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Total Health

Sexy Summer Arms Workout: Machine Moves Version

By:
Liz Neporent

Love the ease of using circut training equipment at the gym? Try this fool-proof machine routine that'll sculpt your arms in no time!

General Guidelines
Aim for 8 to 15 repetitions per set using a moderately heavy weight; you should feel as if you've pushed yourself hard by the time you complete the last rep of each set. Do 1 to 3 sets of each exercise and rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets to give your muscles plenty of time to recover (unless otherwise noted).

Lat Pulldown
(Back, shoulders, biceps)

  1. Before you start, sit in the seat and adjust the thigh pads so that your legs are firmly wedged underneath the pads while your knees are bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then stand up and grasp the bar with an overhand grip and your hands about six inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Still grasping the bar, sit back down and wedge the tops of your thighs (just above your knee) underneath the thigh pads. Stretch your arms straight up, keep your chest lifted, and lean back slightly from your hips.
  2. In a smooth, fluid motion, pull the bar down to the top of your chest. Hold the position for a moment, then slowly raise the bar back up. When you've completed the set, stand up to return the weights to the stack. Don't just let go of the bar while you're seated; otherwise the weight stack will come crashing down.

Vertical Chest Press Machine
(Chest, shoulders, triceps)

  1. Sit in the seat of the machine so that the center of your chest lines up with the center of the horizontal set of handlebars. Press down on the foot bar so that the handles move forward. Grip the horizontal handles. Straighten your arms, pushing the handles forward. Keep your abdominals tight so that your upper back remains on the pad.
  2. Remove your feet from the foot bar -- you'll feel the weight of the stack transfer into your hands. Slowly bend your arms until your hands are just in front of your chest, and then push the handles forward until your arms are straight. When you have completed your set, put your feet back on the foot bar and let go of the handlebars before you lower the weight stack all the way down.

Shoulder Press Machine
(Shoulders, triceps)

  1. Set your seat height so that the machine's pulley is even with the middle of your shoulder. Hold onto each of the front handles. Pull your abdominals in tight but leave a slight, natural gap between the small of your back and the seat pad.
  2. Press the handles up without locking your elbows. Lower your arms until your elbows are slightly lower than your shoulders.



Arm Curl Machine
(Biceps)

  1. Adjust the seat so that when you sit down and extend your arms straight out, they are level with your shoulders and your elbows are lined up with the moving hinge or pulley of the machine. Sit down and grasp a handle in each hand with an underhand grip.
  2. Bend your elbows and pull the handles until they are just above your shoulders, then slowly lower the handles back down.

Triceps Pushdown
(Triceps)

  1. Set the pulley of the cable at the topmost setting and attach a straight or U-shaped bar. Grasp the bar with your palms facing down and your hands about a thumb's distance from the center of the bar. You can stand either with your feet parallel or with one foot slightly in front of the other. Bend your elbows so that your forearms are parallel to the floor and your elbows are alongside your waist. You can lean slightly forward at the hips, but keep your abdominals pulled in and your knees relaxed.
  2. Push the bar straight down, keeping your elbows close to your sides. Then bend your arms to allow the bar to slowly rise until your arms are slightly above parallel to the ground.

Cardio Recommendations

  • Take a boxing, kickboxing or circuit-training class for a workout that packs a muscle-building punch.
  • Head for the elliptical trainer or bike with the upper-body attachment; it'll burn extra calories and add a little extra workout for your upper body.
  • Blast through your upper-body weight machines without taking any rest in between to turn your pure weight training routine into a dynamite cardio-strength combo.

Stretching Secrets

  • Stretch nearly every day and do at least one stretch for every major muscle in your body, including your butt, front and back of thighs, calves, lower back, chest, upper back, shoulders, and front and back of arms.
  • Stretch at the end of your workout (or at least after a warm up) when your muscles have more heat and are more "receptive" to being stretched.
  • Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Breathe deeply and relax as you stretch. You should never push a stretch beyond the point of mild discomfort; if it feels painful, you may be pushing too hard.

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