Exercises To Tone The Back Of The Arm

The triceps muscle is on the back of each arm, and it contains lateral, medial and long heads. Toning the triceps creates muscular definition in the arms and contributes to overall arm strength. Strong, toned triceps improve swinging, bouncing and other motions that use the backs of the arms. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing two weekly sessions of weight-training exercises for the triceps to build muscle growth and strength.

Dips

The American Council on Exercise ranks triceps dips as one of the "Top Ten Exercises That You Can't Live Without." Triceps dips challenge the backs of the arms and tone both of ;your triceps muscles. Sit on the edge of a workout bench, with your feet resting on the ground. Place your palms on the bench next to your hips, knuckles pointing away from your body and fingers wrapped around the edge of the bench. Lift your hips, and move them directly in front of the bench. Tuck your elbows close to your body, and keep them there throughout the exercise to ensure that your triceps are doing the work--if they flare out to the sides, you could strain your shoulders. Walk your feet forward about 24 inches. Lower your hips to the ground, stopping when the backs of your arms are parallel to the ground. Push up through your hands, bringing your glutes in front of the bench. Repeat until you complete 15 repetitions.

Triceps Push-Ups

An August, 2003 Shape magazine article titled, "Tone up your triceps: feel great going sleeveless with these maximum-definition moves" recommends triceps push-ups as an intense exercise that tones and strengthens the back of the arms. Additionally, this exercise requires core stabilization and strengthens the abs while working the triceps. To do the triceps push-up, lie prone on a mat. Place your palms next to your shoulders on the mat and tuck your elbows by your side. Extend your arms and lift onto your toes and hands. Keep a soft bend in your elbows to protect your upper body joints. Tighten your abdominal muscles and adjust your hips so that they form a straight line with your shoulders and knees. Lower your chest towards the ground, bending your elbows as you lower. Keeping your elbows tucked to your sides ensures that the focus is on your triceps during this exercise. Drop to your knees if doing the push-up on your toes is too challenging.

Kickbacks

Kickbacks require full extension of the triceps muscles and work them in isolation. This exercise strengthens triceps and promotes muscular development in the backs of the arms. Use challenging weights, but not so heavy that they compromise your form. Hold a weight in each hand, and hang your arms by your sides. Keep the tops of your arms at your sides throughout the exercise. Tighten your abdominal muscles, straighten your back, and keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest 12 inches toward the ground. Push the weights 6 inches behind your body, then return them to your hips. Repeat until you complete 15 repetitions.