Kettlebells to Tone the Arms

Bulging biceps and tremendous triceps probably aren't the characteristics of the look you are seeking. However, toned arms can really give you that extra edge come beach season or even when you’re sporting that sleeveless evening dress or crop top. Toning is a combined process of losing body fat to increase definition and building muscle mass – something you can do rather effectively with kettlebells.

  1. The Basics

    • Kettlebells are solid cannonball-shaped weights with thick handles attached at the top. They’re a little different than conventional dumbbells and barbells, but the training principles behind them are the same – fatigue your muscles and the muscles will break down and build up bigger and stronger. By burning enough calories with kettlebells, you’ll also lose fat. Before you even think about direct arm training though, master the Turkish get up, the swing and the overhead press, advises kettlebell trainer Neghar Fonooni. Not only do these teach the three fundamental kettlebell movement patterns, they’ll work your arms as well as the rest of your body, allowing your body to burn more calories.

    Triceps Exercises

    • Your triceps will get a lot of work from overhead presses -- either standard overhead presses or bottom-up presses, for which you hold the weight with the bell above the handle. To work the triceps even more, perform extensions. Grab your bell with two hands and hold it above your head; lock your elbows in place, then lower your arms down behind your head until you feel a stretch in your triceps and then forcefully lift the bell back up again. For a real test of strength, try a variety of close-grip push-ups using kettlebells.

    Biceps Exercises

    • Just as basic kettlebell moves work your triceps, the same goes for your biceps, which work seriously hard during kettlebell cleans and snatches. For an extra biceps boost though, do kettlebell curls. Hold the bell facing away from you with your hands on either side of the handle, tuck your elbows into your sides and curl the bell up as you would a standard dumbbell. To increase the load, try kettlebell pull-ups, which are performed as per standard pull-ups, but your feet are looped through the kettlebell handles. These are not for the faint of heart, however. Fonooni recommends starting slowly with assisted pull-ups and then progressing to body weight reps before finally tackling weighted pull-ups.

    Training Plan

    • Perform three kettlebell workouts each week -- space them one to two days apart. Start each with three staple kettlebell moves -- a swing, some type of press, a get up, a clean -- for which you lift the bell from the floor to your shoulder -- and a snatch, which involves taking the bell from the floor to overhead in one swift movement. These are effective for calorie burning in a circuit plan, especially if you perform them in a pulse-raising manner. Change which ones you do to keep your training varied and interesting and perform each for 30 to 60 seconds, only resting at the end of each circuit.

      Finish with specific exercises for your triceps and biceps. Complete three to four sets with eight to 15 reps in each. Aim to use a heavier weight or do more sets and reps each workout. The dreaded "D" word also comes into play -- diet. You won't get that lean, toned look if you don't also address your eating habits. You need a calorie deficit to burn fat, so reduce your consumption of junk and processed foods and fill up on lean proteins, vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and whole-grains instead.