Tone up under arm wobble with these 2nd trimester exercises for upper body and arms.
Have you noticed some underarm wobble since getting pregnant?
Are you worried about losing tone and getting flabby arms, but you’re not sure which second trimester exercises are the best ones to do for a safe whilst still challenging workout for your arms during pregnancy?
In this video, you have:
Second trimester exercises for upper body and arms which are good for trimesters one, two and three. These are some of my best arm toning exercises for pregnancy, designed to create leaner, sculpted arms whilst building strength in your upper body to lift and carry your baby with ease and less risk of an achy back.
Myself and Uma guide you through 2 circuits of exercises with full instruction so you know you are doing the exercises correctly.
We have 2 circuits of exercises. The first circuit has 5 exercises for shoulders, chest and upper body. The second circuit has 8 exercises and targets your biceps and triceps. Each circuit we are doing twice.
You’ll need:
Exercise Mat
Resistance band with handles.
Click the video and let’s begin!
Read on to learn:
- A myth about ‘toning’ your arms or any other part of your body.
- The benefits of using resistance bands in pregnancy.
- Which arm exercises are safe during pregnancy.
Toning Your Arms While Pregnant (or Not Pregnant)
Toning your body or any body part is a myth. Muscles do not go from ‘soft to firm’ or from ‘firm to soft’. What you can do is lose fat and gain muscle, they either shrink or grow in size.
To do that you need to prioritise strength training. But rather than using too light a weight or a light resistance with a high number of repetitions you need progressive overload.
Even in pregnancy, you do need to use a weight that is heavy enough for you to feel the muscle you are working for the last 2 or 3 repetitions but still be able to do the exercise with correct technique. If you use a resistance band, make sure you are using a resistance band that is thick enough for the last few repetitions to be challenging but you can still perform the exercise with good form.
Using too light a resistance or too light weights with a high number of repetitions will not tone you.
Don’t worry you will not bulk up or get bodybuilder-like arms by using weights. It’s hormones that are responsible for bulking and as men who have far higher levels of testosterone and growth hormone than women, lifting won’t make you bulky.
Can I lift weights while pregnant?
Yes you can and this will have the benefit of strengthening your body to have an easier time after you’ve given birth to lift and carry your baby feeling strong and with less risk of back ache.
In fact, I’ve trained many pregnant women who lifted weights prior to pregnancy and continued to do so during their pregnancy, gradually decreasing the weight as their pregnancy progresses and to make sure they are comfortable and continue to maintain good form in the exercise.
If you have not lifted weights before, then it’s best to start with bodyweight exercises during pregnancy.
When lifting weights or other items during pregnancy, modifications may be necessary to keep it comfortable and safe for your body as your pregnancy progresses.
As an alternative to hand weights, swap to resistance bands which is what Uma who is 35 weeks pregnant and myself use in the 2nd Trimester exercises for upper body and arms workout.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) “Physical activity in pregnancy has minimal risks and has been shown to benefit most women, although some modification to exercise routines may be necessary…”
Here are the recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).
Benefits of Resistance Bands During Pregnancy
Using resistance bands is an effective way to strengthen and gain muscle, there is often a misconception about bands. People often think they are the ‘easy option’; used by older people for rehab. exercises or to throw in a suitcase for travelling, however resistance bands should not be underestimated and in pregnancy they provide many benefits:
- A safer option than using dumb-bells or free weights, as there is a risk you may drop the weights on your baby bump or toes!
- Versatility. You can make the exercises more challenging or easier simply by changing for a thicker or thinner band. Resistance bands, like the ones we use to tone your arms during pregnancy in this video,
- Variable resistance. For example with a bicep curl, as you lift the weight upwards towards the shoulder, the more the band stretches and the harder it is to pull.
- They are easy to store.
Exercising safely
Be sure to monitor your intensity levels during our workout today, making sure you can hold a conversation throughout and stay hydrated by sipping water.
Be sure you have been cleared to exercise and there is no medical reason you have been given by your health practitioner to not exercise.
To find out more about the Best Body During Pregnancy and After Birth, go here.
