How to Get the Wedding Day Arms of Your Dreams
One of the most popular dresses for brides is the strapless gown. Now, you may be one of those brides that have the whole strapless gown thing in the bag, but the idea of going strapless strikes fear in the heart of many women. You don’t want to be the bride remembered for her bat wings on her wedding day, after all! Well, don’t fret, because there are ways you can fight back against arm anxiety and channel your inner Michelle Obama for your wedding day (her arms are incredible!). All you need are a few effective exercises for your shoulder and arms to get you started.
A Few Things
Los Angeles personal trainer Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, points out that toning your arms may be a lot easier than you think. According to him, consistency is the key. “You can be bridal buff in as soon as two weeks by starting a consistent arm toning program,” according to Fuentes. So, let’s hear it for your arms and get this bridal buffering session started!
The Humble Push-Up
Push-ups aren’t just for the boys in Army boot camp; they’re for bridal boot camp too! In fact, they’re one of the best workouts for your upper body you can find anywhere. Another great thing about push-ups is they are easy to tailor to your personal fitness level. You can make them easier by doing them at an angle, like against a wall or on a desk. Or you can make them more difficult by elevating your feet off the ground with a chair or stool. You’ll feel that in the morning! Whichever way works best for you, do them until your arms feel like jelly, then rest and do them again!
Plank Perfection
Few exercises are as good for your whole body as the plank. Personal trainer Lalo Fuentes says “Planks are fashionable for a reason – they’re effective!” You can’t argue with that! Well, you could – but that’s not going to get those arms wedding ready!
To do a plank you simply need to hold yourself in the plank position (hands under your shoulders, toes grounded), engaging every muscle in your arms and shoulders in the process. Make sure to keep your belly button pulled in toward the spine and your hips need to remain level. Sticking your butt up toward the sky is not going to help you get the most out of this exercise.
If you want to up the intensity, personal trainers such as Lalo Fuentes suggest that you try a walking plank. To do this, drop your hands to your elbows one at a time and then push yourself back up to the position you started in.
When it comes to weddings there are a lot of details to think about, but you have to remember to put yourself first. This is your big day, after all – so go into with the confidence you deserve looking your very best. If you think you need help at any point along the way to tone and tighten, you can’t go wrong bringing a personal trainer into the mix!