All eyes were on Kate Middleton last month as she made her first official solo royal engagement at a London charity ball. As amazing as the Duchess of Cambridge looked in her pale blue gown, we were distracted by how toned her arms and shoulders were! Keep reading to find out how Kate keeps in such great shape and what it takes achieve a set of shapely arms and shoulders worthy of a royal setting.
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Arm-Emphasizing Cardio
In order to show off all that toned muscle you've been building, you'll also need to trim down the fat. The easiest — and healthiest — way to lose weight is through a consistent cardio program and a healthy diet. If you're hoping to get shapely arms like Kate, maximize your cardio efforts by picking arm-emphasizing workouts. Kate is a regular on the ski bunny and is also quite the rower — both of these activities require a lot of upper body movement.
Can't make it outdoors? Just hop onto your gym's elliptical or rowing machine.
Lateral Arm Raises
Lateral arm raises (aka side-arm raises) work your deltoids, which will help deliver strong, sexy shoulders.
– Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Hold a three- to five-pound dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing in.
– Start with the right side. Keeping your arm straight (but don't lock that elbow), raise your arm until it's parallel with the floor. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision — your arm isn't directly out to the side, but slightly forward. Exhale, and slowly lower your hand down.
– Repeat with your left arm.
– Then lift both arms at the same time.
– Continue this sequence of right, left, together, right, left, together, for a total of 10 to 12 reps. Do two sets.
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Triceps Dips
To tone your triceps — the muscles on the backside of your upper arm that run from your shoulder to your elbow — do triceps dips. It's a great, basic exercise that requires little equipment.
– Position your hands shoulder width apart on a secured bench or stable chair.
– Move your booty in front of the bench with your legs bent and feet placed about hip width apart on the floor.
– Straighten your arms and keep a slight bend in your elbows — this maintains the tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
– Slowly bend your elbows and lower your upper body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench.
– Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly straighten your elbows, pushing yourself up to return to the starting position.
– Repeat for a total of 12-15 times. Do two sets.
Hammer Curls to Overhead Press
Hammer curls to overhead presses work the biceps, but serve double duty by also helping you achieve Kate's shapely shoulders.
– Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
– Pick up a set of three- to eight-pound weights, with your palms facing in toward your legs.
– Inhale as you bend your elbows, raising your hands toward your shoulders with your palms still facing in.
– As you exhale, straighten your arms up over your head.
– Inhale to lower your elbows back down toward your ribs.
– Then exhale, straightening your arms back down toward your legs.
– Repeat for a total of 12-15 times. Do two sets.
Reverse Flies
Reverse flies are a great exercise for toning and strengthening the upper back.
– Sit on a chair or the end of a bench.
– Place a light dumbbell (around five pounds) in each hand and lean over your thighs. Don't collapse onto your legs, but keep your chest about six inches from your quads. Straighten your spine and engage your abs.
– Maintain this position in your torso as you lift both arms up, drawing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower the dumbbells back toward the ground with control.
– Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
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