Best exercises for a flat stomach and toned arms?

[CeliaLytton]

I am doing c25k, running/walking 3 times a week, I am steadily losing weight (though still have lots to lose) but my legs are fine, I can live with my bum as I don't have to look at it , really want a flat stomach and toned arms.

Have started ripped in 30 but would like to do some exercises each day to improve these areas. I was thinking plank and crunches for abs and push ups and tricep dips for arms but how many reps and are there any other exercises to tone up while losing weight?

TIA

pilates
yoga
plank
shred

but mainly plank and more plank !

Is it a bingo wing problem? You need triceps exercises -

you can do tricep push ups too - hands under shoulders and as you come down shoulders come back towards your body rather than outwards.

like this Step is optional.

Another good one, but a killer is to hold a heavy weight over your head, arms straight and lower it behind your head keeping your elbows up and tucked in towards your face so it touches the bases of your neck then raise and repeat. It hurts! like this

This one is easier laying down triceps

this one <a class="break-all" href="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/CkZ92XOBJnxEcttNlf4Slg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/media.zenfs.com/en-US/blogs/partner/470_2410004.0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">link you can do on the floor by being on one knee with one leg forwards. Think right angles. elbow comes straight up then you extend the arm behind you.

I would do a mixture of exercises and aim for about 140 reps in total.

Stomach -

sit ups, c crunches, planking, etc.

Biceps - bicep curls. chest press ups.

I wouldn't bother with crunches. I've heard that they're very difficult do correctly (therefore risking your back) and don't work the muscles you want anyway.

Planks and side planks are great, as are twists with a medicine ball.

For arms, there are a series of press ups you can do. Standard, clock style (with your arms at 9 and 12, then 12 and 3 on the clock face), hands together with your first finger and thumb making a diamond shape ... I bet there are demos on YouTube.

Toning muscle alongside weightless should get you great results. Do a little every day.

mm, to do them properly you need to make sure your back is pushed right down into the mat. If you feel strain in your back it isn't right. If you can get them right though, you will really feel a burn in the lower abdomen, so I do like them.

if you do tricep dips etc, then try doing them very slowly to really work the muscle, and hold for 2 seconds at the bottom of the dip - same for everything really - slower the better.

Press ups are good for chest and shoulders too, as well as arms - it's probably better to do exercises that work several muscles at once rather than 'isolation' exercises (like bicep curls) as you will get results quicker and your shape changes too.

Would agree with the advice that has been given on plank/Pilates. Also remember that press ups (as long as you are doing 'full' ones) are really good for your core too, so you are hitting both the areas you want at once! Perhaps set yourself a press up challenge? There are various sites on the internet with suggested programmes to build up the amount of press ups you can do. Remember to consciously engage your abs throughout so you are working them hard- and protecting your lower back at the same time.

Go on you tube and look for Fitness Blender. They have loads of ten minute workouts for any body part you like.

Thanks! Not doing real press ups, yet... Will try the links and hopefully get rid of the bingo wings! Will I have to wait months to see a difference if I do some exercises every day?

Yes, push ups are great- here's a challenge designed to take you up to doing 50 in one go- neilarey.com/challenges/50-push-ups.html

Shouldn't be months! Probably at least 2/3 weeks though.

Callanetics, the videos used to be at every car boot sale, the dvds are harder to find, try ebay, honestly the original routine is really effective but hard at the beginning.

plank plank plank!!! I do it twice a day!

The ab carver pro is amazing!

I'm always going on about it but the seven minute workout is really helping my arms and general fitness as well. Not sure about my tummy but it's recovering from fairly major surgery so results will take a while I think! I finished C25K a while back so I'm running sporadically as well and also do one yoga and one Pilates class a week. But it was only when I started the Seven minute workout that I noticed any changes in my arms. They are a little more muscly and less flabby. The only thing I do differently is that I do bicycle crunches rather than the crunches they suggest as I felt like I was just using my back.

When you say you're not doing real press ups, are you doing them on your knees instead? I used to go to a Macmillan fitness class when I was first recovering and we did push ups against the wall. The idea was to then progress to doing them at an angle (I used to do them on the stairs, now I do them holding onto the side of my bed) closer to the ground and then finally to doing them properly. I've tried knee ones but I just couldn't get the motion quite right so I don't think I'd find it as easy to progress from knee to full ones, whereas since doing them this way I can now do a few on the floor properly, which I couldn't before I started.

Sorry that's really rambly, I hope it makes some sense!

I love the seven minute workout too.

Thanks! I have been planking as much as I can, very hard though... Thanks also for the tip of press ups against the wall/stairs, I can see how I could get from doing this to full press ups whereas I couldn't see the natural progression from the ones on my knees.

Hoping that as I lose weight, will tone up as I go!