7 Best Arm Exercises For Increasing Strength – Forbes Health – USREPORT

While the list below is a great starting point, it’s important to know that the “best” exercises for one person may be different for another person. Make sure to speak with your doctor or a qualified, certified personal trainer before starting any kind of new exercise routine.

Push-Ups

“Push-ups are my absolute favorite exercise for all genders and ages,” says Dr. Stallone. This exercise addresses upper body strength, core control, bone density and breath control when performed properly, she says. There are also modifications for people who can’t do a full push-up and are working to build up to that point.

Dr. Oyekanmi says this exercise can be made progressively more challenging. “Depending on a person’s strength level, [push-ups] can be performed with arms on the wall, on the kitchen counter, on the seat portion of a couch/bed or on the floor,” says Dr. Oyekanmi.

Muscles targeted: pectoralis major, triceps, abdominals
How to do it:

• Lie face down with your palms on the floor just below the shoulders, elbows pointing out.
• Open your chest, draw in your abdominal muscles and exhale as you straighten your elbows, lifting your torso up off the floor. Hold this plank position with elbows straight, shoulders engaged and spine straight. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your torso close to the floor without touching it.
• Straighten your elbows to repeat the push-up. Aim for three sets of 10 reps; for beginners three sets of five reps may be more realistic.

Bodyweight Rows

“This is another favorite exercise for people looking to increase their upper body strength and work on posture at the same time,” says Dr. Stallone.

Muscles targeted: lats, middle trapezius, biceps, abdominals, glutes
How to do it:

• This can be done with a suspension trainer, rings, parallel bars, a squat rack bar or any bar that has enough space and is sturdy.
• Using the equipment mentioned above, position your body at a 45- to 60-degree angle to the floor, holding onto the bar with hands positioned slightly wider than shoulder width or holding handles straight in front of you.
• Squeeze your glutes to maintain a straight torso and draw in your upper abdominals to prevent the ribs from opening up.
• Pull your elbows back behind you at a 45-degree angle and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Keep your chin tucked in and make sure the effort is coming from your upper back.
• As you straighten your arms, allow the shoulder blades to relax.
• Repeat this movement.
• Like a push-up, the more parallel your body is to the ground, the more difficult the exercise will be. For advanced lifters, prop your feet up onto a bench if you want to make the exercise even harder.
• Aim for three sets of six to eight reps. If you can perform 10 reps easily, make it more difficult by lowering the bar.

Lateral Raises

This isolation exercise targets the deltoid muscle, says Dr. Stallone. “This muscle is often overlooked in exercisers who prefer compound [multi-joint] exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups.” While it isn’t the main arm muscle, the deltoid needs to be strong in order to assist and protect the shoulder joint during upper body movements.

Muscles targeted: deltoids
How to do it:

• Stand with your arms straight down by your sides, holding a weight in each hand (weights should be heavy enough so that shoulder effort is required without the need to arch your back), palms facing in.
• Keep your chest lifted.
• Next, raise your arms out and up to shoulder height, as if you’re making a snow angel, keeping elbows straight and your arms slightly in front of your torso (about 30-degrees away from your body).
• Hold this position for one second, then slowly lower your arms back down to your sides.
• If you notice discomfort or sounds in the shoulders when performing a lateral raise, try doing it with your hands slightly more in front of you.
• Aim for three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Rotator Cuff with a Catch

The benefit of this exercise is that it trains the rotator cuff to work in ways it’s most needed.

Muscles targeted: rotator cuff
How to do it:

• Grab a tennis ball, softball or three- to five-pound weighted mini ball.
• Lie on your left side holding the ball in your right hand, with your right elbow bent at your waist and your right shoulder blade down and back (do not let the shoulder protrude forward).
• Rotate your upper arm quickly to create momentum; open your fingers and release the ball in the air.
• Try to catch the ball in midair then slowly lower your forearm back to your waist in one smooth motion.
• Aim for three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Lie on your right side and repeat.

Skullcrushers

“One of the reasons people have limited range of motion overhead is because their posterior musculature is often very tight,” says Dr. Stallone. In other words, when the muscles in the back of your shoulder are tight, they limit how your arm moves above your head. This exercise increases mobility in the posterior muscles while strengthening the triceps and improving shoulder stability.

Muscles targeted: triceps
How to do it:

• Lie face up on a bench or on the floor, holding a three- to five-pound free weight in each hand (or whatever weight feels right for you).
• Start with arms straight above your shoulders, hands holding weights and palms facing each other.
• Without moving your shoulders, bend the elbows so that the weights graze the side of your head close to your ears; you should feel the effort in your triceps.
• Straighten your elbows to raise the weights back up above your head; repeat. Don’t make the common mistake of allowing the weights to touch your shoulders.
• Aim for three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Farmer’s Carry

Dr. Oyekanmi recommends this exercise for anyone who has difficulty carrying filled grocery bags for any distance. This exercise targets the muscles in the shoulder blades and arms while also connecting to the hand with a focus on grip strength.

Muscles targeted: wrist, upper traps, wrist flexors, triceps
How to do it:

• Stand holding a five- to 20-pound free weight or kettlebell in one or both hands (choose a weight that replicates that which you’re used to carrying).
• Stand up tall, bringing your shoulder blades back and down; do not slouch.
• Walk 10 to 20 feet, or according to a distance or time frame you want, keeping the upper body as stable as possible, avoiding excessive swaying of the weight/s and slouching.
• Aim for about five reps of the specific distance or time frame that’s required to perform the activity in your everyday life.

Forward Raises

Dr. Oyekanmi recommends this shoulder and arm exercise because “lifting overhead is usually [required for] putting dishes away or hanging up clothes after laundry,” he says. He explains that the goal of this exercise is to improve the endurance of these muscles so that such activities can be performed comfortably for longer periods of time.

Muscles targeted: deltoids
How to do it:

• Stand or sit with your arms at your sides.
• Hold one small weight in each hand (or do this without weight if necessary); palms facing in toward your body.
• Keeping your arms straight, lift them forward and overhead as high as is tolerable.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• This exercise can be made more challenging by progressively increasing the amount of weight.
• Aim for three to five sets of 12 to 15 reps.