A Strapless Wedding Dress Workout for Toned Arms & Shoulders
You’ll be ready to bare those arms and shoulders once you’ve completed this easy strapless wedding dress workout.
Wearing a strapless wedding dress on the big day means that your arms and shoulders will be the center of attention. Get them looking their best by following our simple yet effective strapless wedding dress workout that targets your upper body muscles.
To help get you started, WeddingWire partnered with Katie Dunlop of Love Sweat Fitness to create this easy, five-minute arm and shoulder workout you can do at home in less than five minutes, without any equipment at all.
Follow along with the video below for a quick strapless wedding dress workout you can do at home.
Frequency and Timeline
For best results, start this strapless wedding dress workout at least six to eight weeks before your wedding day. Perform each of the exercises for three or four rounds (10 to 12 reps each time) at least three days a week. For even more toning, pair these exercises with our easy backless wedding dress workout!
Move #1: Push-Up Rotation
Begin in a kneeling push-up position, or a full plank position if it feels comfortable. Arms should be fully extended to the floor with your hands directly under your shoulders. Lower your chest toward the floor, inhaling on the way down and exhaling as you press back up to a kneeling or full plank position. Extend your legs and come onto your toes if you aren’t already. Balance on your right hand while rotating your upper body “open” to the left and extending your left arm straight up. Hold for a second, then place your left hand back down. Do one push-up, then repeat the same move on the other side. Continue for at least 10 reps (5 on each side).
Move #2: Frontal Raise + Chest Pull
If you have a light set of weights, you can use them for this exercise, although it can also be done without weights. Sit in a kneeling position on the floor. With one weight in each hand and your palms facing down, lift your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height. Pull your arms back and to the sides, creating 90-degree angles with your wrists, elbows and shoulders. Press your arms straight in front of you again, then lower them down to your legs. Repeat for three rounds of 10 to 12 reps. You’ll definitely start to feel the burn with this move, but it’s one of the most effective at-home arm and back exercises with weights!
Move #3: Plank Walks
Return to a full plank position for the third move in our strapless wedding dress workout routine (remember: kneeling is fine if you need a modification). Come onto your toes, with your arms in line with your shoulders and palms flat on the floor. Starting with the right arm, “step” your hands forward about an inch or two while keeping your feet planted in place, then step them back into their starting positions. As you do this exercise, think “front, front, back, back” to keep track of the arm movements. Repeat for at least 10 reps.
Move #4: Dolphin Push-Ups
Lower down to a forearm plank position, interlacing your hands with your elbows slightly out to the sides. Walk your feet forward a few inches and balance on your toes while you lift your hips higher toward the ceiling, as if you’re creating a triangle shape with your body. Shift forward on your forearms, lowering down closer to the floor. Your head and chin should move toward your hands. Hold for a second, then use your core muscles to lift your hips back to the starting position. In addition to shaping your shoulders, this exercise gives you an added ab workout!
