Summary
From chair dips and triceps extensions to strengthen your triceps to push-ups and arm circles for upper body strength and mobility, there are 4 major chair workouts you can do for stronger and leaner arms.
Who knew that chair you sit on all day long could be the reason why your arms look like that of a model? Incorporating chair workouts into your fitness routine is a great way to strengthen your arms and improve overall upper body strength.
With no additional equipment required, chair exercises are a convenient and effective option for anyone looking to tone their arms from the comfort of their own home.
From chair dips to seated arm circles and triceps extensions, there are a variety of exercises you can do using just a chair such as triceps kickbacks, plated curls and bent over flys. By targeting your biceps, triceps, and chest muscles, chair workouts can help you achieve stronger, more defined arms.
In this blog, we'll explore four chair exercises that can help you achieve your arm-strengthening goals.
Are Chair Workouts Effective?
According to a study published by the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, bodyweight exercises improve muscle function and strength. This makes chair workouts a fantastic way of gaining strength and improving your overall fitness.
Not only are chair workouts convenient and doable at-home or in your office, they’re also quite challenging (yup, try doing seated dips!). Since you’re lifting your entire bodyweight with just one muscle group, it makes activating and engaging that particular muscle much more effective.
There are several studies that highlight the effectiveness of home-based exercises, utilizing chairs or bottles for workouts. So, if anyone’s ever told you that you can’t grow your muscle with make-shift equipment such as chairs, then they couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Got access to the gym? Do these 6 best arm exercises to get gains!
4 Chair Workouts For Strong Arms
Strong arms can benefit you in many ways, including improving your ability to perform daily tasks, enhancing athletic performance, and reducing the risk of injury. Chair exercises for arms help you grow your muscles without requiring a gym membership or expensive equipment. With consistent practice, these exercises help you develop toned and defined arms that look and feel great.
Build bigger arms with this complete gym triceps workout!
1. Chair Dips for Triceps Strength
Chair dips are a great exercise for strengthening your triceps, and the muscles on the back of your arms. The secondary muscles targeted in this exercise are the anterior delts (front shoulders), which helps you strengthen overall arms and shoulders.
You can also isolate this muscle by doing other delt workouts such as upright rows. To do this exercise, you will need a sturdy chair that won't tip over when you lean on it.
How To Do Chair Dips?
- Find a sturdy chair that won't tip over when you lean on it.
- Make sure the chair is placed against a wall or other stable surface for added stability.
- Sit on the edge of the chair with your hands on the edge of the seat, fingers facing forward.
- Slowly slide your hips off the chair while keeping your hands on the seat, and lower your body toward the floor by bending your elbows.
- Make sure your elbows stay close to your body.
- Stop when your arms are at a 90-degree angle, and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Make sure to keep your shoulders down and your back straight throughout the movement.
- Repeat for a total of 10 to 15 reps.
Want to get bigger triceps? Try this complete at-home triceps workout to grow your muscle!
2. Seated Arm Circles for Shoulder Mobility and Tone
Seated arm circles are an excellent exercise for toning your biceps, the muscles on the front of your arms. Not only does this exercise tone your muscles, it also enhances your mobility, helping your shoulder joints become more flexible for easier rotation.
With this exercise, you're able to improve your daily functioning as well. You can do this arm exercise sitting in a chair or while standing.
How To Do Seated Arm Circles?
- Sit on a chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.
- Extend your arms out to the sides, so that they are parallel to the ground.
- Begin by making small circles with your arms, starting with clockwise rotations.
- Gradually increase the size of the circles, making sure to keep your arms straight and your shoulders relaxed.
- After a few rotations, switch to counterclockwise rotations.
- Repeat for a total of 10 to 15 reps in each direction.
Want to sculpt your arms? Try these 10 arm exercises!
3. Chair Push-ups for Upper Body Conditioning
Chair push-ups are a great addition to your at-home upper body workout routine as it targets your triceps, chest, and shoulders, boosting your overall strength.
In fact, studies suggest push-ups also work your shoulder stabilizers, which keeps your joints mobile and flexible. This exercise is similar to traditional push-ups, but with your hands on a chair instead of the floor.
How To Do Chair Push-ups?
- Place a sturdy chair on a flat surface, and make sure it won't move or slide during the exercise.
- Start by standing facing the chair, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place your hands on the seat of the chair, with your fingers pointing forward.
- Lean forward and place your weight on your hands, so that your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Lower your body towards the chair by bending your elbows, while keeping your core engaged and your back straight.
