Fit GIFs: 7 Moves to Get Arms Like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's

By
Hallie Gould
Hallie Gould
Hallie Gould
Hallie Gould is Byrdie's senior editorial director. She has a decade's worth of experience as a writer and editor, and her bylines can be found in such publications as ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle.
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Updated on 01/20/22
Reviewed by
Briana Bain
Briana Bain
Reviewed by Briana Bain

Briana Bain, DPT, PT, is a physical therapist based in Virginia Beach. She works as a Physical Therapist at Adler Therapy Group and a BodyPump Instructor at OneLife Fitness

About Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board
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Fact checked by
Anna Harris
Fact checked by Anna Harris
Anna Harris is an experienced fact-checker and researcher and a beauty writer and editor. 
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RHW Arms

Bauer-Griffin

The body of a dancer is truly extraordinary—long, lean, and insanely strong, all at the same time. We'd love to look like a dancer without the years and years of training, and guess what? Now we can.

Simone De La Rue decided to create an exercise technique called Body by Simone, which provides a solid foundation based on dance, but you don’t have to be a dancer to do it. Each workout is broken down into its most basic components, so even those with two left feet can make it work. Plus, each move, repetition, and workout is created to safeguard against injuries (and boredom!).

Meet the Expert

Simone De La Rue is the founder of the Body By Simone brand and one of Hollywood’s hottest fitness experts. She is a NASM-certified personal trainer (CPT) and a Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist. 

“Dancing is a whole-body activity,” De La Rue explains, “and with that in mind, I created workouts that use all your muscles from head to toe each time you exercise.” It’s no wonder her clients include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Reese Witherspoon, Emily Blunt, and Chrissy Teigen.

De La Rue shares her top seven favorite arm workouts to get sculpted and toned supermodel arms.

01 of 07

The Shoulder Tap Press

Isabella Behravan

Muscle worked: shoulders, chest, core, and back

The Shoulder Tap Press is a great exercise to strengthen your arms, core, chest, and back muscles. It is a difficult move, so if you are a beginner, you may start with one set and then progress to three sets as your strength improves.

  1. Start in the perfect plank with your wrists underneath your shoulder and elbows slightly bent.
  2. Take one hand off the floor, and tap your shoulder.
  3. Place your hand back down and replace with the other hand.
  4. Then, with both hands down, lower your body to the mat, and press back up. Be sure to tuck your tail under and engage your core to try to protect your lower back.
  5. Repeat three sets of 10.
02 of 07

The Superwoman in Flight

Isabella Behravan

Muscles worked: shoulders, chest, core, back, glutes, and hamstrings

The Superwoman is meant to sculpt and strengthen your arms, as well as your back extensor muscles. This exercise promises to help improve your posture to give you that long and lean look.

  1. Start in the perfect plank. Correct form is essential for this exercise.
  2. As you engage your core, lift your arm and the opposite leg off the ground at the same time.
  3. Hold for two seconds, place back down onto the mat, and repeat on the other side. For a more advanced hold, go for five seconds on each side.
  4. Repeat three sets of 10.
03 of 07

The Triceps Shredder

Isabella Behravan

Muscles worked: triceps, biceps, glutes, and hamstrings

This move really targets the triceps to give you that muscle definition that makes your arms look fabulous. The added kick adds in some lower body work to tone up your legs.

  1. Start sitting on your backside. Place your hands underneath you, with your fingertips facing your heels.
  2. Come up into a bridge. Take one foot off and rest it on top of your knee.
  3. Lower down into your triceps dip. As you extend back up, kick your leg up to the ceiling.
  4. Lower the leg and body into a dip, and repeat. Make sure to swap sides.
  5. Repeat three sets of 20 reps on each side.
04 of 07

Overhead Triceps Shredder

Simone De La Rue

Muscles worked: Triceps, shoulders 

This exercise is another great way to target the triceps, and all those muscles surrounding your shoulders. Keep the elbow close to the ear and pull down from your lats to keep your shoulders away from your ears. 

  1. Lay the band flat on the floor and stand on it with both feet. Keep a loop at one end of the band in one hand.
  2. Bend the arm holding the band at your elbow. Extend that arm as you reach your palm up towards the ceiling. Hold for two seconds.
  3. Lower the arm down to the starting position. 
  4. Repeat three sets of 10 reps.
05 of 07

Sliders

Simone De La Rue

Muscles worked: Shoulders, upper and middle back, core

This exercise is the go-to move for a sexy and toned back. As you perform it, make sure you press your shoulders down away from your ears as you reach overhead to lengthen and strengthen your upper back and shoulders.

  1. Stand in the middle of the band and place hands through a loop at each end. Step forward into a lunge with one foot. Keep the band underneath the sole of the back foot.
  2. Bend your elbows and tuck your arms in close to your sides, palms facing the floor, hands at chest level.
  3. Tilt forward as you lift your back foot off the floor and balance on your front leg as you keep it slightly bent.
  4. Reach upward until your arms are fully extended in line with your body, spreading your fingers and reaching for the ceiling. Pull them back down to the start, squeezing your shoulder blades together on the return. 
  5. Repeat two sets of 10 reps.
06 of 07

Skier

Simone De La Rue

Muscles worked: Shoulders, upper back, obliques

The Skier exercise not only tones your shoulders but also works your side oblique muscles for a stronger midsection. To maintain proper form, think about leading this movement with your elbow, not your hands. 

  1. Hold a loop of the band in each hand and stand with both arms at your sides, palms facing inward.
  2. Lift both arms smoothly up and out to the sides, raising them to shoulder height parallel to the floor. At the top, you should resemble a “T.”
  3. Twist your torso to the right and then the left, making sure your hips stay facing the front.
  4. Slowly return to center and lower to the start, resisting the band's pull on the return.
  5. Repeat 10 times on each side. Perform two sets.
07 of 07

Bicep Curl to Extension

Simone De La Rue

Muscles worked: Biceps, deltoids, pecs

This exercise strengthens your biceps, as well as your pecs and the deltoid muscles at the front of your shoulder. Make sure you keep your core engaged and keep the resistance on the band as you extend up and out.

  1. Stand in the middle of the band, place your hands in the loop. 
  2. Start in a bicep curl, with both arms bent and elbows in towards your waist.
  3. Extend one arm to an overhead press and the other out to the side.
  4. Repeat 20 times on each side.

 

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