Shape’s five-move workout inspired by Michelle Obama combines bodyweight work with dumbbell exercises for the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. The magazine recommends doing the sequence twice, three times a week. It is an editorial sample routine—not a verified record of Obama’s personal training plan—and no single workout can guarantee another person’s appearance.
Shape’s five-exercise arms workout
Shape’s article, updated October 27, 2022, calls for a pair of dumbbells. It gives 3- or 5-pound weights as examples for beginners and 8- to 10-pound weights for more advanced exercisers; these are examples, not individualized prescriptions. Perform the five exercises in order, twice through, without pausing between exercises, three times per week, according to Shape’s routine.
- Sun Salutation — six repetitions. Flow from standing into a forward fold, then through plank or Chaturanga, upward-facing dog, and downward dog before returning to standing. Shape quotes trainer Kathy Smith explaining that some yoga poses load the arms because “You’re lifting your own bodyweight in some poses.”
- Shoulder press — 8–12 repetitions. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees unlocked, and core engaged. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, press overhead with control, then lower along the same path.
- Dumbbell curls — 8–12 repetitions. With a soft bend in the knees and core engaged, curl the weights toward nearly shoulder height while keeping your upper arms steady. Lower with control.
- Triceps dip — 8–12 repetitions. Use a stable chair and place your hands beside your hips. Keep your elbows tracking back as you lower your body, then press through your palms to return.
- Staggered push-up — 8–12 repetitions per side. Begin in a high plank or kneeling plank. Move one hand forward and wider than the other, keep the working elbow close to your side, lower, and press up. Finish one side, then switch.
Smith also notes that yoga can involve holding poses such as Chaturanga and downward-facing dog for extended periods. That helps explain why Shape includes the Sun Salutation alongside more conventional arm exercises; it does not make the sequence a substitute for modifying a pose that is uncomfortable or beyond your current ability.
How this routine differs from other routines linked to Obama
Other publications have described different workouts, with distinct attributions and prescriptions. They should not be combined with Shape’s five-move sequence or treated as confirmation of Obama’s current training.
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| Source and attribution | Exercises and equipment | Published dosing |
|---|---|---|
| Shape, updated October 27, 2022: an editorial workout inspired by Obama | Sun Salutation, dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell curls, chair triceps dips, and staggered push-ups; bodyweight, chair, and dumbbells | Twice through, three times weekly; 8–12 reps for the listed strength moves, six Sun Salutations, and 8–12 push-ups per side |
| Oprah Daily, May 22, 2019: a sample routine attributed to trainer Cornell McClellan, which the article says Obama “may go through about once a week when focusing on her arms” | Alternating hammer curls, overhead triceps extensions, continuous-tension curls, concentration curls, close-grip triceps push-ups, and around-the-world shoulder flys; dumbbells and bodyweight | First 10–15 minutes of light cardio; 15 repetitions should be challenging without losing form; one-minute hammer curls and the listed reps, with the routine repeated three times |
| Us Weekly, September 8, 2009: historical reporting about a finisher attributed to McClellan | Cable-station triceps pushdowns followed immediately by dumbbell hammer curls, within a broader cardio and weight-training workout | Repeat until two or three sets of both exercises are complete |
The Oprah Daily version is a separate trainer-attributed sample, not an alternate set of instructions for Shape’s workout. The Us Weekly report describes an older finisher and does not establish that it remains part of a current routine.
What is—and is not—verified about Michelle Obama’s workouts
TIME reported on May 20, 2015, that Obama released a #GimmeFive workout video featuring weightlifting, jump rope, and boxing. That public demonstration shows varied exercise, but it does not verify that she followed either Shape’s or Oprah Daily’s sample arm routine as her personal program.
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Shape says readers should begin noticing stronger arms, shoulders, and upper-back muscles in two weeks. That is the magazine’s stated expectation, not a guaranteed or independently established result. The routines and reporting cited here do not show that a particular sequence can reproduce Obama’s appearance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the workout targets
The sequence pairs pressing and push-up movements with curls and dips, so it works the shoulders, biceps, and triceps through a mix of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. The Sun Salutation adds a flowing series of poses that includes weight-bearing positions. The aim is to train those muscles; the routine alone cannot determine how an individual’s arms will look.
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