- Stop when your chest is a few inches away from the chair, and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for a total of 10 to 15 reps.
Switch up your routine with banded push-ups or diamond push-ups to level up the difficulty!
4. Chair Triceps Extensions for Isolated Arm Strengthening
Chair triceps extensions are one of the best arm workouts sitting down at-home or in the gym as it targets the triceps by isolating them.
In fact, according to a study, this exercise is incredible for triceps growth even with lower weights as it leads to growth in muscle size, especially for the triceps long head. This means that you can do this exercise sitting in a chair or while standing up as well.
How To Do Triceps Extensions?
- Sit on a chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold onto the edge of the seat with both hands, fingers pointing forward.
- Slide your body forward until your buttocks are off the chair, with your hands still holding onto the seat.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Stop when your arms are at a 90-degree angle, and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for a total of 10 to 15 reps.
Improve your functionality and strength with these 5 Hyrox exercises.
Key Takeaway
Getting stronger arms doesn't require a gym membership or expensive equipment. These four chair workouts are effective exercises that you can do at home with just a chair. By incorporating these exercises into your fitness routine, you can build stronger arms and improve your overall fitness.
Always consult with a doctor before starting any exercise program and remember to listen to your body and take breaks if needed.
FAQs
What exercise makes your arms the strongest?
Push-ups are one of the best chair arm exercises you can do to improve your triceps, shoulders, and chest strength. In fact, according to a study reveals the benefits of pushups in boosting your upper body strength. This is because push-ups work your triceps and upper chest - the 2 main muscle groups - leading to not only muscle activation but also growth, toning, definition and a boost of strength.
How do I tone my arms while sitting?
You can easily tone your arms with arm workouts sitting down. This is important because it boosts your functional strength, helping you do your daily tasks easily and effortlessly. To achieve strong and toned arms, here are a few exercises you can do while sitting on a chair:
- Seated Bicep Curls: Curl weights or water bottles, especially twist curls.
- Chair Dips: Use the edge of the chair for triceps work.
- Arm Circles: Small circles with your arms extended.
- Seated Triceps Extensions: Overhead extensions with a weight.
- Wrist Curls: Strengthen forearms with curls.
- Seated Shoulder Press: Press weights up from a chair or try a complete shoulder workout.
- Front Raises: Lift weights forward to shoulder height.
- Lateral Raises: Raise arms to the side, level with shoulders.
- Seated Arm Claps: Clap hands in front rapidly.
- Chair Push-ups: Hands on seat for a push-up motion.
Even if you’re doing arm exercises sitting in a chair, you’ll see tremendous changes in your strength and overall appearance. Make sure you pair your arm workout routine with a nutritious and balanced diet to get the gains you dream of.
How to burn arm fat?
You need to do a combo of cardio and targeted strength training in order to lose fat from your arms and your overall body. Even though you cannot spot-reduce fat from your arms, you can lose fat from your entire body by doing some cardio and controlling your nutrition. When you incorporate chair arm exercises into this routine, you're able to build, sculpt and define your arm muscles to make them look leaner. To burn arm fat and tone up, mix cardio with these arm-focused exercises:
- Chair Dips: Use a chair to work your triceps.
- Chair Push-ups: A chair-based version for chest and arm strength.
- Seated Bicep Curls: With dumbbells or water bottles, curl while seated.
- Arm Circles: Tone your shoulders with forward and backward circles.
- Seated Triceps Extensions: Extend arms overhead, focusing on triceps.
- Front and Lateral Raises: Raise arms forward and to the side with weights.
- Seated Shoulder Press: Press weights up from a seated position.
- Wrist Curls: Curl your wrists with a light weight for forearm strength.
- Plank Shoulder Taps: Tap shoulders alternately in a plank position.
- Jumping Jacks: Get your heart rate up and engage your arms with jumping jacks.
How can I tone my arms at my desk?
If you work a sedentary job where you're sitting for long periods of time, then you can do chair arm exercises that are easy-to-do, simple and get your muscles working. You have several options such as doing arm exercises sitting in a chair like arm circles, arm rotations and chair dips. Just sit at the corner of your chair, lower your body and lift yourself up by pushing through your triceps. For seated arm circles, just stretch out your arms and start rotating them in circular motions, working your shoulder stabilizers and biceps. You can easily do these chair exercises every day during quick breaks to improve arm strength and tone your muscles.
