Arm weights

[twinsmum1]

I am building weights into my cardio/yoga exercise plan. I am looking to tone my arms. I have been using 1.5kg weights. Can anyone give me some advice - is this heavy enough to tone my arms. Lots of reps? Or shall I buy heavier ones? Any help great as haven't got a clue really!

am not much of a weightlifter but that sounds very light

if you feel like you can do it forever it's definitely too light, say you are doing (for example) 3 sets of 12 repetitions you should find the last of each set almost impossible, it should be difficult to complete

I would recommend heavier. I'm toning up and using 3kg weights, 3x15 reps.

Bicep curls I definitely feel I could go on forever! Sounds like I need heavier

How often are you doing arm weights out of interest? Every other day?

I do push ups for core but it gives me toned arms as a by product.

I do them every day tbh.

MumSnot - I cannot do push ups!!!

I started with 1 push up, and added one a week. I do them three or four times a week, now at 55, more tha a year later. Same with sit ups and squats.

I'm a runner so it's good for strength and injury prevention.

I'm far from a pro exerciser but I have started going to gym classes twice a week. 1 is LBT - great for my lower wobbly bits, the other is called Blitz - a weight lifting step kind of class.

We use 2kg - according to my gym instructor, 2Kg is the perfect beginning weight to start lifting with then move onto 3 when your finding it easy.

Great, that's all really helpful. Have just ordered some 3kg to work up to use for some exercises and will stick to 1.5 for others. Thanks all

You need heavier at least 5kg for some exercisers you've got to push yourself hard. Honestly the heavier and harder you train will get you results.

I have a selection of weights.

currently for the arm exercises on 30 day shred etc I use about 4kg in each hand.

I bought some from Argos - the adjustable type, that you can add extra discs to.

It's heavy, but soon build up arm muscle - which is the desired effect :)

Can I be honest?

You are pretty much all wasting your time piddling about with little weights and high reps.

I'd recommend maybe starting with a 6k. At the very least go as high as you think you can manage. Anything you feel you can go on forever with is a complete waste of time. Anything you can do sets of 15 reps with without your arms working to failure at the end of the set is not really doing much good either.

If you need to, do pushups on your knees, just keep your body in a straight line knee to shoulder. You will shift much more weight doing them than messing about with 1.5/2k weights and see a difference much more quickly.

Do not be afraid of the big weights! Just make sure you get your technique right, ask for help if you need.

I agree with RJnomore. I started seeing a personal trainer, because I wasn't confident about what I was doing in the gym, particularly with weights.

They started me on 6kg weights for bicep curls, and have progressed through 7 to 8kgs. As part of a session, I'll do 5 sets of 10 reps with those. By the last set, I usually have to stop after 5, take 10-15 seconds, and then finish off with the final 5.

You do not need weights, your own body weight is fine to start off with. I use light weights at home and plank, press ups and flytes, I went on holiday, the aquafit man used no weights and done old school arm exercises, arms out, open, up 10 times then reverse, small rotations forwards then back, leaving arms open at shoulder level 10 seconds by 10, keep count with each finger without lowering arms at all, standing flytes fists and elbows together when closing 10 times, bicep curls, standing flytes again, bicep curls 20 times with arms out to the side, all while keeping a slow jog, my arms actually improved, came home done my normal exercises and they were too easy, I'm now going to revert to old-school exercises. Still do planks and press ups too

Agree with others - you need heavier weights unless you have an injury or you want tp practise form for a short while.

Another press-up tip - start with elevated, either off a wall or off a stair. Do say ten every other day until you can do them with good form (google a video). Then move down a step, gradually lowering your body and so increasing the weight. These compound movements are much more effective.

You are pretty much all wasting your time piddling about with little weights and high reps.

It depends on what you are doing. I sprained my thumb a few months ago and couldn't do any calisthenic type exercises that I'd usually do for my arms and chest, push-ups, pull-ups, roman rings, monkey bars, etc. I'm a skater, and weather wise am limited in the type of endurance skating I'd normally do, so I use a slideboard indoors. The intensive nature of the slideboard means I'm on it for less time with less upper body engagement, so I decided to get a few small weights to hold on the board. My arms play far less of a role in balancing me on the board as the strides as short and fast with limited glide.

The thumb sprain affected me from the thumb, through the scaffoid and into my wrist, so anything but the lightest weights would prolong the injury. So I went with 2.3kg weights in each hand and they were definitely very beneficial. I don't do reps or anything, just hold them while I pump my arms for around 35 minutes. I'm shattered after that kind of time on the board, nearly every part of me is on fire and now my arms are too. And my biceps look bigger than they did and my triceps are more toned.