Next to “flat abs and a tighter butt” the most common request from female friends is how to tone and tighten up the arms. Now this article is not going to bore you with all the specifics of arm training physiology and science instead it is just going to show you what exactly you need to do and then let you get on with it.

Basically I want to give you a complete set of arm routines that I know if you add to your existing training program and diet will give you great results in just 4 weeks or less from now.

Here’s how I put this all together.

Over the years I have documented all my workouts that I have used with clients over the last 10 years and picked out all the best arms routines that I have used.

Some of them have needed a little tweaking because my knowledge and experience is now far more advanced than when I first designed and used them initially but basically you are getting the my top performing workouts that are tried, tested and proven to get results.

Now I can’t take complete credit for inventing most of these routines –all the exercises have been around for many years and some of the workouts plans have been inspired by or borrowed from some of the best trainers and bodybuilders in the business.

All I have done is taken them added my own interpretation when required and just tested the hell out of them to find which are the most effective for women.

These routines are not only going to tighten and firm up your arms but will be building strength in them as well so don’t be afraid to start using heavier weights than you may be used too.

By the way these are not what you would call functional or fat burning workouts. These workouts are focused on dong direct arm work that has one goal which is too give you a pair of arms that will LOOK GOOD in a t-shirt of dress. However to accomplish this completely you will need to lose body fat as well.

So if you need to lose a few pounds and need a complete training and diet program then I highly recommend you pick up this .

Ok back to the workout

Training frequency

I recommend performing 2 complete arm routines a week and no less than once per week. Once you are happy with how your arms look then once a week for maintenance is fine.I recommend combining one of these routines with a leg workout and an upper body muscle such as shoulders. Or if you perform cardio on separate days from your normal resistance workouts then you could fit them in then.

Workout Terminology explained

In each workout there are terms that explain how to perform each workout. Here is brief explanation of these terms so you know exactly what to do.

Time

Tempo is the speed of your repetitions. The speed of the reps in the routines is 3 seconds and is shown as 3010 tempo. Therefore a rep would look like this

Eccentric – lowering the weight 3 seconds No pause when weight is fully lowered. – 0 Concentric. Lifting the weight. – 1 second

At first you may find it difficult to control the eccentric part of the movement for 3 seconds especially as your arms start to tire. If this is the case just focus on keeping the weight moving in a controlled manner without jerking the weight so that the tension stays on the bicep.

If you feel that you are struggling to finish the set and using your legs and back to lift the weights then reduce the total weight on the equipment.

Progression

To experience the best results from these routines you must be adding in progression from one workout to the next. This means adding a little more weight to each exercise every time you do the routine. However this increment only needs to be very small as the muscles in the arms are only small. If possible I advise adding no more than ½ kilo to each exercise at every workout. If the weight increase means you cannot finish a set with proper form then stick with this weight until you can perform the set number of reps. Once you can do this then increase the weight next workout.

If using cables or barbells in the workouts adding small increments is easier as small weight amounts are accessible. With dumbbells progression may take a little longer as they tend to increase in larger weight levels.

Supersets

Supersets are a fantastic training strategy for not only developing your arms but keeping your workouts short and time efficient. If you are not sure what a superset is it is basically where you work 2 different muscle groups without rest in the same set. For arms a superset is doing an a set on your biceps then switching to triceps or vice versa with little or no rest between exercises. This is classed as one set.

Same muscle group supersets

As the name suggests these supersets are 2 exercises for the same muscle group performed back to back with little or no rest. To add muscle these supersets generally work better as put a lot more stress on the muscle whereas when using different muscle groups in supersets you can increase your strength.

To sculpt arms that have both muscle and definition a mix of both types of strategies work best.

Ok, enough of the specifics let’s get into the routines and start sculpting your new sexy arms.

THE ROUTINES!

The routines I lay out here have been inspired by many of the top coaches and bodybuilders of all time. I have just taken their concepts and adapted them so that women of all levels of training experience can use them although I would not advise using them if you have never done any form of weight training before.

