Sam Wood: How to get great guns in time for summer

Hard work and determination will always reward you with results. Consistency is key if you want arms with definition, says Sam Wood.

As we start to think about peeling off those winter layers, and with summer only four months away, people’s minds shift to getting in shape.

At this time of year, I’m always asked how to get toned arms to look great in tank tops, muscle shirts or strapless dresses and bathers. The good news is there are simple exercises you can easily add to your day, helping you to move more.

Hard work and determination will always reward you with results. Consistency is key. If you follow a simple plan, making sure you move your body for at least 28 minutes a day and JERF – just eat real food – you really can’t go wrong.

The key to your training if you’re looking for those Michelle Obama or Chris Hemsworth arms is resistance training and cardio. The resistance exercises will tone the muscle, and the cardio will burn the fat. As you get stronger, increase your resistance.

Let’s not forget, we need to work with our bodies. You might question why women store more weight around their arms than men, and this is thanks to the hormone oestrogen. Women tend to have more fat sitting over the arm muscle than men, meaning the outline of your arm muscles are being softened, creating a less defined appearance. Thankfully, particular activities will help define your arms.

Sam Wood works on toning his arms.

The following exercises will get your heart rate up, mix both strength and cardio in one, and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

This is a great upper-body workout for both men and women to try. Make sure to have some dumbbells handy, or you could use 1kg rice bags or any other heavier household items.

And for those who are time-poor, you can also look at incidental exercises that will tone your arms – picking up your little ones, carrying groceries to and from the car, and general day-to-day house cleaning.

It will be summer before your know it, so let’s get training – sun’s out, guns out!

Join Sam and his 28 by Sam Wood community in the upcoming 8-week challenge starting on July 18. Visit 28bysamwood.com

Alternating renegade row (20 reps, 10 each side)

1. Start in a push-up position with the dumbbells on the floor.

2. Hold your push-up position while performing alternating rows, keeping your body nice and

stable, nice and strong.

3. Be sure to get your shoulder blade back and not shrug, and keep your core nice and tight.

Renegade row.

Push-ups (20 reps)

1. Start in a high plank position with your body in a straight line from your head to your toes.

2. Keep your back straight and make sure your hips and chest are going down and up as one. 3. Breathe in on the way down, and breathe out on the way up.

4. If you can’t do push-ups on your toes yet, you can try them on your knees.

Push-ups.

Curl & Press (20 reps)

1. Stand up tall with your feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell (or a can of baked beans) in each hand.

2. Ensure your hands are facing up, bend your arms at the elbows to curl the weights up

towards your shoulders.

3. Push the dumbbells up above your head, making sure you extend your arms all the way up.

Curl and press.

Hammer Curls (20 reps)

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell (or can of baked beans) in each hand.

2. Ensure your palms are facing towards your body like you’re hitting a hammer.

3. Keep your elbows close to your body and slowly curl the dumbbell up to your shoulders.

Hammer Curls.

Overhead Tricep Extension (20 reps)

1. Kneeling with a dumbbell in each hand, lift the dumbbells up above your head until your arms are completely straight.

2. Keeping your elbows tucked in by your ears, slowly lower the dumbbells back behind your head.

3. Once your forearms have gone beyond parallel, slowly return your arms to the starting position by bringing the weights back up.

Tricep extension.

Lat Rise (20 reps)

1. Lie on the floor in a hip bridge position. Take one dumbbell up above your chest.

2. Keep your arms straight and slowly lower the dumbbell over your head, to gently touch the floor behind you.

3. Bring it back up, with a straight arm, to above your chest. 4 Remember, you should always control the movement, and if it is too tough to control, reduce the hand weight.

Lat rise.

Alternating Side Plank (20 reps, 10 each side)

1. Starting in a high plank or push-up position.

2. Open your chest up and rotate into a T-hold, then bring that arm down to the floor and open up and rotate into a T-hold on the other side.

3. Hold at the top of the movement for 2 seconds each rep and continually swap sides for 20 reps.

Alternating side planks.

Originally published as Sam Wood: How to get great guns in time for summer