Anna Maxwell Martin is one of the UK’s favourite actors, beloved for her roles in Motherland, Line of Duty and Ludwig. Now she’s about to hit our screens as Lyudmilla Raskova, head of KGB surveillance in Apple TV’s Star City – and after a photoshoot last week that displayed her ‘impressively toned’ arms, she revealed how she stays fit – and what’s behind her muscles. ‘Please objectify me!’, she said, when the interviewer admired her biceps. She credited dynamic Pilates for her sculpted abs, and said she works her ‘lazy glutes’ by taking the stairs instead of the lift.
But what about those arms? We asked celebrity personal trainer Tom Brown for his take on how to get muscles like Anna’s… and the good news is that with time, consistency and effort, sculpted arms are achievable for all of us.
‘With the correct training and proper nutrition, developing toned, strengthened and more sculpted arms is very achievable for the average woman,’ says Tom, who founded the luxury fitness retreat 1stclassbootcamp. ‘One thing I always explain is that ‘toned’ arms are a mixture of building lean muscle and reducing body fat levels – the two really do go hand in hand. You don’t need to become overly muscular to achieve that lean, defined look like Anna Maxwell Martin’s, but you do need consistency with both training and lifestyle habits.’
Tom’s top ‘bang for your buck’ moves
‘In terms of training, don’t overcomplicate the movements,’ he advises. ‘Think good ‘bang for your buck’ exercises and really focus on nailing the technique and tempo first. Over time, you can increase reps, add weight or include pulses and holds to create more volume and challenge the muscles further.’ He recommends the following six exercises:
For biceps:
- Seated dumbbell curls
- Hammer curls
- At the gym, any variation of curl on a cable machine
For triceps:
- Bodyweight dips
- Dumbbell skull crushers
- At the gym, cable tricep push-downs
‘The great thing is that this can absolutely be achieved at home as well as in the gym,’ he adds. ‘A pair of dumbbells and resistance bands can go a very long way if used consistently and correctly.
‘Like anything I promote, training is essential, but to fast-track progress we need to get the other 23 hours in the day right too. That means eating a sufficient amount of protein to help rebuild and support muscle, prioritising recovery and sleep, keeping daily movement high, and most importantly – staying consistent.’
Get the basics right, he adds, and ‘you’ll be well on your way to arms like Anna Maxwell Martin’s in no time!’ Sign us up.
