Sculpted arms

[WeaselOrFerret]

If you have wonderful, sculpted strong arms what did you do to get them? Frankly I’d love to be like that all over but let’s focus on the arms for now.

oh and absolutely no chance of me going to a gym and lifting heavy 3 times a week - much as I’d like to I know between the kids, the dog and everything else it wouldn’t happen. It has to be something I can do at home once the kids are asleep or possibly I could manage a weekly class.

Lifting heavy weights, low body fat percentage.

You need lower body fat overall for any muscle to look sculpted. Personal trainer? You'll get more out of being shown good form one to one then training at home than in a class if you can only get to the gym once a week. But you should cover the whole body not work on one area in isolation.

Tracy Anderson Mat workout.

Light weights and different angles.

You'll need some cardio as well though.

Get one of those frame things that attaches to the top of the door frame and hang from it. Start with easier exercises, twists etc and gradually move to chin ups as you get strong enough. Also get hand weights (heavy ones) and do various exercises with them. There's an effective move for bingo wings using them 😅

There is no way to target weight loss on a specific area of the body. To have top notch sculpted arms do this:

1. Drive your body fat down to less than 20% using endurance type cardio (long walks, long runs, long bike rides, swimming).

2 high rep low weight exercises. But honestly, sculpted just means low body fat. The actual exercises won't do a lot.

There are about 3,250 calories in one pound of fat. So, to get your sculpted arms you just need to burn calories. It will be very hard to do this with diet alone. You'll need to exercise away calories. Go online and use a calculator to work out your Basal Metabolic Rate. Eat this amount but aim to burn about 500 calories per day on top from exercise.

Also, eat protiens and veg and foods with a high 'thermic' demand. They cost more calories for your body to process than processed foods.

I should have said. I’m thin (ish), not teenager thin so I technically could lose a bit of weight but I’m a size 6-8 so I probably don’t really need to drop much. I walk/run (the school run) five times a week covering about four miles (usually with the pram) so I’m covered on cardio. I really just want advice on the muscle definition side of things.

Why not get some adjustable weight dumbells for home? Then you could do exercises in the evening. E.g. bicep curls, shoulder presses, tricep extensions. I'm sure there are various you tube tutorials.

Ashtanga.

Try weights at home, but you need a range of exercises to target different muscles including shoulders and back. To actually build muscle you may need to eat more.

Have you got weights? This programme is on the peloton app and you can do a 60 day free trial
It's 15-20 mins, 3 times a week

skipping - tangram + an app. I do 15min a day when I can all from home. Started in Covid and kept going. I keep my arms out wide when skipping on purposed so it’s 15 mins waving your arms + the cardio. Time well spent

7mins yoga a day - kassandra 15’mins yoga on 1.5x! Life changing!!!

my arms are def looking better than they ever have and I have been doing exercise and weights for years. Am 49

Rock climbing is brilliant for arm definition if you have a climbing gym nearby. Brilliant fun too.

Hilariously I’ve been looking at climbing for my almost 5 year old because I loved it as a teen. It simply hadn’t occurred to me I could go with him.

Likewise I used to kayak and have been looking at the local sailing club for the kids (they do basically all the boats) - but it seems a family membership wouldn’t actually be much more.

thanks for this excellent nudge.

My best ever arm definition came from when I used to do a lot of quite high energy (ashtanga, power, rocket, vinyasa) yoga, everything was long and defined, I also had amazing back muscles. I still do a bit now but less and more weights so my muscles are a bit 'shorter' looking.

I literally just came to this board looking for similar advice so I'm following with interest. I'm nearly 49 and I've never had really defined arms, even during lockdown when I was seriously into my fitness and doing a lot of weight training. I genuinely hate my arms, they're awful.

Press ups, proper ones, 10 per session, twice a day. Then flip over and do a reverse plank, fingers towards your bum, and raise your legs alternately, 8-10 each leg. These exercises work biceps, triceps, lats, shoulders, build muscle around your elbow, wrists and shoulders and protect you from arthritis. Your arms will look fantastic from wrist to shoulder, and you'll build your back and core strength and improve your posture.

I've been going to the gym 3 times a week for a year and doing weights and resistance and still don't have sculpted arms!

I've got good results from doing this 3 times a week. I do it when I'm on my exercise bike.

I've also got good results from her other videos with weights... or you can use a tin of beans!...so great for doing at home.

@BigSkies2022 I've got shit dodgy wrists, are modified press ups a total waste of time?

Yeah this. I was pretty hench a few years ago when I was climbing 3x a week! I miss admiring my arms in the mirror 🤣

Yoga I do power and ashtanga

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is an old favourite on these boards and would be a good jumpstart. It has a lot of arm work, mixed in with abs and cardio in under 25 minutes/day. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00Q8GY1DM/

I do Brazilian juijitsu 5 times a week and weight train 3 times a week
Low body fat

Say what now?

I have toned, moderately muscly arms.

I've been lifting and doing CrossFit for the past 18 months. Thats the only way it's happened I'm afraid!

In short you need to lose weight and lift.