How to build arm strength

Recently, I read an article on yoga poses that build arm strength. But you know what, I was bummed to see some of the suggestions.  

They all were great for building arm strength. But several required strong arms to do them (like the photo on the right). 

I decided to back it up and start at the foundation for building strong arms. 

Why is arm strength important?

This may seem like a silly question to ask, but I’m doing it anyway. Let’s start with the forearms. 

Forearm strength is helpful in opening a stubborn jar, but it’s more than that. Your forearms help you pick up things and move them on your own.  It’s easier to carry heavy objects, use shovels, rakes, or pull weeds. 

More specifically, the major muscles in your forearms allow you to 

• bend your fingers

• use chopsticks

• make the “so-so” motion with your hand

• wave goodbye

• give a good thumbs up

Moving on up to your upper arm. The primary muscles on your upper arm bone, or humerus, are the biceps, triceps, and deltoids.

Well-developed biceps and triceps are often coveted by bodybuilders and gym-goers. But you don’t have to bulk these babies up to have strong arms. 

You’ll find your biceps on the front of your upper arm. You use them when you

• pull

• bring your forearm toward your body

• turn your palm to face upward

• raise your arm. 

Your triceps are on the back of your upper arm. You use this muscle when you

• move your forearm away from you

• carry things overhead

• move your arm back and behind your body

Your deltoids are the superficial muscles of your shoulder. They cover the front, side, and back of your shoulder joint. There are 3 parts to your deltoid and together they stabilize the shoulder joint and help you move your arms in different directions. 

Keeping your arms strong can help you live a healthier life. In fact, studies have found that arm strength is also linked to longevity (1, 2).  

A strong upper body means that certain activities, such as lifting a heavy load, may feel more difficult as you age but won’t feel as strenuous. Building arm strength can allow a person to live independently for longer.   Stronger arms mean that you can climb the stairs and firmly hold the banister, reducing the risk of falling. A person can stay active and social.

Let’s get started!

You’ll start on your hands and knees and build from there. There is no end goal pose in mind here. The idea here is to start at the beginning, find out where you are, and add challenges when you’re ready. 

Hands and Knees

1. Come to your hands and knees. Palms under your shoulders or just in front. Spread the fingers like you would when you give a “high-five.”

2. You can put a blanket under your knees if you want.

3. Imagine someone placing their hand on your back between your shoulder blades. Press the palms into the ground as if you’re trying to push into that hand.

4. You can overdo this action. If your shoulders start rounding then it’s too much. 

5. Your arms will be working here. 

6. Don’t let your front ribs droop to the floor. Bring the naval toward the spine. 

7. Keep the back of the neck long and don’t drop your head. Imagine pushing the crown of your head forward. 

8. Breathe here. 

9. Start with 10 breaths. Take a break, and repeat. 

If you do the hands and knees above and are ready for more work do the following.

Adding an arm

1. From your hands and knees keep pressing into your left hand and reach your right arm forward. Turn the arm so the thumb is up. 

2. Don’t let your front ribs droop and pull the navel toward your spine. 

3. Keep pressing the “standing” arm into the ground. 

4. Here you’re strengthening muscles in both arms. You probably feel it more in the “standing” arm but your lifted arm is working as well. 

5. Breathe here for 10 breaths.

6. Repeat on the other side.

A plank is a full-body exercise because it works the core, upper body, back body, and lower body. Basically, it works your body from head to toe. 

But it won’t do this if you haven’t built up some arm strength to stabilize the muscles around the shoulders. My suggestion is to start with the first tip and then slowly build up to a plank. 

Planking

1. Start on your hands and knees. Arms are strong, the belly is in, and the front ribs are not droopy. 

2. Imagine that hand between the shoulder blades and press into it, just not too much to round the shoulders.

3. Keeping all this work, reach one leg back. Stop here and see how you feel. Even out the weight between the palms, you probably shifted to one side.

4. Are you able to keep the shoulders stable, not droop the belly? If you can still keep the work then reach the second leg back into plank. 

5. Don’t raise your butt. 

6. Breathe here for 5 breaths to start. 

Plank places a lot of weight on your arms, so listen to your body. 

Strong arms can make everyday activities easier. It’s worth spending a few minutes each day to build these muscles.

What do you do to strengthen your arms? I’d love to hear. Comment below!

Wanna keep reading? Check out this article on giving your hands and wrists some TLC!

Sources:

1. Celis-Morales, C. A., Welsh, P., Lyall, D. M., Steell, L., Petermann, F., Anderson, J., Iliodromiti, S., Sillars, A., Graham, N., Mackay, D. F., Pell, J. P., Gill, J., Sattar, N., & Gray, S. R. (2018). Associations of grip strength with cardiovascular, respiratory, and cancer outcomes and all cause mortality: prospective cohort study of half a million UK Biobank participants. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 361. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k1651

2. Bohannon R. W. (2019). Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clinical interventions in aging, 14, 1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S194543