Would you love to have lean arms and a stronger back and upper body?!

I think you do!

Don’t sweat it. I’ve got you covered with these seven exercises that really work your arms and back and will definitely make a difference in the tone and definition of your upper body. Do each exercise twice for 50 seconds. That’s right, all seven exercises for two rounds.

I know you can do it!

To modify any of these exercises, feel free to add weight or increase weight as you continue to practice.

Focus on deep breathing and you’ll probably experience some mental stress relief, too!

BICEP CURL + 2 HOOKS:

SET UP:

Do a traditional bicep curl and then raise fists to roughly in front of the face; complete a hook punch with each arm.

EXECUTION:

Drop arms back so that they are pinned at the side, then drop down from the bicep curl.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

ARM CIRCLES::

SET UP:

One of the best shoulder exercises is also one of the most basic.

EXECUTION:

Extend arms straight out at shoulder height and draw circles with your fingertips/arms. Half way through, switch directions of your circles.
These quickly begin to burn without any weight at all. Go full throttle by adding weights to each hand.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

REVERSE FLY PULSES:

SET UP:

This one is great for posture and you will surely feel it working.

EXECUTION:

Bend over with a flat back and do a reverse fly; pulse at the top of the motion. Make sure that you use slow and controlled motions. I show you a side and front view.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

UPWARD-FACING DOG:

This pose is great for wringing out tension in your spine, specifically your upper- to mid-back, as well as your arms and shoulders.

SET UP:

Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor.

Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

EXECUTION:

Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel. Narrow the hip points. Firm but don’t harden the buttocks.

Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward. Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back.

Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

WINDMILL + TRICEP EXTENSIONS:

SET UP:

Bring arms from sides to overhead, in a large circle.

EXECUTION:

Once arms are straight up overhead, bring hands in next to one another and bend at the elbows to drop for a tricep extension.

Straighten arms back out, and then slowly lower back down in the same circling motion before repeating.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

CHEST SQUEEZE + OVERHEAD PRESS COMBO:

SET UP:

Bend arms at a 90 degree angle at shoulder height.

EXECUTION:

Do a standing chest press focusing on really working against yourself and squeezing to feel those muscles flexing and working.

Pull the elbows back out and then go up into an overhead press.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

BENT OVER ROW:

SET UP:

With a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing your torso), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward by bending at the waist.

EXECUTION:

As you bend make sure to keep your back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor.

Make sure that you keep the head up.

*To complete the routine, do each of the 7 movements for 50 seconds, 2 times

I recommend you pair this workout with one of my cardio workouts or use one of your own. For lean arms, you could also do this workout several times a day for faster results, or combine it with a more challenging upper body workout to ensure complete coverage of those upper body muscles.

Share your results with us!

PS I did three rounds of each of the seven exercises for 50 seconds and I felt great! (My arms felt like spaghetti afterwards, but I know it’s working)