It’s time for the October challenge and this month we’re focusing on working and toning arms. This super sweaty arm challenge is divided into 4 weeks (Week 1 – body-weight basics, Week 2 – adds dumbbells, Week 3 – body-weight and dumbbell moves, Week 4 – combines body-weight flows) and it will sculpt your arms to perfection.
The first day of each week, you should do one exercise. The second day, you should do exercises from both Day 1 and Day 2. On Day 3, you’ll do the exercises from Day 1 to Day 3, and so on. The 6th day of each week, you’ll ditch the exercises from earlier in the week and focus on fine-tuning work. The 7th day of each week you should do a push-up challenge.
Let’s get started!
Day #1: Wide Grip Push-Up
Start in plank position, hands wider than shoulder-width and feet hip-width.Keeping your core tight, lower chest toward the ground, then push through palms to return to plank.Inhale as you lower, exhale as you push. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #2: Triceps Dip
Sit on the floor with your hands behind you with thumbs pointing forward and fingertips on a slight diagonal. Lift hips up, shift weight onto hands, opening chest and rolling shoulders back. Bend at the elbows until your butt taps the floor, and push to straighten. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #3: Triceps Push Ups
Place your hands shoulder-width at floor, rotate elbow creases forward, and shift shoulders over wrists. Lower your chest to elbow height, elbows skimming sides of ribcage, then push through palms to return to plank. Inhale as you lower, exhale as you push. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #4: Plank Taps
Start in plank position. Keep your core tight and hips stable by drawing navel in and squeezing your glutes. Alternate tapping shoulders with the opposite hands. Perform 30 sec.
Day #5: Crouching Tiger Push Ups
Start in plank position. Lower your chest toward floor in a regular wide-grip push-up. Then bend knees and shift hips back so knees are 2 inches off floor and arms are extended.Lift hips up into downward dog position. Then tucking tailbone and rounding spine, roll back into plank position. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Day #6: Fine Tuning
Lie on stomach, arms extended backward with weights in your hand and palms facing down. Squeezing glutes, lifting chest, and extending neck neutrally forward, tap the floor with the weights and lift. Do 15 reps. Keeping arms lifted, squeeze arms in toward your body, tapping pinkies to hips, pressing in and out. Do 15 reps.
Day #7: Endurance Push-Up
Start in plank position, hands wider than shoulder-width. Lower down into a push-up, inhaling while lowering and exhaling while pushing up. Do 8 reps. Rest for 5 seconds in child’s pose. Do 7 reps, then rest in child’s pose. Continue decreasing reps until you do just 1 push-up and finish in child’s pose.
Day #8: Skull Crusher
Lie down with feet flat on the floor and arms extended above you. Hold moderately heavy dumbbells with your arms extended, elbows in line with shoulders. Rotate elbows in, and extend the weight back to form a 90-degree angle with forearm and biceps. Press the weight back up and straighten your arm completely while squeezing the triceps. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #9: Close Grip Press
Lie on the floor with arms extended perpendicular to the ground. Hold dumbbells over shoulders with palms facing in. Lower the weight down to chest-level, keeping elbows in tight, until triceps are parallel to the floor. Exhale while pressing back up. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #10: Overhead Pull
Lie on the floor. Extend your arms perpendicular to the floor, holding dumbbells pressed together over chest. Keeping tailbone tucked, core engaged, and arms straight, slowly extend weight overhead until it taps the floor. Inhale while pulling the weight back toward belly button. Do 3 sets- 15 reps.
Day #11: Plank Up/Down
Start in plank position. Keep your core tight and glutes engaged. Place the right elbow on ground, then left elbow on ground to lower down to elbow plank. Then place right hand under right shoulder, and left hand under left shoulder to return to high plank position. Repeat with left side first. Perform 30 sec.
Day #12: Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width. Hold dumbbells by sides with your palms forward. Lift weight up to shoulder, squeezing biceps. Lower slowly back to start. Do 3 sets of 25 reps.
Day #13: Fine-Tuning
Lie on stomach, arms extended backward with weights in your hand and palms facing the floor. Squeezing glutes, lifting chest, and extending neck neutrally forward, tap the floor with the weights and lift. Do 15 reps.
Day #14: Endurance Push-Up Challenge
Start in plank position. Lower down into a push-up, and press back up with core tight. Inhale while lowering and exhale while pushing up. Do 8 reps. Lower into an elbow plank and hold for 20 seconds. Perform 7 push-up reps, then hold the elbow plank for 20 seconds. Do 6 push-up reps, then hold elbow plank for 20 seconds. Continue decreasing the number of push-ups until you do just 1 push-up and finish with an elbow plank.
Day #15: Body-Weight Triceps Extension
Start in downward dog position. Tap your forearms to the floor while rotating your elbows in, then press through the palms to extend elbows and return to downward dog. Keep hips in downward dog position throughout movement. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Day #16: Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width and your tailbone tucked. Hold the dumbbells by sides with your palms forward. Lift weight up to shoulder, squeezing biceps. Lower slowly back to start. Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
Day #17: Triceps Push-Up
Start in plank position. Rotate your elbow creases forward, and shift the shoulders over wrists. Lower your chest to elbow height, elbows skimming sides of ribcage. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Day #18: Plank Up/Downs and Plank Jacks
Plank Up/Downs:
Start in plank position. Keep your core tight and glutes engaged. Place your right elbow on ground, then left elbow on ground. Then place right hand under right shoulder, and left hand under left shoulder. Repeat with left side first.
