Arm Yourself

Cavan Wilson, Staff Writer

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  • Forearm Plank

  • Chair Dips: Step 1

  • Chair Dips: Step 2

  • Inverted Row: Step 1

  • Inverted Row: Step 2

  • Push-Up: Step 1

  • Push-Up: Step 2

  • Push-Up: Step 3

  • Push-Up: Step 4

No gym? No problem. If you want toned arms, look no further. Here are some great exercises that you can do at home to obtain strong arms. Whether you want to be able to show off your new muscles to your friends or improve your muscle strength, these exercises are perfect for keeping you healthy and getting you in shape.

Forearm Plank: For this exercise you will want to get on the floor in a regular push-up position, put your forearms on the floor, palms down, and rest your elbows underneath your shoulders. Instead of just putting your body on the floor, keep your shoulders aligned with your toes. Hold this position for a set time, rest and repeat. Do 5-10 sets; each set 30 seconds to a minute, depending on your skill level.

Chair Dips: While this exercise requires a chair-like object, it is still doable at home. For this exercise, put your palms face down on the chair, back facing the chair, and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Lower yourself to the floor, as low as you can without touching the floor, and then push yourself back up. Make sure to use your arms to bring yourself up and not your legs. Do about 5-10 sets of 10-20 dips and gradually increase as you get better.

“Make sure to get your arms to at least a 90-degree angle on the way down. Overall, I like the strength this exercise builds in my arms, keeping me healthy and strong,” freshman Claudio Bennedi said.

Inverted Row: For this exercise you will need something to slide under, like a chair. While lying down face up, grab the top of the chair with your hands and slowly pull yourself up. Go up until your chest is touching the chair and hold that position for about 10-20 seconds. After that, slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat this 10-20 times for 3-5 sets.

Pull-Up: For this exercise you will need a sturdy bar of some sort. A pipe attached to the walls in your house somewhere will do. Wrap your hands around the bar and pull your body up, so that your chest touches the bar, then go back down. Make sure that your feet don’t touch the ground in this exercise. If you’re too tall then put your knees at a 90-degree angle so they don’t touch the floor. You should do about 3-5 sets of 5-10 pull ups depending on how much arm strength you already have.

Push-Ups: Who could forget about the good ol’ push-up? For this exercise, you need to start with your arms straight, palms touching the floor directly beneath your shoulders. Make sure you are completely stretched out and that your toes touch the floor. Next, lower yourself all the way down so that your forearm and bicep touch each other, but don’t touch the floor with your chest. Then, push yourself back up and repeat. Do about 5-15 sets of 5-10 push-ups.

“Make sure to remember to keep your body straight and back leveled. You can do two other types of push-ups to make them harder. One is called fingertip push-ups, where you only use your fingertips as support instead of your whole palm. The other is where you bring your hands together so that they form a diamond shape. Other than that, these two are exactly the same as a regular push-up,” freshman Gabriella Adams said.

So if you want to start winning some arm-wrestling competitions, exercises like these are the perfect way to go. Remember these exercises in case you just can’t find the time to get to the gym today.