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Have you ever thought about improving the muscle tone in your arms so that the skin does not sag? Have you ever wanted to remove those same wings, get rid of sagging and flabbiness, and build beautiful and sculpted muscles at home?
Oh, that fat on your arms. And let's be honest. We all know what we need to do to hide certain imperfections in our figure and when it comes to choosing a cute top or sleeveless dress, we will always choose something longer to hide the fat on our arms above the elbows. And no matter how much you control your diet or cut down on dessert, fat deposits still remain. Annoying, right? But before you find a way to reduce flab, it's important to know what causes fat to accumulate in that area.
Causes of sagging arms
- lack of physical activity
- unhealthy diet
- not doing enough exercises on the right muscles
- binge eating
- loss of elastin and collagen fibers due to age
If you think that you are the only person on the planet who is faced with this problem, know that you are not alone. Arm fat is just one of the consequences of aging. As you get older, your metabolism slows down, and if you're not physically active, excess fat can accumulate throughout your body, including on your arms.
Although the jury is still out, some studies have shown that low testosterone levels can cause excess fat to accumulate in the shoulder area. As women get older, testosterone levels in their bodies decrease, making it more difficult to combat sagging arms.
And here the question arises, how to tighten the arm muscles and remove sagging skin? Is there a surefire way to lose fat and get rid of sagging above the elbow? In short, yes. Let's start with the important basics for solving this problem.
Basic Tips
When trying to get rid of flabby arms in a week, any girl and woman needs to take into account some points.
- It is impossible to remove fat locally only in the arm area. So don't waste your time and money on such activities. Instead, try to lose weight overall as this will automatically help you lose fat. To do this, you must create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. So, switch to low-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables. Also consume lean protein and avoid high-calorie sugary foods, as well as drinks and processed foods. Drinking enough water will help you as it can speed up your body's metabolism and thus make you burn more calories. In addition, water will prolong your feeling of fullness and limit your appetite for high-calorie foods.
- Secondly, when it comes to training, you should choose different types of exercises that will focus on quickly toning your entire body, not just your arms. Biceps and triceps training alone may leave you with good toned biceps and triceps, but they will all be hidden under layers of excess fat, and this will of course only make your arms look worse.
- Third, try to train large muscle groups more often than small ones. Large muscles (back, legs) contain more muscle tissue, which is logical. Training larger muscles will boost your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories, thereby helping you easily achieve your desired calorie deficit. This is because muscles need a constant supply of calories to build and maintain themselves in proper shape.
- The choice of exercises is quite a complex issue. You shouldn't train the same muscles every day. You should follow a well-structured exercise program that targets each muscle group in the body.
- You have to stay motivated. Doing exercises on a regular basis is very important because without it you cannot get rid of saggy arms. If you expect quick results and lose motivation when you don't see them, it won't take long for you to give up.
We recommend reading: how to tighten a sagging belly by doing fitness at home.
Best Workouts for Women: Good Exercises, Great Results
With small changes in your diet and adding exercises for beautiful arms to your fitness program, you will see tangible results very quickly. The time has come to finally get rid of the “wings” and bring your muscles to ideal condition so that everyone will envy you! An arm lift will take time, but it will be worth it.
Gaining muscle mass.
If you're not training your back and biceps together, add one biceps isolation exercise at the end of your back workout for extra biceps work.
Also, to further stimulate your triceps, add a close-grip bench press to your chest training day.
Basically, the muscles of the arms are worked with isolating exercises, so for the biceps, the main and main exercise is lifting the barbell onto the biceps and preferably with a straight bar, so that the load from the exercise falls evenly on its two heads (internal, external).
For the triceps, the main isolating, strength exercise is the French bench press, with a straight or EZ bar.
Perform both of these exercises with heavy enough weights that the last two sets of the exercise are taken to complete muscle failure.
To activate muscle growth in the arms, these are quite intense workouts! Impact tactics are a necessity; a variety of exercises is also important here to prevent muscles from adapting to the load and the use of various training methods - supersets, dropsets, negative repetitions, method 21.
How to burn fat quickly
The best way to tone your muscles is a two-pronged approach: diet and exercise. The first thing everyone wants is to get rid of saggy triceps muscles, the so-called wings.
Expert advice:
Great protein dinner - 170g grilled salmon or turkey with Brussels sprouts and baked potato.
To reduce your body fat percentage, you need to adjust your diet. For most women, relief appears when the percentage of fat is 16-20%. The recommended norm for healthy weight loss is from 500g to 1kg.