Plank Jacks:
Start in plank position, feet together. Keep your core tight, hop feet apart and back together.
Perform 1 plank up/down 2 plank jacks alternating for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Day #19: Crouching Tiger Push-Up
Start in plank position. Lower your chest toward floor in a regular push-up. Bend your knees and shift hips back so knees are 2 inches off floor. Then lift hips up into downward dog position.Tuck your tailbone, round your spine and roll into plank position. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Day #20: Fine-Tuning with Hand Release Push-Ups
Lie on stomach, arms extended backward with weights in your hand and palms facing the floor. Squeezing glutes, lifting chest, and extending neck neutrally forward, tap the floor with the weights and lift. Do 15 reps.
Hand Release Push-Ups:
Lie on your stomach and bend knees so legs form a 90-degree angle. Place your hands by ribcage like in a triceps push-up.Push your torso off the floor with elbows squeezing sides. Lower back to the floor. Then lift hands and extend arms straight in front, hovering off the floor. Continue for 25 seconds.
Day #21: Endurance Push-Up Challenge
Start in plank position. Lower down into a push-up, and press back up with core tight. Inhale while lowering and exhale while pushing up. Do 10 reps. Lower into an elbow plank and hold for 20 seconds.
Day #22: Triceps Push-Up to Body-Weight Triceps Extension Flow
Start in plank position. Rotate elbow creases forward, and shift shoulders over wrists. Lower chest to elbow height, elbows skimming sides of ribcage, then exhale while pushing back up to plank. shift hips back into downward dog position. Rotating elbows in, tap them to the floor, then press through the palms to extend elbows. Keep hips in downward dog position. Do 10 reps.
Day #23: Triceps Dips to Panther Flow
Sit on the floor with your hands behind you with fingertips on a slight diagonal. Lift your hips up, shift weight onto hands, opening chest and rolling shoulders back. Bend at the elbows, shooting them straight back, and push to straighten. Do 5 reps.
Flip over onto all fours, with knees hovering 2 inches above the ground. Keeping back flat and core tight, move opposite arm and leg forward 2 inches, rotate elbow in and dip toward the floor. Repeat with the other side. Move forward for 4 total steps, then backward for 4 steps.
Day #24: Plank Triceps Extension to Triceps Push-Up Flow
Plank Triceps Extension:
Start in an elbow plank position. Move elbows slightly forward. Plant palms firmly, rotate elbows in, and press through elbows to straighten arms. Touch elbows back to floor, and straighten. Do 3 reps.
Triceps Push-Up:
Step hands back so they are under shoulders, rotate elbow creases forward, and shift shoulders over wrists. Lower chest to elbow height, elbows skimming sides of ribcage, then exhale while pushing back up. Drop to knees for an easier variation. Do 2 reps.
Day #25: Plank Up-Down to Plank Jack to Mountain Climbers Flow
Plank Up/Down:
Start in plank position. Keep your core tight and glutes engaged. Place the right elbow on ground, then left elbow on ground to lower down to elbow plank. Place your right hand under right shoulder, and left hand under left shoulder to return to high plank position. Do 1 rep.
Plank Jack:
Keep your core tight in high plank position and hop feet apart and back together. Do 2 reps.
Mountain Climbers:
Staying in plank position. Drive right knee into chest, then left knee into chest, with core tight and hips in line. Do 4 reps on each side.
Day #26: Couching Tiger Push-Up to Dive Bomber Push-Up Flow
Start in plank position. Lower your chest toward floor in a regular push-up. Bend your knees and shift hips back so knees are 2 inches off the floor. Then lift hips up into downward dog position.Tuck your tailbone, round your spine and roll into plank position. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Dive Bomber Push-Up:
Push back from plank into downward dog. Lower your head toward the floor, then your face, chest, belly button, and push through back to downward dog. Do 3 reps.
Day #27: Fine-Tuning with Hand Release Push-Ups
Straight-Arm Fine-Tuning Work:
Lie on your stomach with your arms extended backward with weights in hand, palms facing down. Squeezing glutes, lifting chest, and extending neck neutrally forward, tap the floor with the weights and lift. Do 15 reps. Keep your arms lifted, squeeze your arms in toward your body, tapping pinkies to hips, pressing in and out. Do 15 reps.
Hand Release Push-Ups:
Start in plank position. Perform a triceps push-up with elbows squeezing torso. Lower to the floor, lift your hands, and extend your arms straight in front, hovering off the floor. Continue for 30 seconds..
Day #28: Endurance Push-Up Challenge
Start in plank position. Lower down into a push-up, and press back up with core tight. Inhale while lowering and exhale while pushing up. Do 12 reps. Lower into an elbow plank and hold for 30 seconds. Do 11 push-up reps, then hold the elbow plank for 20 seconds. Do 10 push-up reps, then hold elbow plank for 20 seconds. Continue decreasing the number of push-ups until you do just 1 push-up and hold the last elbow plank.
Day #29: Skull Crusher
Lie down with feet flat on the floor and arms extended above you. Hold moderately heavy dumbbells with your arms extended, elbows in line with shoulders. Rotate elbows in, and extend the weight back to form a 90-degree angle with forearm and biceps. Press the weight back up and straighten your arm completely while squeezing the triceps.
Day #30: Panthers
Start on all fours. Your knees should be hovering 2 inches above the ground. Keeping back flat and core tight, move opposite arm and leg forward 2 inches, rotate elbow in and dip toward the floor. Repeat with the other side. Move forward for four total steps, then backward for four steps. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Source: fitnessmagazine.com