Sweating for the Wedding: Arms

January 4, 2013 Crystal Conde

I had my first wedding dress fitting a bit ago, and I’m happy to report that all my hard work at the studio is paying off. My fit-and-flare gown actually needs to be taken in! While I’m pleased with the way my dream dress is fitting, I know I have to stay motivated from a fitness standpoint and watch what I eat to maintain my figure and build muscle.

When I told a personal trainer about the Sweating for the Wedding series, she insisted my first post focus on arms. She says her bride clients desperately want to eliminate flab and replace it with lean, toned arm muscles. Whether you’re preparing to slip into a wedding dress or a strapless number for a hot date, the top three arm exercises illustrated here will help you achieve sculpted arms. Dancers Shape owner Jennifer McCamish recommends doing these three simple, standard exercises every other day for maximum results. I’ll definitely be incorporating these moves into my strength training routine in the hopes of building killer arm muscles.

Bicep curl:

This oldie-but-goody is an exercise staple and one of my favorites. Just make sure you’re getting the most out of the movement. McCamish says it’s important toconcentrate on controlling the motion up and back down. “Take momentum out of the equation. If you’re just jerking the weights up and down, you won’t reap the benefit of the exercise,” she says.

Tricep kickback:

Why oh why does this exercise kill me so? It doesn’t take many reps of tricep kickbacks for me to feel an intense burn. This is another one you want to focus on doing properly. In preparation for this exercise, engage your core muscles as you hinge forward at the waist, aligning your head and neck with your spine, McCamish advises. “Without proper form when doing this or any exercise, you can strain muscles or possibly injure yourself,” she warns.

Deltoid “hug a tree”:

You don’t have to be a hippie to get behind this move. Think about wrapping your arms around a tree when you do this exercise. Start with arms at side, open them out to shoulder height, hug a tree, and return out to your side and lower down. Exhale as you bring your weights together in a smooth, controlled “hugging” motion. McCamish says this move does wonders for building the deltoid muscles surrounding your shoulders.

About the Author

Crystal Conde is an Austin-based writer with more than a decade of experience in the journalism industry. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism in the magazine sequence. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, going to movies and concerts, and spending time with her fiance, Patrick, and her dachshund mix, Saffron.