500 grams of body weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you consume an average of 2,000 calories per day, you need to cut your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose up to a pound per week.
I Superset
Close-grip push-ups and bent-over dumbbell rows on a fitball
10 reps + 15 reps
Technique for performing push-ups with a narrow grip:
These push-ups primarily work your triceps, but also give a good workout to your chest and core, making them a great exercise for an overall fat-burning boost. If you cannot follow proper form in the straight plank position, then you can do these push-ups from your knees.
Start in a straight-arm plank position. Keep your neck in a neutral position, looking straight at the ground.
Slowly lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are bent 90°. Return to the starting position and straighten your arms.
Technique for performing bent-over dumbbell rows on a fitball:
The dumbbell row is a great exercise for working your arms as well as one of your largest muscle groups, your back.
Place dumbbells in front of an exercise ball and lie with your chest on it. Straighten your arms to reach the dumbbells.
Now pull the dumbbells up toward your shoulders with your palms facing inward. Extend your arms and then lower the weight to the floor under control.
Exercises for sagging arms
Now that you have normalized your diet, it's time for toning workouts. Cardio is still an important part of your program. Don't skip it because it is a great way to burn fat. You should aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise per day. This could be anything from running and cycling to hiking.
Despite the fact that you want beautiful hands, do not forget that the rest of the body also needs attention. Train your legs, buttocks, and back to be a stunning beauty.
Once you've completed your full body exercises, or at least your lower half, it's time to turn your arms into the envy of your body.
Workout #1
Shoulder press
Bicep curls
Reverse push-ups
Dumbbell forward raises
Swing dumbbells to the sides
Push ups
Triceps extensions
Triceps extensions are one of the best triceps exercises for women. To get the most out of your workouts, start by doing each exercise for 3 sets of 12 reps with a weight light enough that you can complete all 12 reps without fail. After a few weeks, you will be able to increase the number of repetitions to 4-6 sets of 12 repetitions. As your strength increases, you should also increase the weight of the dumbbells.
For bodyweight exercises, it is fine to do push-ups on your knees until you have the strength to push up to your toes. Don't try triceps push-ups until you've mastered regular push-ups.
Expert tip: When doing push-ups, keep your elbows close to your body to really work your triceps.
Workout #2
Divide all exercises into groups of 3 and perform one of each three (with resistance band or dumbbells) for 40 seconds before immediately moving on to the next one. After completing all three exercises, rest for 30 seconds. This is one circle. Complete three circuits before starting the next part of the exercise. To pump up hanging muscles and make them fit, do not forget about regular training.
Table with training program
Arm training | |
Circle | |
(repeat 3 times) | |
shoulder press | 40 sec |
reverse push-ups | 40 sec |
bicep curls | 40 sec |
rest | 30 sec |
REST – 1 MINUTE | |
Superset | |
(6 minutes) | |
lifting up and to the sides | 15 reps |
triceps abduction | 20 reps |
rest | 30 sec |
Standing shoulder press
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place both feet on the floor hip-width apart. Gently lift the dumbbells to shoulder level, directly in front of your chest. Extend your elbows and press the dumbbells overhead, making sure your hands are at ear level. When your arms are fully extended, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells back toward your chest. This is one repetition.
Shoulder press with elastic band
Stand in the center of the band, feet shoulder-width apart, holding one end of the band in each hand. Gently lift the ends of the tape to shoulder level. Extend your elbows and pull the ends of the band over your head, making sure your hands are at ear level. Once your arms are fully extended, bend your elbows to return to the starting position.
Try other exercises with a fitness band at home.
Triceps abduction
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Lean forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells to either side of your chest. Extend your elbows back, ensuring they remain in close contact with the sides of your body. Bend your elbows to return to the starting position.
Triceps abduction with elastic band
Stand in the center of the band with your feet hip-width apart and hold one end of the band in each hand. Bend your knees slightly and lean forward from your hips so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows so that the ends of the band are on either side of your chest. Keeping your shoulders as still as possible, move your elbows back, ensuring that your arms remain in close contact with the sides of your body. Bend your elbows to return to the starting position.
Biceps Curl
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Without moving your shoulders, bend your elbows and gradually rotate your wrists to lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders, palms toward your chest.
Flexing with an elastic band
Stand in the center of the band with your feet hip-width apart and hold one end of the band in each hand. Bend your elbows to lift your arms toward your chest, making sure to keep your elbows in close contact with your sides. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position.
