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Exercises Without Extra Gear To Tone Your Underarms Post-40

Enhance the definition and firmness of your underarms with these bodyweight exercises, devoid of any need for equipment.

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3 min read
Strengthen and tighten your underarms with these bodyweight exercises, requiring no specialized...
Strengthen and tighten your underarms with these bodyweight exercises, requiring no specialized equipment for best results.

Exercises Without Extra Gear To Tone Your Underarms Post-40

Let's nix that pesky jiggle under your arms with these five kick-ass exercises from Mike Kimani, certified personal trainer at Get Fit Mike's Way in Los Angeles, CA. You don't need a fancy-schmancy fitness machine or accessories to tighten and tone that area. Here are his top no-equipment exercises to firm your arms after 40.

As we age, we notice sagging under our arms due to decreased muscle mass and lower skin elasticity. Mike tells us that this usually starts happening from the age of 30 to 35, and it's all about losing muscle and skin elasticity as we get older.

No-equipment or bodyweight workouts are an excellent, efficient way to tighten and tone those arms. They often consist of compound movements that activate multiple muscle groups, such as the upper-body muscles in this case.

Mike points out three main benefits of no-equipment exercises:

  1. TTUT (total time under tension) helps with increased muscle fiber growth and firming the arms and underarms.
  2. You can easily increase or decrease difficulty via isometric holds, volume, or tempo.
  3. You activate triceps, biceps, lats, shoulders, chest, and rib area with these exercises.

So, it's time to get your arms in gear! Let's target the triceps, biceps, lats, shoulders, chest, and rib area with these five no-equipment exercises.

1. Push-ups

Mike swears by these bad boys because they activate your entire body, especially the triceps, biceps, chest, lats, and shoulders. They're also super versatile, as you can perform them on the floor, wall, or a bench, depending on your fitness level and wrist strength.

  1. Start in a high plank with your hands just outside shoulder-width apart. Keep your body straight.
  2. Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor, making sure your hips don't sag.
  3. Exhale and press through your hands to rise back up to the starting position.
  4. Perform 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 25 reps, depending on your fitness level.
  5. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

2. Dips

Dips are fantastic because you can progress or regress them based on your fitness level, using techniques like isometric holds, positioning, or tempo. Just make sure your shoulder doesn't hurt while doing these.

  1. Begin seated on a sturdy chair with your hands holding onto the edge, fingers pointing forward.
  2. Slide your hips forward, so your weight is in your arms with bent knees and feet flat on the ground.
  3. Bend your elbows as you lower your body toward the floor, keeping your back close to the chair as you do so.
  4. Push your body back up by extending your arms.
  5. Perform 2 to 4 sets of 6 to 15 reps, depending on your fitness level.
  6. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

3. Planks

These are great because they use multiple muscle groups to keep you stable, Mike tells us. You can perform them on your hands or forearms.

  1. Begin on all fours, step your feet back so your body forms a straight line, and maintain a tight core.
  2. Keep your body in a plank position for 15 to 60 seconds, depending on your fitness level, and rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

4. Superman Pulls

  1. Lie face down on the ground, arms reaching out in front of you and legs extended.
  2. Slightly raise your legs, chest, and arms off the floor.
  3. Bend your elbows and pull them back toward the sides of your body, squeezing your shoulder blades as you do so.
  4. Reach your arms back overhead to the start position.
  5. Perform 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, depending on your fitness level.
  6. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

5. Downward Dog

  1. Begin on all fours.
  2. Tuck your toes under and raise your hips toward the sky while straightening your legs as much as possible.
  3. Press both hands into the ground and try to touch your heels to the floor.
  4. Your body should resemble an upside-down "V."

sources:* "6 Ways to Tone Your Upper Arms"(Fitness Magazine))* "7 Exercises to transform your arms"(Yahoo Life)

As we age, the decrease in muscle mass and skin elasticity can cause sagging under our arms. No-equipment or bodyweight workouts, like push-ups, dips, planks, superman pulls, and downward dog, are an effective way to tighten and tone these areas. These exercises activate multiple muscle groups, such as the triceps, biceps, lats, shoulders, chest, and rib area. Mike Kimani, a certified personal trainer, emphasizes the benefits of no-equipment exercises, including increased muscle fiber growth and versatility in difficulty. By incorporating these exercises into a health-and-wellness routine, one can target and firm the arms effectively.

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