healthier you today

It’s all about the details when maximizing the effectiveness of your arm exercises. Why? Because over the long run, small deviations in form can add up and really retard your progress.

Now most women probably aren’t even conscious of the small mistakes they’re making in the gym. After all, showing up is the biggest part of the battle. So perfecting the technique of each arm exercise probably takes second place.

Having said that, I definitely do NOT recommend going overboard here. Do your best to use proper form but don’t become paralyzed by over analysis.

So here is the important list of what NOT to do when doing arm exercises for women:

1. Using momentum to bring the weight up. You may not even be aware that you’re doing this. Why? Because you probably look at yourself from the front when exercising. Yet the only way to really see if your using momentum is to look at yourself from the side. So whenever you do a curl, double check the side mirrors?

2. Letting the shoulders come up. Most common with press downs for the triceps, although some women also do this when performing curls. What’s the big deal? When you elevate the shoulders, you work your trapezius (neck) muscles, not your arm muscles. And do you really want a big neck?

3. Allowing the elbows to shift around. Probably the most common error, letting the elbows shift takes all the stress of your arms-not a good thing if you want rapid arm toning. It can also lead to some shoulder impingement issues in the long run. So keep your elbows locked in place!

4. Not digging in with the heels. Digging into the ground with your heels when doing any type of lifting is one of the simplest yet most effective things you can do. Why? Because digging in with your heels uses the largest muscles in your body for support.

Avoiding the above deviations will make your arm exercises that much more effective and will also prevent injury. And although using heavier weights is critical for the fastest arm toning, never go heavy if it requires a sacrifice in form or technique. Always stay safe and lift with the best technique possible.

Author Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard exercise expert and former flabby arms victim, is an expert on exercise for women. Discover how to get toned arms now by exploring her website on arm exercise.