Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Most of us want to achieve more definition in our upper arms, and perhaps even show off some tricep and bicep action as the summer hits. I am not an exception, but what I really don’t fancy is going hard on arm day in the gym. What I’ve learned in my pursuit of honed arms is that all it takes is consistency: the trick that I’ve found works best can be done at home and is relatively effortless compared to some of the rigorous workouts I see online.
The simple trick for defined upper arms
Workouts often require a lot of effort, so I’m always happy to hear about ways in which I can exercise my body, without exerting huge effort. I always assumed that defined upper arms would be the result of a multitude of difficult training sessions, but that was until I discovered using weight cuffs on my wrists. Wearing these weighted cuffs in everyday life – whether at home or taking the dog for a walk – trains your arms as you move about your day, and you don’t have to schlep to the gym or restrict yourself in any way.
How I integrate weight cuffs into everyday life
I have no precise instructions for you here, other than that I wore the cuffs pretty much all of the time – except at night, of course. Even sitting at my desk gave my arms a workout because, if you pay close attention, you move your hands and arms a lot, even when typing at a keyboard. They amplify each movement performed by the arms, no matter how small, and because you don’t have two kilos hanging from each arm – rather, a few hundred grams – you’re not restricted with what you can do.
I started out feeling quite motivated, with 500 grams per cuff, but realised relatively quickly that this was a bit too much. I had sore muscles in my upper arms and shoulders each evening, which may have been a good sign, but I didn’t want this trick to affect my daily life. Eventually, I settled on 300 grams per wrist – you can increase the weight a little over time if you find this method works for you.
A whole-body hack
You can use this hack on for your ankles to train your glutes and legs, however visible results will take a little longer. The muscles in the lower part of the body – the buttocks, thighs and calves – are significantly larger than those in the arms, and so take longer to train.
The best wrist weights to try now
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
