Excercise for arms and shoulders?

[Manekineko]

Well, I've been doing shiko more or less regularly for some time now, and find it a rewarding exercise. Now I'm looking for something equally all-around and beneficial for my arms and shoulders... I don't like lifting weights, and would prefer something that doesn't require any special utensil. I know - pushups. But I do two pushups and then expire in agony on the floor (seriously). I've been doing "vertical pushups" (wall instead of floor), and would like to hear more suggestion from those of you who pursue some sport or the other.

:-)

Thx!

[Zenjimoto]

Say what you will, but I find swimming the very best such exercise. I have been going the past week, and I find the results very encouraging... if you have a covered community pool (which I am sure you have), it may be well worth the trip there every so often? :-)

[Manekineko]

Forgot to mention it - I love swimming, and visit the pool at least three times a week, swimming crawl mostly. Yes, swimming is the best exercise there is, but I'm looking for something a bit extra for my arms in particular...

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Vertical push-ups sounds like a good idea. Also easy push-up ie. push-ups while keeping the knees on the floor is good starting point. If you can do 2 push-ups, you could actually start with that (after some warm-up of course) and then maybe do another set of 2 reps in push-ups and only then change for knees on the floor push-ups and do 10+ reps for few sets. The reason I suggest those 2 sets of 2 reps of push-ups (or more reps when you can get 3 or 4 etc.!) is that since you haven't worked out much at all your upper body (if I understood correctly) even those 2 sets of very heavy push-ups can be good in improving the general robustness of the joints and familiriaze the muscles to some heavier work. If those 2 reps feel bad, then skip them and just do those vertical push-ups and knees on the floor push-ups.

Rule of thumb: The narrower your stance (distance between your hands when doing push-ups) the more the emphasis is in the triceps area. The wider the stance the more the emphasis goes to shoulder area. In between the narrow and wide stance lies the effective width for pecs. So change the position of your hands often to get more out of the push-ups.

Since you dislike weights, at this point there are rather limited options for good arm/shoulder moves besides the push-ups variations. Small dumbells would do wonders and it is not that unpleasant. If you get couple of 5kg dumbells you can do a lot and unboring stuff so reconsider that will you :-)

If you have a pull-up bar (vertical bar hanging somewhere not too high), I'd recommend jumped pull-ups which are hard yes but with the help of legs, it could be done and would be a very good exercise for upper back, rear shoulder, biceps and the also the shoulder area in more general (despite it being a pulling move, it usually has a positive affect on beginner level to shoulders too).

Swimming is good but not very good for the goals I assume you are going for and crawl definitely isn''t. Free style swimming with intensity most likely is a good shoulder move but crawl in recreational intensity...I doubt it although I have no robust experience in this area as I swim like a person in great distress and I look like I am drowning every second.

[Yoavoshimaru]

Pushups and swimming are both excellent. Since I don't have regular access to a pool, I do pushups. Since I don't like pushups, I don't do many: 10 narrow (arms slightly less than shoulder-width apart), 10 normal (arms slightly more than shoulder-width apart), 10 wide (another 6-8" between arms), no pause. On the rare days that I feel like doing more, I add additional sets of the above. It doesn't take much time at all.

[Takanorappa]

I always used to do alot of one arm curls back in college. (Enjoying a beer...) Good for the arms -- bad for the gut. :-D

[Manekineko]

Thanks for all the suggestions and explanations! :-S

[sekihiryu]

Swiss Balls are great for home training, using them for push ups like this, you can vary how for you drop if its hard for you.

Bench dips are also great, use a chair works the triceps.

or try exercise bands of some sort, they seem like your best bet without going into weights, coz for arms and shoulders I can only think of weights.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Bench dips yes! Very good move for triceps.

Also punching bag would be useful. Good keiko with punching bag and triceps/shoulders/neck will be happy and genki soon :-S

Twister is the legendary work out equipment that has a lot of benefit for relative beginners and you can do many different exercises with that. It can hurt you though (and is known to cause chest hair loss to males) if you let it slip but in general twister is a convenient tool that beats these TV-shop bullshit equipments 100-0 (electric vibrators and "only 5 minutes a day! Affect is similar to 300 sit ups!"-junk that are sold on those TV-shops)

[Tumppi]

Shoulder press, girls can't do lateral raises, they always do them wrong.. (Laughing...)

[Takanobaka]

Twister is the legendary work out equipment that has a lot of benefit for relative beginners and you can do many different exercises with that. It can hurt you though (and is known to cause chest hair loss to males) if you let it slip but in general twister is a convenient tool that beats these TV-shop bullshit equipments 100-0 (electric vibrators and "only 5 minutes a day! Affect is similar to 300 sit ups!"-junk that are sold on those TV-shops)

Twister like "left foot red" twister? Never heard of it for working out before, although it can get pretty fun while inebriated...

