The Best Pilates Exercises to Tone Your Arms
Looking for some new moves to tone and strengthen your arm muscles? These Pilates dumbbell arm exercises will work your entire arm, from your shoulders to your wrists. Led by Alo Moves Pilates instructor Victoria Batha, this quick arm toning workout will build the foundation for a strong upper body and can be done with items around your home if you don’t have any light dumbbells handy. Start with 10 reps for each exercise, but feel free to add on more to suit your level. You can also practice the full Quick Arm Toning class on Alo Moves.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls
Start in a Pilates stance with your heels together, toes pointed out, and inner thighs together.
Tuck your elbows near your waist, and while holding a dumbbell in each hand, face your palms forward.
Curl your wrist up toward your arm without bending your elbow and curl them all the way back down until your knuckles are facing the wall behind you.
Bicep Curls
With dumbbells in hand, face your palms up toward the ceiling.
Tuck your elbows into your waist.
In a fluid motion, lift your wrists to your shoulders and lower your arms back down.
Lifted Bicep Curls
Lift your elbows up high in front of your face to form a 90-degree angle.
Center the weight in your feet.
Without dropping your arms, continue the Bicep Curls in this position.
Wide Lifted Bicep Curls
From your Lifted Bicep Curl, open your arms wide while keeping your arms bent at 90-degree angles.
With your arms in your peripheral vision, continue your bicep curl for several repetitions.
Release your arms down to your sides.
Zip-Ups
With your knuckles facing forward, bring your hands together in front of you until your dumbbells touch.
Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, “zip-up” the weights to your chest and lower them back down.
Make sure to keep your elbows above your wrists throughout the exercise.
Sparklers
With your arms down in front of you, slide your weights down until you’re holding them vertically at one end. Raise your arms slightly off of your thighs and lock your elbows in place.
Start to draw small circles with the weights, then lift your arms as you continue drawing small circles up to the ceiling.
At the top, reverse the direction and draw small circles as you lower your arms back down.
Tricep Press
Holding the center of the weights, keep the weights held together as you raise both arms straight up to the ceiling.
Bend your elbows to drop the weights behind your head.
Straighten your arms up, keeping your arms tight to your head.
Hugs
From the Tricep Press, keep your elbows lifted and open your arms wide as if you’re holding a torch in each hand.
Press in both arms (as if you’re hugging someone) until the weights touch.
Open your arms wide again, and repeat.
Tricep Squat Press
Turn to face the side of your mat and go into a squat position, keeping your feet hip-width apart and parallel.
Tuck your elbows in tight to your body and lift your arms up in front of you, gripping the dumbbells in their center. Make sure to keep your back in a neutral position.
Press your arms straight back, then bend them forward, working your triceps and keeping your elbows tight to your body.
Tricep Pulses
Lower into a squat position.
With dumbbells in hand, draw your arms straight behind you.
Pulse your arms back and repeat.
Boxing
Lower to a squat with your arms bent at your sides.
Stretch your right arm forward so your knuckles are facing in front of you while you extend your left arm back, but with your palm up.
Bring both arms back to center, then switch.
Bug
Lower to a squat and fold forward to a flat-back position.
Bring your weights together in front of you until they touch while keeping your arms wide in a hugging position.
Close and open your arms for several repetitions while maintaining a strong and neutral spine.
Chest Expansion
From a standing Pilates stance with weights in hand, press your arms straight behind you with your palms facing back and hold for a count of three.
Make sure to squeeze your glutes and inner thighs.
Release your arms straight forward and repeat.
Lift your way to stronger arms with Victoria Batha’s Quick Arm Toning class on Alo Moves. Start your two-week free trial to Alo Moves today.