WORKOUTS FOR GREAT ARMS FROM HOLLYWOOD STARS
March is women’s month — a nationwide celebration of brilliant, accomplished and strong women. Gone are the days that we took a backseat to men. Today’s women know what they want and they go get it.
In the world of fitness, we have progressed by leaps and bounds. The ideal female physique for instance includes more muscle than before and weights for women is becoming widely accepted by trainers and gym goers alike. Skinny is out and strong is in, and this month is the perfect time to celebrate that.
Every woman should be able to feel strong, sexy and confident in everything that she does. One great place to build that up is in the gym. Don’t be afraid of heavy weights. The misconception that weights will make you bulk up isn’t always the case. In reality, lifting heavy burns more calories and torches off fat.
When watching red carpet premieres and awards shows, one’s eyes instantly gravitate to the stars amazing outfits and bodies.
To build lean, powerful and toned arms you need to do a combination of push and pull exercises to hit your shoulders, biceps and triceps while also performing a significant amount of cardio. Getting ripped arms is just as much about losing fat as it is about developing muscle.
Jessica Biel is the gold standard for gorgeous arms. She has well-defined biceps, triceps and chiseled shoulders which exude femininity and strength at the same time. Jessica is extremely dedicated to her workout and diet regimen. Her secret to ripped arms is circuit training. The minimal amount of rest between sets is the key to maximizing afterburn and getting results. You can do this heart-pounding circuit to build a body like Jessica’s. Repeat four to five 30 second sets of T-push ups, renegade rows, dumbbell push press and push planks with just 15 seconds of rest between exercises.
Cameron Diaz does a combination of strength training and cardio bursts that builds muscle and burns fat at the same time. Her workout routine includes three sets of 12 to 15 reps max of heavy tricep dips, dumbbell kickbacks, rotating bicep curls, hammer curls, lateral-to-front dumbbell raises and reverse flyes alternating with sprints on the treadmill. This kickass workout makes sure you get the most out of every session and supercharge your results.
Lupita Nyong’o who recently starred in superhero film Black Panther went through hardcore training to get in shape for the role. Her character Nakia was a badass street fighter so Nyong’o underwent training in jiu-jitsu, capoeira and ring blades. She underwent a six-week bootcamp prior to filming the movie which involved intense training for four hours per day, cutting down to two hours per day as shooting neared. Three great workouts to sculpt amazing arms like Lupita are tricep pressdowns, dumbbell lateral raises and alternating dumbbell bicep curls.
Jada Pinkett Smith works out every single day which explains her incredible physique and killer arms. She encourages everyone to do physical activity at least every other day or everyday if time permits. Jada swears by push ups as her favorite exercise for her arms. There are various variations of pushups that you can try out. Start out on your knees and bust out three sets of ten. Work to getting off your knees and doing as many as you can each day. Mix it up with different arm positions such as diamond push ups where you form a triangle with your hands to target your triceps.
Jennifer Anniston’s name always comes to mind when it comes to Hollywood’s best arms. You can build strong, toned and feminine arms like Jen by hitting a circuit of targeted exercises integrated with cardio. Do four sets of 10 to 20 reps back to back y-raises, diamond pushups, rear lateral raises, straight arm plank with shoulder touches and standing dumbbell bicep curls alternating with two minutes of jump rope after each set. Rest 30 seconds between each set.
It’s great to look up to other women as inspiration but always remember that at the end of the day working out is about you feeling good, sexy and confident.