If having a toned upper body and sculpted, strong arms is one of your fitness goals, you are not alone. Not only do arm workouts strengthen biceps, delts (shoulders) and triceps, but they also work other areas like the back muscles and core strength.  A question I hear often is how to tone sagging arms.

One of the hard aspects of aging is that muscles tend to get soft.  In addition, hormone and body changes can encourage the body to pack on pounds.  That is why strength training is so crucial for women, especially over 40.  You can minimize the downsides of aging with a regular weightlifting/toning routine.

Get Started

To get started, you don’t need a complicated workout routine or equipment. You need a pair of dumbbell weights, time 3- 4 days a week, and arm toning exercises. To get the most out of your exercises, think about the specific muscle.  Instead of doing the rep quickly, think about engaging the muscle as your use it.  

Tone your arms by starting with 3-4 moves from the list below.  Perform 10 to 12 reps of each, then continue to the next move in the circuit without a break.  When you finish all moves in the circuit, rest for a minute then repeat the circuit for a total of four circuits. Choose a set of dumbbells that make it hard to get to the end of a set of 12 reps. 

Arm Exercises

• Biceps – biceps curl, hammer curl, chin-up, pullup
• Triceps – dips, triceps extension, triceps pushdown
• Shoulders – upright rows, overhead press, Arnold press

Additional points

• Doing at least 10 to 12 reps helps to emphasize muscle endurance.  It helps to challenge the arms to the point of fatigue.
• Eat protein.  Aim for 25 to 30 grams per meal. Eating protein helps to build muscle.
• Toning arms will not happen in one or two sessions. It takes months to start to see definition.

The answer to how to tone sagging arms is one day at a time.  Your training frequency, intensity and diet do matter. Toned and sculpted, strong arms take intentional training and time.