I want lean arms!

Don't fear sleeveless tops any more: mix yoga and gym ball exercises to tone your arms

Bench dips on a ball

Sit on the floor with your heels or calves on top of an exercise ball. Place your palms on the floor behind your hips, fingers facing forward. Press your body weight into your palms as you extend your elbows and lift your buttocks off the floor. Bend your elbows as you lower your buttocks toward the floor without touching. Then extend your elbows and repeat 20 or 30 times. Keep your heels against the ball and proceed to reverse plank. If you’re a beginner and find these tough, do a simpler dip by sitting on the second step of your stairs, with your legs out in front of you. With your hands on the step above, straighten your arms to lift your body and then lower back down again. (Reebok Fitness does a good gym ball for £24.99, which comes with a DVD exercise programme – call 01908 512244 for stockists).)

Downward dog to chataranga
From your downward dog position (see back exercises), use the strength in your arms to slowly lower your body so that you are in a straight line, hovering an inch or two off the floor, with only your toes and hands having floor contact. Hold for 60 seconds. From here, straighten your arms again to lift back into downward dog. Repeat five times.

Reverse plank
Sit on the floor with your heels on top of the ball and your palms on the floor behind your hips. Press into your hands as you extend your arms and legs, coming into the reverse plank position. Reach up through your hips and sternum. Hold for 15 seconds. Lower and return to the bench dips, completing one to two more sets of the dips and reverse plank.

Exercises for other areas

Click on the area you want to work, for more expert exercise advice 

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Any questions on the arms?
 

How can I cheat?
‘If you suffer from batwing arms, avoid thin straps that cut off your shoulder from the tops of your arms,’ says personal trainer Laura Williams. ‘Opt for halternecks or strapless tops so the eye isn’t drawn to the backs of your arms.’

Will losing weight help slim down my bulky arms?
Laura says, ‘Losing body fat will help. Even if you have good muscle tone in your arms, if they look bulky, the chances are those muscles are covered with a layer of fat, which will conceal any muscle tone.’

What else should I be doing?
‘Swimming front crawl works the muscles at the tops of your arms without adding bulk,’ says Laura.

Is there a secret remedy?
‘Your arms will look much more attractive if you dry-skin-brush them,’ says Laura. ‘Most health stores sell the right kind of brush for the purpose and it will also help to shift toxins.’

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