Arm Toning Workout // Day18 HR12WEEK 2.0

Arm Toning Workout is Day 18 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week Program. This is an upper body workout that focuses on the biceps, triceps and shoulders using both dumbbell exercises and body weight exercises. Though each circuit contains 6 exercises, Heather starts each circuit with a triset that burns out either your biceps or your triceps, then the rest of the circuit moves on to shoulder and compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups. My arms definitely feel well worked. In fact, the triceps get the most work in this workout. Since this workout is 47 minutes, I used one of Heather’s Daily 10 workouts as a finisher: Day 24 Upper Body Sculpt.

This workout contains 3 circuits. Each circuit has 6 exercises. You repeat each circuit before moving on to the next one. The exercises are done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down the intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Heather previews the next exercise. Heather shows modifications/variations for some of the exercises.

Arm Toning Workout is 47:01 minutes; 4 minute warm up and 5:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Heather is using 5, 10 and 20 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Single arm overhead tricep extension (one 11# DB)
2. Repeat #1 on other arm
3. Double arm tricep press (French press) (one 25# DB)
4. Push back push up (do one push up then push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off mat)
5. Alternating lifts (arms are extended out to sides in a T w/ palms facing ceiling, raise one arm/DB overhead then lower, alternate arms) (5# DBs)
6. Shadow box (alternating weighted front punches) (5# DBs)
7. Repeat #1-6

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Bicep rotation (start in hammer curl, raising DBs until the are at shoulders, when you lower DBs open arms out to sides with palms facing ceiling, reverse motion back to start) (15# DBs)
2. Negative bicep curls (raise DBs quickly and lower slowly) (15# DBs)
3. Bicep burn out (fast alternating bicep curls using light DBs) (5# DBs)
4. Prayer pulses (palms and forearms are pressed together in front of body, push arms upward)
5. Squat & front raise (stand w/ DBs at sides, as you squat do a straight arm front raise) (5# DBs)
6. Walking plank (alternate forearm plank w/ straight arm plank)
7. Repeat #1-6

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. Laying tricep press (lay on side with legs extended straight, bottom hand is resting on top shoulder, top hand is on mat in front of chest, do a side lying single arm tricep push up in this position)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Tricep push up
4. Overhead press combo (start w/ DBs at shoulders, push DBs overhead then do a double arm overhead tricep extension, lower DBs back to shoulders) (12# DBs)
5. Crab dance (in crab, raise one leg to ceiling while reaching for toe with opposite hand, alternate sides)
6. Inchworm & hop (stand at end of mat, hinge forward and walk hands out to plank, do one push up, walk hands back to feet, stand and jump raising arms overhead)
7. Repeat #1-6

For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.