Michelle, My Belle!

The first lady is causing quite a stir lately. And it’s not her choice of fancy frocks. It’s her awesome arms. Just this week I came across a few articles on popular websites referring to this very subject. I’m not surprised. What woman doesn’t have arm envy (especially with summer just around the corner)?

When I stumbled into my local Starbucks on Thursday and saw a copy of the Style section of The New York Times strewn about, my attention went immediately to an article in the lower left-hand corner. “She’s Pumped. Your Turn,” the title read. (I guess I am at this point programmed to always scan for topics of interest.) After I quickly admired the ¾-page photos of a runway model donning an Yves Saint Laurent suit and another in super impractical yet cool black leather Stella McCartney thigh high boots, I went right back to what I really wanted to know: So how did she get those guns?

As a personal trainer, I would always tell you that first and foremost your training outcome is quite often dependent upon one measly little detail: your genetics. Ok, maybe not so measly. Second, how you train is really going to make a difference in how and when you see results. You can change your body shape and size. I’ve done it plenty of times. You just have to do the work, and you have to be consistent.  

You’ll see training programs online for all sorts of “spots”. Abs, glutes, abs, arms, abs, legs, abs … see where I’m going with this?! The point of having a balanced workout routine is just that: to achieve balance! There is no point in only doing isolation movements and not working opposing and assisting muscle groups. This can create all sorts of physical imbalances – even injury. And I assure you that even if you do a thousand crunches a day (ouch!) you still won’t see results unless you are also working to shed the layer of body fat that will show off those beautiful rectus and transverse abdominus and internal and external obliques muscles. 

Keep in mind that everyone carries weight differently. Some women have an apple-shaped body, others a pear-shaped body. Whatever your body type, you’re probably going to want to start with a balanced program in order to make great overall gains. Your body needs symmetry; additionally, if you are looking for weight loss, full-body workouts can help you achieve this more effectively than splitting strength training sessions to one or two muscle groups per workout. (Unless, of course, you are now at a more advanced stage and are breaking down your resistance training sessions more specifically.)

Arm muscles targeted during “arm” workout sessions include the biceps brachii, brachialis and triceps brachii. You would probably even include work on the shoulder muscles during the same workout. These include the trapezius, posterior deltoid, lateral deltoid and anterior deltoid.

A solid routine for a woman wanting to start a balanced strength training session would include varying exercises in a push-pull format. (More on this topic later.) Multi-joint exercises that are not traditionally considered isolation exercises (like the biceps curl) are really great at using more muscles to complete the movement; hence, more muscles utilized and voilà –  more calories burned. My first choice to target chest and triceps would be the close-grip push-up. Trust me! Every time I do these my triceps burn for days (in a good way). Lat pull-downs, assisted pull-ups and seated cable rows are great exercises that engage the biceps.   

For now I will recommend several arm exercises that will help you to achieve the “buff” arms that are all the rage.

Beginner:

-          Triceps pressdown

-          Concentration curl

-          Triceps kickback on bench

-          Alternating dumbbell curl

-          Dumbbell lateral raise

Intermediate:

-          Bench dip

-          Barbell curl

-          Lying triceps extension

-          Hammer curl

-          Bent-over standing rear flye

Advanced:

-          High-cable pulley curl

-          Rotating French press

-          Prone triceps extension

-          Cable curl

-          Standing dumbbell lateral raise

For all exercises, you may select to complete three sets of 10 to 15 reps each set. Be sure to choose a weight carefully; the last three reps in each set should be challenging. Dumbbells and barbells or body bars are great tools and really force your muscles to engage. However, you may elect to use machines that perform targeted movements before moving on to free weights. Rep schemes should change at a later time to accommodate muscle response, as defined by the training principle of adaptability. For now, three full-body workouts a week, a sound diet and regular cardio sessions should gain you entrance to the “gun show” … but I can’t guarantee entry into the White House.

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