How to get toned arms like Michelle Obama

Our first lady has some amazingly sculpted arms. In her interviews she speaks frankly about working out frequently and making gym time for herself early in the morning. Well, the results are gorgeous, and the exciting part is that you too can work your way to toned arms like Michelle's.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A pair or hand held dumbbells between 5 and 12 pounds, depending on your strength

1. 

   Join a gym and get familiar with the machines there. Or, buy a set of dumbbells that are just heavy enough that doing 8 bicep curls is a challenge. One key here is to use weights that will challenge you. If you can do 12 repetitions without a problem, then it is time to increase the weight.

2. 

   Next, learn a variety of exercises. If you belong to a gym, ask one of the trainers to show you some new moves. Your goal should be to learn 3-4 moves for each muscles group in your arms. If you're working on your own, head to a website like www.self.com to see some good pictures and examples.

3. 

   Now, it is time to get training. Ideally, you want to do a workout every 48 hours. Don't weight train any more than that because your muscles need time to recover, and recovery equals building strength and definition. Each workout you should aim to exhaust your muscles. Aim to work each muscle group at least twice (shoulders, biceps, triceps). Do 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each move. Remember, if you can do 12 without struggling, add weight!

Tips & Warnings

• Lifting weights alone will never quite get you to perfectly toned arms. You do need to do cardio workouts at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week as well as eat a healthy diet.
• Variety is key! Incorporate a wide variety of excercises to get the best results. Ideally, use hand weights, free weights, machines, and traditional moves like push-ups. Don't get into a routine of the sme moves session after session.
• Don't overdo it at first! If you wake up the morning after a workout and can't move, weight 48-72 hours before training again, and then do a few less exercises that session. Discomfort and mild soreness means progress, severe pain does not.

Resources

• How to Find The Motivation to Exercise and Lose Weight
• How to Determine Body Mass Index
• How to Speed Up a Slow Metabolism