how to tone those upper arms?

[poopy]

Does anyone have advice for someone who wants to tone her upper arms? I've never really exercised much before and have just recently started to run a few times a week and am doing a bit of resistance training. I do a few pushups everyday, and I'm noticing that my arms are beginning to get stronger, but I didn't know if this was enough to get rid of the softness.

Oh. And is there a way to build one's glutes? I have a concave butt. :-/

[rabid_child]

Do you have a dumbell? Or a large can or two?
Holding either one in both hands, lay on your bed with the top of your head lined up with the edge of your bed. Keep your hands together, and slowly reach them up over, behind your head, and then slowly back to your chest. Repeat.
At the time you're like "pfft whatever, thats easy" then your arms hurt the next day. This helps with the saggy bit under your upper arms.

[goatee]

I have an execise for you but I can't describe it well enough and you could end up hurting yourself. It's to build-up/tone your tri-cepts and involves a chair and lifting your self up and down. Perhaps someone knows what I mean and can actually describe it properly. lol.

Arm curls are easy and fun. You can use a dumbbell or a large can as suggested by rabid_child and you just curl them. Oh, I can't really describe this one either. I think I'm too tired.

[goatee]

Ok, I think I can describe a glutes exercise.

Lie down on your stomach and have your legs straight and I like to have my arms folded under my chin but you can have your arms wherever comfortable. Now simply lift up your leg behind you. Focus on tightening your buttocks -- well, the one buttock for that leg.

As with all of these types of exercises (pushups, curls, pull ups, leg lifts) you are better off going slowly up and down. You will be strengthening more of the smaller muscles that way and you are less likely to injure yourself.

:)

[remilard]

Squats will give you a butt like a dump truck. QED

[poopy]

OK, cool. I'll give all of those a try. I've heard that squats do wonders for the butt, but I wasn't sure if they would develop those muscles in addition to toning them.

Oh, and thanks for listing things I could do at home. I didn't really want to start a gym membership (need to save up for grad school).

[dk_art]

"Squats will give you a butt like a dump truck"
--------------

Thanks for the warning ...... I shall avoid that particular exercise then :lol:

[remilard]

OK, cool. I'll give all of those a try. I've heard that squats do wonders for the butt, but I wasn't sure if they would develop those muscles in addition to toning them.

Oh, and thanks for listing things I could do at home. I didn't really want to start a gym membership (need to save up for grad school).

For squats at home shove a bunch of books in a backpack, put it on and find something (chair, coffee table) as close to knee height as possible, without being below your knee. Squat and stand up the second your butt hits the chair or whatever, this keeps you from falling over onto the books in the backpack.

If you really want to make your butt big at some point the higher weight you can use in a gym becomes important, this will be a good start though.

[zoebird]

i squat and my butt isn't big. but whatever.

i like yoga. chaturanga dandhasana, urdvha muka svanasana, and adho muka svanasana are great for the arms, shoulders, upper back. utkatasana, virabhdrasana 1, 2, and 3 are great for leg strength and hip flexibility.

here is a link (http://yogadancer.com/Asanas.shtml) to a web site that has descriptions of these postures in alphabetical order. i recommend looking them up. :)