Suzanne approached me a few months ago, almost in a state of panic. “Jon, I am so frustrated! I work my arms out three times per week, but I still have THIS!” She then proceeded to do the “triceps wave”, showing me the jiggle on the backside of her arm. Like most of us, she thought she looked worse than she actually did. There was not that much body fat there, but it bothered her nonetheless, and that’s what counts.

The good news is that today Suzanne has toned arms that she is proud to reveal this summer. If you too want better arms, biceps or triceps, consider the same advice I gave Suzanne — focus on increasing your overall upper body strength, and focus on your diet.

The most common mistake I see women make in the gym is training with insufficient weight to produce muscle growth. Remember, there is no such thing as “toning” a muscle. It either grows or it shrinks. You want the muscle to grow, and you can manage the rate of growth so you do not end up with “Arnold Arms”.

Do this by increasing your strength in the primary lifts: do bench presses (or dumbbell bench presses) for your chest, and wide-grip chin-ups (assisted if necessary) for your back. Working these two exercises twice per week will not only make your arms look better, but your entire upper body as well.

Most trainees avoid these movements because they are difficult, but they do so at the cost of results. Bicep curls, triceps kickbacks and so on simply cannot produce the gains you are looking for nearly as fast as these two basic movements.

Do these training exercises on the same day for maximum effect, with 2-3 days off in-between for recovery. Do 2-3 sets after your warm-ups, with a rep range of 12, 8, and 5-6. Take every set to momentary failure. Try to increase your weights every week…that’s crucial. In short, work hard, but brief.

Diet is vital if you want to get that “toned” look. Try reducing the amount of starchy foods you eat after 4:00 pm. Substitute green veggies and salads, and keep fruits and simple sugars down to a minimum.

Finally, take a long walk at night as frequently as possible after your last meal. You will burn more fat from the increased caloric expenditure, plus it is a great way to wind down your day.

Put all these pieces together, and you too can sport some lovely “guns” this summer!

[Ed. Note: Jon Benson is a lifecoach and nutrition counselor who specializes in helping individuals discover a life-altering mind/body connection. His work in the field of fitness and mental empowerment has helped thousands rediscover their youthful body and positive outlook. Discover how you can do the same by clicking here.]

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