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.