Arm Strength/Toning Exercises


Exercise Name	Seal Stretch Push Up
Exercise Code	TASSP1
Exercise Description	Participants lay with stomach on floor and elbows pushed straight. Then elbows bend and allow feet to rock up in air in back and as feet come down push arms straight again and finish in seal stretch with arms straight.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Hands should remain shoulder width apart. Feet should reamin touching together in back.

Exercise Name	Bent Knee Push Ups
Exercise Code	TABKP2
Exercise Description	Participants lay on floor, knees bend up so feet in air. Place hands at sides next to shoulders. Extend arms until straight. As straighten arms, knees remain bent.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Stomach should remain tight to ensure arms get proper workout. Want to feel strain in arms. Make sure hands are shoulder width apart.

Exercise Name	Medicine Ball Handoff (Group)
Exercise Code	TAMBH3
Exercise Description	Standing in a circle, use a medicine ball to complete a series of partner hand-offs and tosses. Emphasize safety if tosses are used. Can do side-to-side hand-offs, over/under hand-offs, underhand toss to one another, etc.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Be sure, especially when working with small children, to go over safety so that the ball is not dropped on a foot. Can also use this as an opportunity to instruct proper lifting technique


Exercise Name	Pull Ups/Straight Hang
Exercise Code	TAPUS4
Exercise Description	From a chin up bar or high bar, perform pull ups. Have each individual experiment with overhand, underhand, or mixed grips to find one they are comfortable with.
Exercise Teaching Hints	If participant has difficulty performing full pull ups, begin by having them hold a straight hang. Can also lift them into the pulled-up position and having them hold there with arm muscles flexed.

Exercise Name	Standing Push Ups (Against Wall)
Exercise Code	TASPU5
Exercise Description	Participants stand arm’s distance away from and facing a stationary surface such as a wall or a closed door. Feet should be together and arms extended forward with palms resting on wall. Perform pushups as if on ground.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Maintain a tight core body position while performing standing push ups to ensure participant is engaging arm muscles.

Exercise Name	Wheelbarrow (Partners)
Exercise Code	TAWP6
Exercise Description	Set up participants in pairs-one begins in pushup position on ground. Other partner holds onto ankles and lifts legs up, allowing them to “walk” forward with hands.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Standing partner should not push forward but allow other person to move at own pace. To avoid injury, push up partner should be ready to put feet down quickly.


Exercise Name	Climbing Pushups
Exercise Code	TACP7
Exercise Description	Instructor should place mats in front of participants. Starting in pushup position, perform 3 pushups. Hands then “climb” one at a time up mat and perform 3 pushups. Then “climb” hands back down to floor and repeat.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Hands should begin close to mat to ensure feet do not slide forward. Increase the height of mat to make exercise more difficult.

Exercise Name	Down Down Up Up
Exercise Code	TADD8
Exercise Description	Begin in the pushup position. Take one hand and reposition to balance weight on one elbow and one hand, then lower onto other elbow. Hold in plank position then one hand at a time, return to original position and perform 3 pushups.
Exercise Teaching Hints	If the participant has trouble making transitions between hands and elbows, they can try this with bent knees or by relaxing and repositioning then holding in the plank position on elbows.

Exercise Name	Push Up Walk Arms in Circle
Exercise Code	TAPUC9
Exercise Description	Begin in the pushup position. Perform a pushup and then return to start position. Shift hands to one side while keeping feet stationary. When hands are repositioned perform another pushup, then repeat. Goal is to complete an entire circle by moving hands.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Ideally the repositioning of hand should be a smooth movement, lifting up the outside hand, replacing it immediately next to the other hand, and then lifting the second hand and moving it outward to a comfortable pushup position


Exercise Name	Bent Arm Hang
Exercise Code	TABAH10
Exercise Description	Participants hang on a bar with fingers forward. Instruct them to bend elbows and get chin up over bar. Hold chin up as long as possible.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Instruct to concentrate on tight muscles. This will help focus and concentration.

Exercise Name	Rope Climb
Exercise Code	TARC11
Exercise Description	Participants climb rope using arms to pull themselves up as high as possible. Can climb using feet and hands in beginning and as progress attempt with no feet a quarter of the way, the two quarters, etc.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Participants should climb hand over hand and come down hand over hand-do not encourage to slide down to ensure safety.

Exercise Name	Bent Knee Dip
Exercise Code	TABKD12
Exercise Description	Participants sit on floor with knees bent and feet on floor, place hands behind back, palms down with fingertips facing feet. Lift bottom off floor – bend elbows as far as possible then straighten.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Can place mat under hands and another under feet or only under hands to prevent sagging af hips. Goal is to stay tight and bend arms as far as possible. To make exercise harder palce feet only on mat.


Exercise Name	Dip Holds
Exercise Code	TADH13
Exercise Description	Participants sit in front of weight bench or mat – back to mat and legs piked forward. Place palms of hand on the edge of mat or bench. Bend elbows and low as possible and hold while keeping legs straight.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Increase difficulty of exercise by choosing a higher mat or by putting feet up on mat.

Exercise Name	Walkout Pushup
Exercise Code	TAWOP14
Exercise Description	Particpants start in standing position and bend over to touch toes. Put hands on ground and walk out taking steps with hands out toward a full pushup position. When in pushup position, complete 5 pushups then walk back up.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Go slowly and take small steps with hands to prevent falling onto stomach.

Exercise Name	Plank Hold
Exercise Code	TAPH15
Exercise Description	Particpants start by lying on stomach on floor. Push arms straight and hold push up position as long as possible.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Squeeze all muscles to ensure proper body position and increase strength. To increase difficulty put feet up on mat.

	Arm Swings
	TAAS16
	Participants start with arms at sidearm, move to front arm, then uparm and back to sidearm. This is repeated continuously. Can be done while standing, sitting, walking, etc.
	Exercise should be performed continuously to gain benefits.


Exercise Name	Wrist Alphabet
Exercise Code	TAWA17
Exercise Description	Participants are instructed to use an imaginary paintbrush and hold with fist. Write alphabet both capital and lowercase letters with paintbrush as large a possible.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Object is to engage small wrist muscles and strengthen them. Can increase resistance by putting hand in bucket of sand with sand up to mid forearm.

Exercise Name	Hand Squeeze
Exercise Code	TAHS18
Exercise Description	Participants hold a tennis ball, sponge ball or stress ball and squeeze and relax continuoulsy.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Use balls of different sizes to work full range of motion.

Exercise Name	Empty Can
Exercise Code	TAEC19
Exercise Description	Participants stand with arms at side, thumbs touching thighs, lift hands up at forty five degrees and finish in frontarm outward position with thumbs down. Drop arms down slowly back to side. Repeat.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Add resistance such as free weights, soup cans or anything can hold in hand comfortably.


Exercise Name	Side Shoulder Raise
Exercise Code	TASSR20
Exercise Description	Participants stand with arms at side. Arms are raised to sidearm and carefully lowered back down to rest at sides. Repeat.
Exercise Teaching Hints	Add resistance such as free weights, soup cans or anything that can be held in hand comfortably.