If you’re heading to (or hosting) a wedding this Summer, you’ll want to look your best for all those beautiful wedding photos. To help you prepare for the celebrations, today’s fitness guide will help you get in shape for wedding season. 

To inspire you to tone-up, Inspirations & Celebrations‘ Fitness Contributor, Jacqueline Hinton (a Los Angeles based Pilates instructor and the CEO of the Pilates lifestyle brand Good Citizen) shares 9 shoulder and arm exercises that sculpt lean muscles and tone the arms.

9 Exercises to Get in Shape for Wedding Season

Wedding season is upon us, and that means strapless dresses. It’s an exciting time, but it’s also crunch time; so I’ve put together an upper body workout that won’t disappoint. This won’t be easy, but you’ll show people just exactly where the “gun show” is after dominating these exercises. Happy bouquet throwing and catching!

Exercise 1: PLANK (1-minute)

Exercise 2: PUSH-UPS (start with 10X per hand position and work your way up to 20X)

• Plain: Place hands wherever they naturally feel comfortable underneath you
• Wide: Place hands wider than shoulder distance and turned out
• Diamond: Place hands in a diamond shape under your chest
• Parallel: Place hands under your shoulders and squeeze elbows when you bend your arms

Exercise 3: UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN (10X right and left)

Begin in a plank position on your forearms. Starting with the right hand followed by the left, press up to a plank position on your hands. Return to your forearms, starting with the right and followed by the left. Repeat starting left.  

*FOR THESE NEXT EXERCISES, USE A WEIGHT THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH*

Exercise 4: BICEP CURLS (20X)

Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, your abs are engaged (wink, wink), and your knees aren’t locked out.

Exercise 5: UPRIGHT ROW (20X)

Same as bicep curls, shoulders down, abs in, and knees soft.

Exercise 6: TRICEP KICK-BACK (20X)

Bend both knees and hinge your torso forward at the hips keeping a flat back. Make sure your collarbone is wide and your shoulders are pulled down into your back pockets. Imagine squeezing a walnut between your shoulder blades and get those abs in. Staying in this position bend and straighten the elbow in a tricep kickback.

Exercise 7: L-ARMS (20X)

Standing with your feet parallel and hip distance apart, lift your right arm forward and your left arm to the side making an L shape with your arms. Pause at the top and lower to switch to the other side. You’re going to want to lift your shoulders and use momentum. DON’T! Shoulders should go down when your arms go upward and pull your abs in to stabilize your torso.

Exercise 8: FLIES (20X)

This position is the same as the Tricep Kick-Back position. With knees bent, hinge your torso forward at the hips keeping a flat back. Round your arm in front of you like you’re holding a beach ball. Open both arms and pause then slowly close back to the start position. Remember the walnut—crack it! And make sure to keep your shoulders away from your ears, while engaging your abs.

Exercise 9: PUNCHING (don’t stop between directions)

Use those abs! This is challenging, but breathe and kick some booty!

• Front w/a twist – Punch to the front of your body, while adding a torso twist 10X
• Side – Punch out to your side, alternating on each side 10X
• Up – Pretty self-explanatory. Punch up toward the sky 10X

For more workout ideas and tips, visit the Fitness section on Inspirations & Celebrations.

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Fitness Contributor: Jacqueline Hinton

[Image credits: Shutterstock]