The 8 sets of 8 program was made famous by a well known trainer and coach called Vince Gironda. You basically take one body part then do 8 sets of 8 reps using just one exercise. Once completed you move onto another body part and repeat the process. If doing a total body program you would do 5 body parts one session then switch to 5 other body parts for your next session. Repeat both workouts twice in a week. However because we are just focusing on arms here we will choose 2 exercises, one for biceps and one for triceps.

When doing each exercise try to focus on keep as much tension through the working muscle as much as possible. Keep your rep tempo to

3 seconds lowering the weight 0-No pause at the bottom 2 seconds raising the weight 1 second pause at the top of exercise

Keep your rest period between sets to no more than 30 seconds. This is not a superset program so you will do 8 sets of the bicep exercise then complete 8 sets of the tricep exercise. If you keep your tempo and rest periods honest this workout should take no more than 20 mins.

A1 Seated Dumbbell Curl –palms facing outwards 8 sets X 8 reps X 3021 tempo B1 Close Grip EZ Bar Tricep Press 8 sets X 8 reps X 3020 tempo

This workout is great for building muscle so it only use this one if you struggle to build muscle in this area. If you find that 8 sets is just too much to start with then begin with 4 sets and add on a set every week for a month. The weight you use should be challenging for the last 2 reps. You may find that you have to drop the weight as you move through the sets due to muscle fatigue.

Drop Supersets

This routine brings together two of the best muscle building techniques of all time; drop sets and supersets. There are a number of variations you can apply to this technique some of which are extremely intense. This version will work both the biceps and the triceps in the same workout.

If you’re not sure what a drop set it is basically when you do a set of one exercise, drop the weight then do another set with no rest, then again drop the weight and repeat. You can do as many drop sets as you want but for this workout we will keep it to 3. Once you finish the first set of drop sets you move onto the other exercise and then repeat the process.

That will count as one drop-superset. Rest is then 60 -90 seconds and depending on your training experience you will then repeat 1 or 2 times.

Pre exhaustion is a popular strategy to help build muscle on all body parts and the theory is too use a isolation type exercise first to engage the muscle then follow it with a compound exercise straight away with no rest. With biceps the normal choice compound exercise choice is close grip chin up. If you struggle to do these on their own then either do them with weight assistance or do a close grip body row instead. For triceps the compound exercise is the close grip barbell bench press. If you don’t have access to this then do a tricep press up with elbows close to the body.

Your volume can range from three to five sets, depending on your split routine and experience level.

Bicep A1 Standing Barbell/Dumbbell curl 1 set X 8-12 reps A2 Close grip pull up/body row 1 set X as many reps until failure

Rest 90 seconds then repeat for 1 or 2 more sets

Tricep B1 Standing Tricep cable extension 1 sets X 12 reps B2 Close grip barbell bench press//Tricep Push up 1 set X 8-12 reps

Rest 90 seconds then repeat for 1 or 2 more sets

Strength Supersets

The other routines are primarily focused on building muscle in your arms whereas this routine is targeting increasing strength and muscle tone (density) not size in your arms, To achieve this the aim is to drop the volume of work ,increase the weight and not work the muscle to complete fatigue. When we increase the loads on the muscle this switches on more muscle fibres and gives the muscle a harder more defined look.

You will need to have been training with weights for at least six months to be able to handle and control the heavier weight required in this workout.

The tempo on this workout is 3021 and you want to be able to do each rep with perfect form.

The workout comprises of a superset of compound exercises followed by a superset of isolation exercises.

This is just a taste of arm workouts for women that I have used and researched over the years but for now there is enough to keep you going for not only a month but maybe at least year.

I know some of these routines look daunting and you may be wondering are they for me. However these are tried and tested routines that will give you results in the next 4 weeks and beyond. If you are desperate to see some progress with your arm development then I urge you to try out one or two of these routines for the next month and see what happens.

I GUARANTEE you are going be very pleased with the how your arms look and feel that you will never go back to your old workouts and will be asking me for more.

Need help with anything please leave comment below. If you like the workouts please share and like with your friends and family.