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3 Killer Bodyweight Moves For Strong Arms

Author:

Ben Greenfield

January 08, 2016

New York Times bestselling author

By Ben Greenfield

New York Times bestselling author

Ben Greenfield is an ex-bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, obstacle course racer, human performance consultant, speaker, author of 13 books, and founder and CEO of Kion.

January 08, 2016

When it comes to getting toned, tight, and strong arms, you don’t need to venture into a fancy gym or buy special exercise equipment. Instead, you can use these three simple bodyweight moves.

Practice the following routine one to three times a week, going from exercise to exercise, with minimal rest, and completing these moves as a circuit, meaning that you go through the entire set of exercises once, then go back to the beginning and repeat for a total of two to four rounds.

Here's a quick video that runs through the moves, and detailed descriptions below:

1. Dive Bombers

If you don’t have access to a weight that you can press overhead but you still want to work your shoulders in a similar manner, then a dive-bomber push-up can come in handy. Begin with both hands about 12 inches in front of the body, imagine an electric or barbwire fence above your hands, and “dive” under that fence in a swooping motion, and then reverse direction and swoop back. It’s also a fantastic flexibility exercise for your lower back and hamstrings.

2. Rotating Straight Arm Planks

This exercise tones your upper body and core at the same time, works on your back and shoulder muscles, and even tones the legs.

Begin in a push-up position with your hands under your chest or wider. Perform one push-up, lowering your torso as low as you can go. Press up to the starting position and lift one arm off the ground, rotating your torso from prone into a side plank. Hold your arm up toward the ceiling for 2 to 3 seconds before returning to push-up position to do another push-up. This time rotate to the other direction, again, pausing at the top of the exercise for 2 to 3 seconds before returning to starting position. To make this exercise more difficult, lift your upper leg, forming a star, while you are in side plank, and hold for longer, like 4 to 5 seconds.

3. Dips

Find a raised platform like a bench, chair, or coffee table to put your hands on. Place your hands on the edge of the platform, then lower your body by bending arms until a slight stretch is felt in chest or shoulder, or your rear end touches floor. Raise your body and repeat. Weight can be placed on lap to increase resistance, or you can use just one arm, or just one leg, as you do the dips.

For more fitness advice, check out my course, The 7-Day Full-Body Reboot To Get Strong + Fit.

Ben Greenfield

Ben Greenfield is an ex-bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, obstacle course racer, human performance consultant, speaker, author of 13 books, and founder and CEO of Kion, which provides products, information, entertainment, coaching, consulting, and a global community centered around becoming a “fully optimized human.” His book Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health and Life is a New York Times bestseller, and he was voted as NSCA’s Personal Trainer of the Year in 2008 and in 2013 and 2014 was named by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness. Greenfield blogs and podcasts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com, and resides in Spokane, WA with his wife and twin boys.