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Health & Fitness

Want Michelle Obama Arms?

When firm arms are what you're looking for, stop and think before you grab that 5lb weight

Hello everyone, this is my first blog, and I'm excited to join the Columbia Patch community. As an acupuncturist, kettlebell trainer, and owner of the 39 Minute Workout, my blogs will focus on training, nutrition, and wellness. Enjoy! 

This time of year, when the skin starts to show more and thoughts of beach season bubble up to the surface, I hear a lot about people's problem areas. And for many women, their arms are a big one. I've heard, "Can you give me Michelle Obama arms?"  "Can you get rid of this flapping?" And ,of course, "I hate my arms." 

I've got a huge contention with standard thinking about how to fix this. Common thinking over the past few decades is that men should lift heavy weights but women should lift tiny weights for tons of reps. This seems to come from the concern that women don't want to get bulky. That's a whole topic on its own, but, in short, women don't have enough testosterone. Very few women have the ability to bulk up.   

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When women gain muscle, they gain lean muscle.  And what does lean muscle do?  It burns more calories, gets rid of flab, and firms you up.  

My female clients talk about how fast guys drop weight, but it's often their fear of "lifting heavy" that keeps them from keeping up with the men on the scale. So the recipe for perfect arms: lift heavy, use the right lift, and use compound movements. I'll break this down in many blogs to come.  

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