While everyone was gushing over Jason Momoa at the Game of Thrones season eight premiere in NYC on April 3, I was captivated by Lisa Bonet. I could write an entire dissertation as to why I love her, but I'll save that for a later date. I'll also leave the beauty and fashion breakdown for our respective verticals, but damn, are we really not going to acknowledge how great her arms looked on the red carpet?
From her sculpted shoulders to her amazing biceps and triceps, I'm definitely filing these pictures under "goals." If you suddenly have the urge to start doing more upper-body workouts, I totally understand. I already have plans to do one tomorrow morning. In the meantime, if your goal is to build muscle in your arms like Lisa's, these are the 10 exercises you should add to your workout routine ASAP. P.S.: don't do all 10 exercises at once. Instead, choose three to four paired with three to four lower-body exercises to make a workout.
Grab a set of dumbbells, and sit on a flat workout bench (or on the floor).
With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the bench.
Hold the dumbbells above your chest, shoulder-width apart, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Palms should be facing forward.
Exhale as you push the dumbbells up, fully extending your arms. Hold for one second.
Inhale and lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with control.
This counts as one rep.
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Push-Up
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Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand — 10 pounds is a good starting point — and place your left knee and left hand on a bench. Your hand should be underneath your shoulder and your knee should be underneath your hip. Your spine and head should be in a neutral position.
Engage your core, relax your shoulders, and extend your right arm toward the floor. Do not rotate your torso or let your shoulder lower toward the floor.
On an exhale, pull the dumbbell up with control, driving your elbow toward the ceiling. Do not rotate your torso.
On an inhale, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position. This completes one rep.
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Shoulder Press
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Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above the shoulders, palms facing in.
Straighten the arms above you.
Bend the elbows coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.
Before getting started, make sure the TRX suspension trainer is secured to an anchor point (a fixed object that won't move and can support you weight). The straps should be at mid-length.
Grab the handles with each hand and walk your feet out, approximately two feet away from your body. Your arms should be extended in front of you and your body should be in a straight line. The further you walk your feet in front of you, the more challenging the exercise will become.
Engage your core and make sure your spine is in a neutral position. Avoid rounding your shoulders and arching your lumbar spine.
With your palms facing in and your ribs by your, side pull your elbows back. Keep your core engaged and tension on the straps as you return to the starting position with control. This counts as one rep.
Place a large resistance band securely around a pull-up bar. A band with more resistance will provide you with more assistance/momentum to pull yourself up.
Stand on a stable object (a bench will work), and grip the pull-up bar. With one hand, place the band around the arch of your shoe. Fully extend the banded leg.
With a neutral spine and your abs engaged, pull yourself up. The band will provide you with momentum to lift your body up. Lower back down to the starting position.
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Bent-Over Reverse Fly
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Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with the knees slightly bent. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at the hip joint.
Exhale and lift both arms to the side, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Then, with control, lower the dumbbells back toward the ground. This completes one rep.
Start facing the anchor point, with the straps at mid-length.
Apply tension to the straps. Keeping your body in a straight line and your core engaged, curl your arms, bringing your palms toward your face. Be sure to maintain a 90-degree angle at your elbow joint.
Lower back down to the starting position. This completes one rep.
For this exercise, the closer your feet are to the anchor point (you'll be more at an incline), the harder it will be. The farther away your feet are from the anchor point, the easier it will be.
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Bicep Curl and Overhead Press
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Stand with your feet directly under your hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out. Bend the elbows, bringing the weights to your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward, straightening the arms above you, performing an overhead press with the palms facing out.
Bend the elbows coming back to the end of your bicep curl, then straighten the arms coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your hands are facing forward with your palms facing your thighs and each dumbbell down in front of your legs.
Keep your torso straight, and lift both arms up, keeping your elbows with a slight bend and your palms always facing down.
Continue to lift your arms until they are just about parallel to the floor, about shoulder height.
