How to build and shape your arms without weights or dumbbells

To exercise your arms, draw them and color them, there are weights and dumbbells. But you can also take another path – sports homemade, without accessories, fast and just as effective. The key to getting a return on investment. Good movements and regularity. More precisely, “5 exercises to be repeated 15 times each and performed 3 times a week,” according to sports trainer Julie Pujols-Benoit (1). The latter offers us a series of exercises to achieve a busy perineum, a tight navel and a straight back.

After how long can we see the results on the body in the video?

The pumps

In a push-up position on your knees, elbows bent outwards. Keeping your back straight, bend your arms and lower them to the ground as you inhale, then slowly come back up as you exhale.
In addition to strengthening the arms, “push-ups have the advantage of warming up before going forward,” comments Julie Pujols-Benoit.

the bird

Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, chest forward, back straight, arms down. Then imagine that you have wings instead of hands. raise your arms on each side as if you are flying. Inhale as you raise them, exhale as you lower them. “This exercise allows you to work on your back at the same time,” says the coach.

the descents

With your back to the couch or stairs, place your hands on the edge, wrists shoulder-width apart, and sit in the vacuum. The legs are bent at a right angle.
Do ups and downs with arm strength. Inhale by bending your elbows without moving your pelvis, then exhale by extending your arms.
This exercise “works the triceps, which are delicate muscles. You may have cramps, but they go away quickly. If you don’t manage to go down too low, then nothing serious, according to the coach. “even if the bending of the arms is minimal, the muscles are working.”

“Leaving a short break between workouts gets the heart pumping and endurance kicks in. This allows you to eliminate toxins, release steam and eliminate a few calories,” encourages the sports coach. And if you want to work your arms more, the expert recommends “taking a 2- to 3-minute break at the end of the 5-exercise sequence before starting again.”

The military press

In a standing position, the feet are parallel, hip-width apart, and the knees are slightly bent. With your elbows bent at a right angle and fists slightly above your ears, extend your arms toward the sky and then lower them to the starting position. The movement mimics that in the gym, where the athlete squats and lifts a barbell weighted at each end. “This exercise will strengthen your shoulders,” notes Julie Pujols-Benoit. To emphasize the work, you can bring two bottles of water in each hand.

Hand to heart

Stand up straight without straining. Place the palms of the hands at the level of the chest, in prayer position, without applying pressure.
As you exhale, squeeze your palms, contract your perineum, and pull in your navel. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds, then release before repeating the exercise 15 times.
In addition to strengthening the arms, this exercise “works on the décolleté, the chest and allows you to strengthen the perineum,” concludes Julie Pujols-Benoit.

(1) Creator and author of Pilates Booty and Color Sculpt In harmony with his body, Leduc, 224 pages, €19.90.

In the video, Jane Fonda reprises her iconic role as an athletic trainer for H&M