Shapely Arms For Summer

Exercises That Will Get You In Form

(CBS)  Many of us wear sleeveless shirts to stay cool during the summer. But we don't all have the perfect arms. So The Early Show’s fitness expert Minna Lessig shows us quick, easy ways to get our arms and shoulders in shape for summer time.

While there are no new fancy exercises to replace the tried and true standbys for working the muscles of the arms, you can get creative with combinations and utilizing various fitness props to keep boredom at bay!

• Biceps hammer curl, shoulder press, and triceps extension combo.
  
  This is one swift movement that utilizes the biceps, shoulders and triceps all at once. For this exercise you can use either dumbbells or the medicine ball. However, when you use the dumbbells, you are balancing out your strength and weaknesses, you are forcing both arms to work equally. But when using the medicine ball, the stronger arm ends up working more - just something to keep in mind.
  
  Medicine balls are fun to work with and make adding in arm work to leg exercises like squats easier than juggling 2 dumbbells. Standing utilizes more core-strength - sitting does not, but it is a better choice for people with low back problems.
  
  Note: The key is to challenge yourself. Use enough weight so that you begin feeling muscle fatigue by rep number 8, 9, and 10 and increasing to rep number 12 -15, without sacrificing form. Take 45 seconds rest and repeat for a total of 3 sets.
  
  
• Lying down, lat pull over and triceps "pushup" using the medicine ball.
  
  This exercise combo works the part of the latissimus dorsi muscle (large back muscle) that can appear as flab hanging over the top of a strapless dress. The lat pull over directly targets this area!
  
  Although you keep your arms mostly straight (not hyper-extended), the triceps still get a little bit involved too; so adding in the tricep "pushup" with this exercise is a perfect compliment. This exercise can work your core too, if you bend your knees and take your feet off the floor.
  
  
• Rear Delt flye with tubing or dyna band.
  
  Here we are strengthening the rear deltoid muscle - a tiny muscle in the back of the shoulder with a big responsibility: keeping your shoulders back so that you may stand with good posture. Many people neglect strengthening this muscle because they think shoulder presses and raises do the job. Part of having sexy toned arms is also even proportion and symmetry in your shoulders.
  
  Arms that are shapely and in their healthy bodily position look great as opposed to slumped forward / rounded upper back and shoulders.
  
  The bands or tubing are great to perform this exercise with because they provide constant tension on the muscle and you needn't worry about gravity and what position to place your body in to target the muscle.
  
  If the same exercise were performed with dumbbells, you would not be able to do it in an upright position because of gravitational pull and alignment of muscle fiber. You would have to bend over with your torso parallel to the floor - and this position can compromise the lower back in individuals with bad backs.
  
  
• Yogi pushup and downward dog combo
  
  The difference here is the arms stay close to the body and by doing so, you are really working your triceps. Try a few reps of the yogi pushups and then push yourself back into downward facing dog yoga pose for a killer shoulder exercise.

While these exercises are great choices, Minna notes it's important to have a variety of exercises to change things up and thus target your muscles differently. Our bodies get used to what we give them and sometimes bringing out more tone in muscle is simply replacing the same old with an exercise you haven't done in a while to provide that challenge again.

So doing biceps curls out to the sides and reversing your grip are 2 other options for biceps as is triceps kickbacks and triceps dips for the back of your arms.

For your shoulders, front and lateral raises are good substitutions. This is called freestyle training - each workout, try to select some different options. Not only will you get results faster, you'll see the difference in the well-rounded shape of your arms.

Arm training can be done 3 times per week, spaced evenly so that you are not training sore arms (allow your arms to recover in between workouts). Getting huge muscle arms will only occur if you are lifting so heavy weight that you can barely finish 6-8 reps and you are eating enough calories to add the muscle size.

Remember: if you feel your arms are getting bigger, not toned, it is most likely a lack in the cardio department and eating choices that is keeping the subcutaneous fat covering your muscle and hiding all your efforts!