How To Exercise Your Problem Areas Away: The Best Arm Workouts For Post 50s

2 Moves Proven To Tone Arms
fit female runner working out...
fit female runner working out...

When celebrity trainer Joel Harper works with post 50 clients, there are five areas they all want help with, he says: arms, stomachs, thighs, buns and hips.

How to exercise those problem areas away may elude many, but lucky enough for us, Harper -- whose clients include Dr. Mehmet Oz -- gave us a number of exercises that targets and firms each of those problem areas. These moves don't require logging in long hours at the gym, either.

"You don't have to workout for a long amount of time," Harper told Huff/Post50. "You can get a good workout in 10 minutes.

"But the most important thing is to be consistent about it," he continued. "You can't just do it one week and expect results. You gotta just keep doing it over and over and over, because then the results come."

Harper demonstrated two exercises -- and one stretch -- in the HuffPost/AOL gym. Each exercise uses light weights to tone your arms as opposed to building them out, and feature high repetitions so you can create long, lean muscles.

LYING OVER HEAD PRESS

This exercise is good for isolating your triceps, Harper said.

Lie on your back with your knees up in pyramid formation (your knees together and your feet apart). Grab dumbbells (2-3 lbs for women, 5-8 lbs for men), and bring your elbows up and in line with your eyes.

joel harper

Bring your arms straight and then tap your weights above your head on the floor, and then lift them straight back up -- the whole time keeping your elbows in line with your eyes. Do 25 in a row. When you straighten your arms, make sure there's a slight bend, so you're working your muscles and not your joints. Keep the same speed through all the reps.

joel harper

Then continuously alternate your arms, first right then left and back again, for 25 more repetitions.

joel harper

Do one set of 25 straightening both arms and one set of 25 alternating your right and left arm. Repeat four times, for a set of eight total. Do this without stopping. "You want to try to burn the muscle completely," Harper said. Keep your face relaxed the entire time.

ARM TWIST

Grab your weights (2-3 lbs for women, 5-8 lbs for men) and stand with your feet together with weights. Bring your arms out to form a T, making sure your hands are out to your side and shoulder height with your palms turned down.

joel harper

Twist your arms so you drive your elbows into your sides while turning your palms up and then bring them all the way back out. Do 25 arm twists in a row, then switch feet and do 25 more for 50 total.

joel harper

"If you want to improve your balance and strengthen your stabilizing muscles, you can either do this on your toes, or bring your right foot off the ground and wrap it around your left foot," Harper said.

Do 25 arm twists in a row, then switch feet and do 25 more for 50 total. To really give yourself a workout, bump it up to 100.

"This works your complete arm and shoulder," Harper said. "And it helps your balance. [Balance is a big issue for] most people as they get older. They're more likely to lose their balance, and balance is something people have to continuously work on."

After working out any body part you should stretch, Harper advised. This creates long lean muscles and leaves you feeling tension free.

CHICKEN WING

Take your left hand and put the outside of your left hand on to your left hip, leaving your left elbow out to the side and your palm facing out.

joel harper

Take your right hand and grab your left elbow. Stand up straight and gently pull your left elbow toward your stomach. But don't push too hard, Harper advised. "All stretching should feel good. You want to think massaging your muscles from the inside out."

joel harper

"Breathe into the muscle. Act like there's a balloon in that area," he said. "Take deep breaths, really opening it up." Hold this stretch for four deep inhales and then switch sides.

"If one side is tighter than the other, go back and do the tighter side again," Harper said. After every workout be sure and drink 10 ounces of water.

Stay tuned for Joel Harper's workouts for your stomach, thighs, buns and hips.

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