Watch our speedy 7-minute Pilates workout to strengthen and tone your arms and shoulders
TONED arms and shoulders in under 10 minutes? I’m in.
OK, you’ll have to do the workout more than just once, but experts say you don’t need to spend hours in a gym to get lean and strong.
As little as seven minutes is enough to blast the body into building muscle, according to Annabel Luke, a personal trainer, Pilates instructor and nutritionist.
She’s crafted a speedy upper body routine consisting of just six moves that promises to burn.
The best part? You can do it from just about anywhere – and you don’t need any equipment.
Annabel said: “This quickie Pilates workout will help strengthen and tone your arms and shoulders, while activating your core.
“Remember to focus on your mind to body to breath connection, and maintain proper form throughout each exercise.
“It’s short, sharp and effective, with energising and balancing benefits.
“And you can even take it on holiday with you this summer.
“While holidays are most definitely a time to unwind and relax from your usual routine, incorporating a little movement into your day can make your holiday experience even better.
“Even just 10 to 20 minutes each day can keep you on track with your exercise routine and goals, and help you feel energised and balanced.”
Here, she breaks down each move in the video above.
1. Lateral and front raises
After a short warm-up, begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight softness in your knees.
“Lengthen your arms down by your sides with palms facing in toward your body,” Annabel, who runs Pilates by Bel, said.
“Raise them straight out in front of you, with your fingers spread apart, before moving them out to the side of your body until they are in line with your shoulders and parallel to the floor, forming a T-shape.
“Ensure your shoulders, elbows and wrists are all in line with one another.
“Keep your arms lengthened as you slide them down by your sides, then back up to the T-position.
“Then move them back to the front raise position, and with control, lower your arms down in front of you, with your palms facing in towards your legs.”
Repeat this full sequence 12 times.
“Keep your arms long and strong, feel free to add some pace, and you’ll start to feel your shoulders warming up,” Annabel added.
2. Scapula squeeze
From the previous exercise, keep your arms lengthened in a lateral raise position, with your palms now facing backwards.
“Press your palms back behind you to squeeze your shoulder blades together, as if you are trying to pinch a pencil between them,” Annabel said.
“Hold the squeeze for a second or two, feeling the contraction in your upper back muscles.
“Release the squeeze, allowing your shoulder blades to return to their natural position and hands to return back in line with your shoulders.”
Repeat this exercise 12 times.
You can then go back to the front-raise position and do some inward arm circles for 10 seconds to prepare for the next few moves.
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1. Knee tucks
Lie on your back and place your hands in a V shape at the bottom of your spine for support.
Lift your legs off the ground and bend them in towards your chest, before extending them out in front of you.
Do four sets of these, with 20 reps in each.
2. Plank side-to-side twist
Get into a plank position, resting on your forearms with your body in a straight line.
Twist from one side to the other, dipping your hips.
Do four sets of 20 reps.
3. Mountain climbers
Start in a plank position, weight resting on your palms and making sure your bum isn’t sticking up.
Alternate bringing one knee into your chest and back out again.
You can do these slowly with control, or speed up to a ‘running’ pace.
Do four sets, 40 seconds each.
4. Toe touches
Lie on your back and extend your legs at a 45 degree angle in front of you.
Extend your arms towards your toes and curl your torso off the floor, engaging your core to do this.
Repeat the movement 20 times. Do four sets in total.
5. Butterfly sit ups
Lie on the floor, bend your knees and place the soles of your feet together so your legs are ‘butterflying’ out.
Stretch your arms above your head, resting them on the floor, or out in front of your chest.
Sit all the way up, bracing your core, and bring your hands as close to your feet as possible, before curling back into the floor.
Do four sets of 10.
Watch Will demonstrate how to do the exercises here.
3. Extended ceiling reach to tricep press
“For the third round, start with your arms in a front raise position, fully extended from your shoulders through to your fingertips,” Annabel said.
“Raise both extended arms overhead towards the ceiling, keeping them close to your ears and palms facing forward at the top.
“Maintaining the extension in your arms, slide them down and press slightly behind your body until you feel your triceps activate with palms facing behind you now.
“From this tricep press position, raise both arms overhead again.”
Repeat this full sequence 12 times.
“Try to keep your body nice and stable from your core by keeping those abs engaged,” Annabel added.
4. Shoulder press
For this exercise, start with your elbows bent and lifted in line with your shoulders.
Keep your hands up above your elbows and your palms facing forward.
“Now take a shoulder press,” Annabel said.
“Press your arms upwards to the ceiling until they are fully extended above your head.
“Your arms should be in line with your ears, with your hands slightly separated and palms still facing forward.
“Slowly bend and lower your arms back to the start position, with elbows in line with your shoulders.
“Inhale on the way down and exhale as you press up.”
Repeat this exercise 12 times.
5. Tricep extension
As you finish the previous move, keep your arms in the air – fully extended above your head and palms pressing in to touch one another.
“From here, lower your hands behind your head by bending your elbows until your forearms are at about a 90-degree angle with your upper arms,” Annabel said.
“Only your forearms should move, while your upper arms remain stationary.
“Press your hands back up until fully extended in the start position.”
Repeat this exercise 12 times.
“Try to keep your elbows nice and narrow towards your head, and exhale on the way up and inhale as you drop,” the PT added.
6. Sumo squat to oblique tilt to overhead reach
Round six begins standing with your legs and feet wide, and toes turned out on a 45-degree angle.
“Draw your arms up to your head and place your hands behind your head with elbows flared out to the sides so your chest remains open,” Annabel said.
“Bend your knees and lower your hips into a sumo squat position, keeping your knees tracking out and over your toes.
“While holding the squat position, tilt your torso to the right, bringing your right elbow down towards your right thigh with your left elbow up and your gaze forward.
“Then, extend your left arm over your head into a long reach.
“Feel the stretch and engagement in your left oblique as you tilt and reach.
“From here, bend your left arm back to your head and return to the centre with your torso upright.”
Repeat the same tilt and reach to your left side, feeling the stretch and engagement in your right oblique, she added.
“Bend your right arm back to your head and return to centre with your torso upright,” the instructor said.
“Stand up out of your sumo squat by pushing through your heels and straightening your legs, then return to the starting position with your hands behind your head.”
Repeat this full sequence 12 times.
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But another area of the body which can also carry excess weight is the back.
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Alasdair Nicoll, personal trainer and expert tutor at The Fitness Group, has identified the most effective exercises.
To finish
To finish the workout, go back to the front and lateral raises you did at the beginning, followed by the scapula squeezes and arm circles.
“Keep your arms long and strong, and moving at pace, and then you’re done,” Annabel said.
You can leave it at that, or do that same circuit another two or three times.
The workout can be done without any equipment, but you can ramp it up with some wrist or ankle weights, as worn by Annabel in the video.
She said: “If you want more of a challenge, you can grab some wrist weights or hand weights.
“I would recommend anywhere between 500g and 2kg – and ideally no more than that unless you’re feeling super strong.
“And if you are using more than that, just slow it down slightly and don’t worry about doing quite as many reps as me.”