[Guest Mojo]

Twister is the legendary work out equipment that has a lot of benefit for relative beginners and you can do many different exercises with that. It can hurt you though (and is known to cause chest hair loss to males) if you let it slip but in general twister is a convenient tool that beats these TV-shop bullshit equipments 100-0 (electric vibrators and "only 5 minutes a day! Affect is similar to 300 sit ups!"-junk that are sold on those TV-shops)

Twister like "left foot red" twister? Never heard of it for working out before, although it can get pretty fun while inebriated...

I've never heard of Twister before either.... (Laughing...) What is it?

[Yoavoshimaru]

Twister is one of the all-time best party games. It's probably the Kitanoumi of party games as far as career records are concerned. Here's a good description.

[Guest Mojo]

We are, I think not talking about the game..... (Applauding...)

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Twister like "left foot red" twister? Never heard of it for working out before, although it can get pretty fun while inebriated...

Couldn't find a picture of Twister. It is a bar of 75cm length with handles on each end. In the middle you have coiled string-kind of part. The purpose is to twist the string so that the handles come together (as you twist the twister with having a grip on both handles of course). You can twist it in various ways and angles. Not very complicated exercise equipment but with a rigid string it can be very hard training for arms, chest and shoulders. I am not sure if it is called "twister" at all but my twister had a name "twister" so I call it twister (I am not worthy...)

[Takanobaka]

Aah! That makes much more sense.

Another variation of push ups I want to throw in is a tricep pushup. For that, keep your hands at shoulder width, turned slightly inward, start from the high position, and dip in a manner so your elbows go backwards (as opposed to out to the sides). If you do them properly you shouldn't be able to touch the ground like with a typical pushup. Best to start from the knees (rather than the feet) for that one since it really is harder on the triceps than bench dips or pull-ups.

Also, I realize this isn't an arm exercise, but a great and relatively easy exercise for the abs and shoulders is 'core' (I'm not sure this is the proper name, but I've mostly heard it called the core exercise). For that, keep your forearms on the ground with your elbows shoulder distance apart while interlocking your hands. Stretch your body and get on your toes so they are perpindicular with your ankles and the rest of your body is flat. Then, lift up and just hold it. Your stomach and shoulders should be doing all the work...if you feel it in your lower back, your butt's too high or too low and you need to make sure that your back stays even. If you're doing it right, your abs will probably start twitching after about 15 or 20 seconds. Works out all sets of abs simultaneously, and traps to a lesser extent. Been doing one minute of that every morning for the last month and lost two waist sizes, plus it's way better for the obliques than sit-ups and you get more impact in a lesser time period. Good stuff.

Generally, from people I have known who wanted to tone down their arms and build up endurance strength (as opposed to bulking them up), the most effective way to do so seems to be rowing. But that definately requires equipment...

*note: I'll try finding pictures....my explanations seem to be horrible. Descriptive writing was never my forte.*

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

The movement you describe in also in my regular work out regime. Very good for the abs especially after exhausting the abs with more dynamic exercises first. It is also possible to add a movement to it by twisting your lower body so that the knee touches the ground alternating the side. You need to rock your lower body with this but this targets the oblique muscles even better. Just make sure the pressure isn't alleviated at any point.

the most effective way to do so seems to be rowing

Depends a lot of the type of the rowing machine. I use my rowing machine with full resistance and then do mostly anaerobic interval stuff with 20-30 full power rows + 30 second break, 20-30 full power rows, 30 second break etc. Rowing in general is the best single back exercise equipment around and when done with within aerobic limits, it is one of the best circulatory work outs too. I don't know if light resistance rowing is that effective or rewarding but heavy resistance certainly gives a nice feeling of good keiko. If there is any single exercise equipment I would suggest to person with not that much experience in training, rowing machine could be the one. Presses can be done without machine at home with the already mentioned moves but rowing targets legs and back very efficiently, is a safe exercise for joints, easy to learn technically and very good for aerobic training too.

[Ryunokaze]

Not to long ago,when I was still playing rugby,we used to use a static ex' for the shoulders.It is very simple.If you are a little weak then don't use weight or resistance, just extend your arms out and up from your waist to form a 'T' then hold them there for as long as you can.It becomes very challenging when you are made to carry a brick in each hand.You can make small circular motions too,if you wish.Pushing down and/or up on a surface in the same position can work too.Try suspending yourself in this position.OUCH,really fast.

Lifting your arms into this position,or variations of, many times(or not so many,as the case maybe)with a bag of rice or whatever, is great.Don't start with a hefty 10kg bag of course.

Go easy.Don't blow a gun on my advice...