Bridal Body 911: No Flabby Wedding Arms!

Bat wings.

Bingo arms.

Flying Squirrel arms.

I've even heard them the term "dinner lady arms" and "mooney arms", whatever that means. No matter what you call them, don't let the fear of flabby arms keep you from the silhouette you desire. 

As a bride you have the right to bare arms!

Specifically, the upper arm is usually the area in question. While it's not possible to spot reduce, meaning diet and exercise are a MUST to remove (aka metabolize) excess body fat, you CAN spot tone and make the muscles in the area more firm. This "firming" is due to additional muscle tissue, which in turn also gives your metabolism an added boost in calorie burn.

NOW FOR A LITTLE 'NATOMY.

On the far left of the picture the posterior, or rear view, of the arm is shown, highlighting the triceps muscle. Since the back of the arm is most often the source of concern for brides-to-be, it's the area you'll want to give special attention.

On the right, the deltoid caps off the shoulder, while the biceps brachii muscle, aka the arm muscle many bodybuilder-types like to show off, is shown on the upper arm. Speaking of bodybuilders, don't think you'll look like a bodybuilder just because you start lifting weights. Most women don't have the amount of natural testosterone necessary to build giant Conan, the Barbarian-type guns. Anyway, the brachialis, another upper arm muscle, is just underneath the biceps brachii.

DO THIS.

Fortunately, arm muscles are small, as compared to the muscles in the legs and back for instance, so they can firm up in no time at all.

Add these exercises to your workout program. Be sure to read ALL of directions and cues before attempting:

Triceps Dips

◣ Sit on a stable chair or a stable bench with your hands placed shoulder about width apart beside you.
◣ Slide your tush to the front of the bench with your legs hip width apart and bent at the knee. Your feet should be placed right underneath your knees for support.
◣ Keep your arms straightened with a slight bend at the elbows so that they don't lock. Be sure to keep your chest lifted and your shoulders down away from your ears! No shrugging or you'll risk looking like a line backer with overdeveloped neck/shoulder muscles.
◣ Next lower yourself down by slowly bending your elbows until your arms are as close to a 90 degree angle as you have strength to perform while keeping the shoulders down. Keep your back close to the bench.
◣ After you reach the bottom of the dip, press up slowly with your hands, again, keeping the shoulders down from your ears. Use your triceps!
◣ Note: avoid this exercise if you have neck or shoulder pain

Need more challenge: Move your feet further out from your body (straighten) as you become stronger.

Brachialis (Biceps) Curls

◣ Sit or stand with your feet hip width apart.

◣Pick up a suitable sized dumbbell in each hand and slowly lower your arms down to your sides with your thumbs facing forward. Be sure to sit tall with your shoulders down away from your ears and your abdominal muscles slightly contracted.

◣As you exhale, raise the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, ensuring that your upper arm remains glued to your sides. At the "top" of the movement rotate your wrist in towards your body so that your pinky finger is in towards your body. ◣Keep your body as still as possible without letting it swing back and forth for extra leverage.

About the exercise: As mentioned in the beginning, the brachialis muscle is underneath your biceps brachii muscle and it runs from the humerus to the ulna. Rotating your forearm develops the upper arm more fully and helps to give it a rounder, fuller look. More bang for your buck, in other words!

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Wedding Day Emergency Kit

I found this bridal emergency kit idea on the web and thought is was a fantastic idea! The kit can be easily used for all your special occasions and you can add whatever else you think you might need. Never know when trouble might hit! Be prepared.

Emergency Kits

Bridal Body 911: More arm exercises

Last time we went over the basic anatomy of the upper arm and showed a couple of arm exercises, including brachialis curls for the front of your arms and triceps dips for the back of your arm.

Check out that blog post here:
Bridal Body 911: To Arms!

As mentioned in the prior blog post, the back of the arm is the area many women find unsightly or problematic, especially when considering slithering into a sleeveless or strapless bridal gown. While your eating and general fitness habits will help you burn overlying fat from the area, there are exercises you can do to spot tone the back of your arms. Notice that I said spot TONE, not spot reduce. You can't make your body burn fat directly from a specific body part, but you can target specific areas to "tighten up" the muscles there. Great news for those wobbly arms!

Firm up the back of your arms with these two exercises. Read all of the directions and cues before attempting the exercises:



Triceps Kickbacks





* Kneel with your right knee on a bench or chair and your right arm outstretched to the bench directly underneath your right shoulder for support. Keep your back straight. No rounded shoulders. The left leg rests on the ground with the knee slightly bent.
* Holding a dumbbell in your left hand, bring that arm up to your side like a bird wing, while pressing your left shoulder down and away from your left ear.
* Slowly straighten you left arm behind you to contract the back of you arm. Only move at the elbow joint; the shoulder should remain as still as possible.
* Bend the elbow to bring the dumbbell back to its starting position.
* Repeat the exercise on the other side.

Trainer Cues: Squeeze your abs in to help support your lower back, but allow yourself to breathe naturally. Don't allow yourself to "sink down" on your supporting shoulder or shrug to keep from tightening up at your neck. Get a little "extra" work for your back by pulling the elbow of your working arm in to your body as you perform the exercise. Squeeze down at the bottom of the shoulder blade as you straighten it, as well.




Lying Triceps Extensions



* Lie on the floor or a flat bench with your knees bent (floor) or your feet firmly planted on the floor (bench).
* Hold a dumbbell in each hand in an overhanded grip (palms facing away from your body).
* Draw your abs in firmly as you bring the dumbbells above your head at an angle (about 10 o'clock). Do not place the weights over your face.
* Slowly bend your arms at the elbow, lowering the weights down on either side of your head (end near the top of your ear).
* Straighten the elbows to return the weights to their starting position.

Trainer Cues: Be careful! Control the weight so you don't hit yourself in the head! Keep your elbows in towards your head so that they are pointed straight up towards the ceiling. Only move at the elbow joint, not the shoulders, to keep tension on the triceps. Use your ab muscles to help brace your torso; don't let your back arch. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears and remember to breathe naturally.