you, palms down on either side of your head, raise yourself off the floor by balancing on your forearms/elbows so your body forms a straight line from the head through heels – hold 10 seconds; repeat 2x per set for three sets total.
Train your arms first and foremost.
Train your arms first and foremost.
- Train your arms more often than other body parts. This will help you build muscle faster, translating into a stronger, more toned look that can be seen in the mirror. In addition, when you train your arms each week, they will not get as sore or tired as other muscles, such as legs or back, because they are smaller and less used during daily activities (you don’t carry heavy bags on your shoulders).
- Don’t overtrain them! It’s important not to overdo it with weight lifting; otherwise, you risk injury or burnout from doing too much too soon. Everyone has different goals, so make sure yours align with proper form before adding more weight/reps/sets until you feel comfortable enough with what’s challenging but still doable for YOU!
Increase time under tension (TUT)
Increasing time under tension (TUT) is a great way to get the most out of your arm workouts. TUT refers to the time you spend in a muscle contraction during an exercise, so increasing this number is important to see results. Here are some ways you can do just that:
- Hold each rep for 5 seconds at the top of each rep
- Do 3-4 sets with 10-20 reps per set
You can get the sexy, strong arms you want, regardless of age.
To get rid of fat and build muscle, it’s important to focus on diet, nutrition, and exercise. This means eating a healthy diet full of lean protein sources like fish and chicken breast, fruits and vegetables (especially leafy greens), and whole grains like oats and brown rice in moderation or not at all depending on your goals (no added sugar!), healthy fats like avocados or olive oil when cooking with high heat–and lots of water! If this sounds overwhelming right now, try focusing on one thing at a time until it becomes second nature–like drinking more water before worrying about other changes in your daily routine.
Once you’ve got those basics down pat, add resistance training exercises such as bicep curls using dumbbells while holding onto something sturdy like an overhead cable machine or doorway pullup bar (if available). You can also try doing tricep dips between two chairs set up side by side instead if these are unavailable where you live too!
If you want to get sexy, strong arms, there’s no need to worry about your age. You can start today by doing these simple exercises.
