How to tone your arms without losing femininity

First lady Michelle Obama has received attention for her well-toned yet feminine-looking arms, prompting women everywhere to ask how they can achieve this look.

Muscles that must be exercised in order to firm and tone the arms are:

The shoulder area, which includes the deltoids and underlying rotator cuff. These muscles give shape and contour to the arms and provide stability for the shoulder joint. Toned shoulders draw the eyes upward and attention away from trouble spots, and widening this area gives the appearance of a smaller waist, hips and/or thighs.

Exercises for the shoulders include:

Shoulder press: Place dumbbells on top of the shoulders, palms either facing one another or facing forward. Press dumbbells slowly overhead until arms are almost fully extended and then slowly lower.

Front, side and reverse raises: To work the front and sides of the shoulders, lift weights with extended arms to the front or sides of your body. To work the rear deltoids, bend from the waist and lift weights toward the back of your body.

Rotator cuff: Grasp one end of a resistance band and pin your elbow to your side. With elbow in place, pull the band outward (external rotation). For internal rotation, simply pull the band toward the body instead of away from it, keeping the elbow in place.

Located on the front of the upper arm, the biceps run from the shoulder to the elbow. Exercises for the biceps include:

Curls: Start with arms extended and at your sides, palms facing forward (most common) or facing one another (hammer curls). Keeping the elbows pinned to your sides, begin moving weights up toward the front of the shoulders and slowly lower.

The triceps are located on the back of the upper arm and are responsible for elbow extension, allowing you to straighten your arm.

One of the best exercises for the triceps is the pushdown. Use a cable machine with a rope attachment or, if at home, a resistance band, placing it at a point higher than the top of your head. Standing or seated, grasp the ends of the rope or band and bring your elbows to your sides. Keeping elbows in place throughout each repetition, push downward until your arms are extended and slowly return to the starting position.

Any activity that requires use of the biceps and triceps works the shoulder muscles indirectly. By the same token, directly working the shoulder muscles, as when pressing dumbbells overhead, requires use of the forearms, biceps and triceps, to varying degrees. Activities that bring the forearm(s) toward the body work the biceps; those where the forearm(s) move away from the body work the triceps. For photos, go to my Web site, www.ohtrainer.com.

As a personal trainer, I meet on a regular basis with women who desire firmer and more defined arms while stressing that they want to retain a feminine look. Fearing that lifting weights may give them “football shoulders,” many of these women previously shied away from this type of exercise in favor of aerobics. The truth is, it is next to impossible for a woman to become overly muscular unless testosterone levels are elevated or steroids or other bodybuilding supplements designed for that purpose are being used. To help set fears aside, here are some facts about different body types:

Women with a mesomorphic body type have a stockier build, and they genetically possess more muscle tissue than other body types. The mesomorph has a shorter stature, squarer face shape, thicker waistline and a larger, more boxy-looking frame than other body types, with legs and upper body in proportion. Having more natural muscle from head to toe than other body types, these women respond well to weight training. However, they can still lift weights without fear of getting overly developed muscles.

Women with an ectomorphic body type usually have an oval face shape, have longer arms and legs, are typically taller and have a longer torso and much less natural muscle tissue than the mesomorph. This body type is prone to osteoporosis, making weight training especially important.

Women who are endomorphic or “apple-shaped” also have less muscle than the mesomorph. This body type has a smaller lower body compared to the upper, with most weight carried around the midsection.

Most people are a combination of two body types.

Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Association Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, call her at (937) 878-9018 or send e-mail to OHTrainer@aol.com. Her Web site is at www.ohtrainer.com.