Sexy Arms This Spring!

by Denise Austin
Warm weather and sleeveless tops are just around the corner! So here's an oldie-but-goodie exercise that will give you sleek, sexy, arms — bicep curls!

Here's how:

• Sit on the floor with your feet crossed in front of you.
• With an underhand grip, hold a weight in each hand to your sides with your arms extended.
• Exhale slowly as you raise your arms toward you, bending at the elbows.
• Feel the movement in your biceps — the muscles Popeye is famous for!
• Hold the position momentarily before returning to the starting position, inhaling.
• Repeat two sets of eight to 12 repetitions each, resting for 15 seconds between sets.

Keep in mind that to get results from this and other weight-bearing exercises, you need a weight that challenges your muscles enough that they have to grow to keep up. Need help finding the right load? Start with weights you can lift without difficulty (perhaps 1- or 2-pounds). If you can easily complete the two sets and still keep going, move up one weight size. When you find a weight that leaves you feeling that two sets is all you can possibly do — but isn't so heavy that you can't complete both sets — you've found your match! When that weight becomes easy-breezy, move up again!

Training materials by Denise Austin