Fitness guru reveals exercises which target the arms, back and shoulders

A fitness expert has revealed how you can tone your shoulders and arms with just seven easy-to-do exercises. 

Louisa Drake, founder of a London fitness studio, told how anyone can do the exercises at home using just a resistance band.    

Louisa said: ‘I love using resistance bands to challenge my workouts, they are so versatile, you can simply pop one in your bag and take it anywhere to get a great workout.

‘These versatile pieces of kit are ideal to sculpt and define your body and improve your posture, thereby enhancing your overall silhouette and confidence as you shimmy into that strappy party dress!’

Here Louisa reveals to FEMAIL her seven key exercises… 

Band Pull Apart

This exercise will help to combat desk-bound posture and reduce neck pain, Louisa reveals

What will it work? 

This activates the muscles in your upper back and shoulders. It’s an ideal exercise to warm up with prior to your upper body workout. This will help combat desk-bound posture and reduce neck pain. By including this simple exercise into your practice you will be on your way to happier (and more defined) shoulders.

Method 

• Stand with knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the middle section of the band with both hands at shoulder height, palms facing down.
• Keeping your arms straight, pull the band out and back until your shoulder blades contract.
• Slowly return to starting position and stretch, squeeze and release for 30-60 seconds

Standing Chest Press

Louisa says that this exercise is a great starting point for building the strength necessary to do push-ups correctly

What will it work? 

Resistance bands work out the same muscle groups as the push up, developing your chest, triceps, shoulders and core. Chest exercises are the best way to provide an extra lift to your bust. 

This exercise is a great starting point for building the strength necessary to do push-ups correctly. Play around with the grip on the band: the closer the hands are to the middle of the band, the tougher it will be.

Method

• Stand with knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the middle section of the band with both hands at shoulder height, palms facing down.
• Pull the band to your chest, bending at the elbows, and squeeze the shoulder blades together.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for 30-60 seconds.

Variation

• You can consider adding in push-ups for an extra challenge. Push-ups are of course effective on their own, but with the addition of a resistance band, it’s a game changer. 
• Try wrapping the resistance band around your upper back and arms and pin the ends of the band onto the floor as you perform a push up. The added pressure on top of your body weight means your chest is trained under a lot of resistance.

Lat Pulldown

Louisa reveals that the Lat Pulldown strengthens the largest muscle in your back, your latissimus dorsi

What will it work?

This move strengthens the largest muscle in your back, your latissimus dorsi. The broad muscle covers the back of the ribs and wraps partially around your lower waist.

Method  

• You can begin a pulldown with a resistance band by taking hold of the middle of the band with both of your hands.
• Your palms face away from your body as you hold the band over your head with your arms straight. 
• Perform a pulldown by bending your elbows and separating your hands as you lower the band toward your chest.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat for 30-60 seconds.

This same movement can be completed by attaching the middle of the band to an overhead base or anchor point, holding one end of the band in each hand and then bending your elbows to pull down your hands in line with your chest. Both variations can be performed standing or kneeling.

Incline Row

This exercise sees you placing the resistance band under your feet and using a rowing method with the band

What will it work?

A brilliant exercise for toning up your back and shoulders.

Method  

• Standing with feet hip-width apart, place the resistance band under your feet.
• Cross the band in front of you and hold in each hand, palms facing your thighs.
• Incline the spine, chest open and core engaged, pull your elbows up to hips or slightly higher, bending your elbows out to the sides.
• Lower back to start position and repeat for 30-60 seconds

Standing Bicep Curl

Louisa Drake, has her own studio fitness studio based in London. Pictured performing the bicep curl 

What will it work? 

A particularly important exercise if you want to tone your arms. Your biceps are major, highly visible muscles, so the training that you do for your biceps will have a significant impact on the appearance of your arms. 

Working your biceps can help contribute to a tighter, more defined and more toned look for your arms.

Method  

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with your feet placed over the middle of the band. Grab an end in each hand, starting with your arms down at your sides.
• With palms facing in front of you, pull your arms toward your shoulders by bending at the elbow until you get a good bicep contraction.
• Slowly lower back down and repeat 30-60 seconds.

Overhead Triceps Extension

This isolation exercise, the overhead tricep extension, is fantastic at building your tricep muscles

What will it work?

This isolation exercise is fantastic at building your tricep muscles. Create long, lean muscles that give your arm some gorgeous definition.

Method 

• Standing with feet hip-width apart, place the resistance band in one hand and extend to ceiling. With the other hand, grasp the band behind your back. 
• Keeping the top arm extended with tension on the band and the other arm bent at the elbow, start to bend and extend the top arm to target the tricep muscle as the arm moves up.
• Repeat for 30-60 seconds before switching sides.

Bow & Arrow

Louisa reveals that using resistance bands are one of the best ways to tone up arms, the back and also shoulder, while the bands are also kinder on joints, but harder on muscles. Pictured: :

What will it work?

This exercise targets your back, shoulders and arms.

Method  

• Stand with feet feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding the band with both hands extended just below chest level. 
• Keeping the left arm straight, pull the right fist towards the rib cage. Straighten the right arm to match the left for one rep. Imagine you are aiming a bow and arrow.
• Engage your abdominals, keep your hips still and draw your shoulders down and back during the entire movement.
• Repeat for 30-60 seconds