Raises up and to the side
Take the starting position as in the exercise above. Bend your elbows slightly and lift the dumbbells outward to shoulder level. When they reach shoulder level, move them forward, just in front of your chest. Without hesitation, modify the movement by moving the dumbbells back until they are aligned with your shoulders. Slowly lower the dumbbells down. Complete 15 reps.
Raises up and to the side with an elastic band
Stand in the center of the band with your feet hip-width apart and grab one end of the band in each hand with a neutral grip. Bend your elbows slightly and lift the ends of the band outward to shoulder level. When they reach shoulder height, move them forward to bring them straight to your chest. Without hesitation, modify the movement by moving the dumbbells back until they are aligned with your shoulders. Slowly lower the ends of the tape.
French press
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place both feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms above your head, keeping them at ear level. Keeping your shoulders still, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells behind your head. Immediately straighten your elbows to return to the starting position. Always keep your shoulders, elbows and wrists in line. Complete 20 reps.
French press with elastic band
Stand in the middle of the band and do the same as in the exercise above.
Warm up before training
What should it be like?
Like any other physical training, performing a set of exercises for the arms, according to the rules, should begin with a warm-up. Experts recommend starting with light exercises and then gradually increasing the load.
also important to always monitor your breathing , because it affects the functioning of internal organs and the condition of bone tissue when performing complex exercises.
How to do it correctly?
At the beginning, a general warm-up is carried out. Its main task is to tone the muscles, to saturate them with a large amount of oxygen. Then, you should move on to a special warm-up aimed at preparing for the complex, specifically the selected muscle group.
Before starting classes, be sure to do a warm-up to warm up your muscles and ligaments - this is necessary to prevent injuries during training.
This warm-up involves performing simple movements, repeating no more than 12 times. The main criterion when selecting a warm-up complex is its compliance with the training that follows.
When and how much?
The choice of when to perform exercises is purely individual.
The most optimal period for training is considered to be between 16 and 17 hours , since it is during this time period that for most people, the muscles become warmer and more elastic, and the tension is minimal, which makes it possible to increase the load necessary.
For some people, morning warm-up is more convenient , since it is easier to choose a time for it, and by doing exercises after sunrise, it already becomes a habit, which allows a person to more easily tune in to physical activity.
The duration of the general warm-up varies depending on the individual abilities of the exercisers, but on average it lasts no more than 20 minutes. The transition from warming up exercises to the main complex should be smooth , so you should not take a break between them for more than 5-7 minutes.
A simple warm-up includes the following:
- stretching the body by squats, bends;
- swings, circular movements of the shoulder joints, alternate rotations of the shoulders back and forth;
- simple raises of arms and legs;
- High jump;
- walking in place, etc.
Advice on how a woman can get rid of flabby arms as quickly as possible
Do more cardio
- Do cardio exercise three to six days a week. To lose weight anywhere, you must do exercises that burn overall fat. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, start with 30 minutes of walking a day.
- If you're already in good shape, take it up a notch by increasing the intensity of your workouts. Run instead of walk, for example. Do high-intensity interval training, alternating periods of high and moderate effort. Any type of cardio is better than nothing, but the most effective are jumping rope, swimming, and running. This will help you prevent the skin from hanging on your hands.
Cut calories
- Track your calories and look for ways to cut them. One way to do this is to use an app that will help you calculate how many calories you should eat to lose weight, and will also allow you to enter the names and amounts of foods you ate plus the exercise you did to get your net calorie intake for the day.
- For example, you may find that by exercising just 10 minutes more or eating a little less at lunch, you can create a calorie deficit.
Do targeted exercises
- Invest in a set of dumbbells and perform three to five arm-strengthening exercises at least two days a week. Variety is key to preventing muscle adaptation and fitness plateaus, so vary your routine from week to week.
- For triceps, which are often the flabby part of women's arms, effective exercises are reverse push-ups and French presses.
- Don't stop there. Perform bicep curls and bicep hammers, as well as flat or incline back presses for the chest and shoulders; add a dumbbell press on top for the shoulders.
- Another great upper body exercise is pull-ups. If you cannot do them in the standard form, use a special machine in the gym.
Clue
Many women avoid strength training, thinking it will become too bulky and powerful. While you'll be building muscle, you're unlikely to get really "big" from your workouts, and sagging skin will be gone.
Biceps.
To work the biceps muscle with multi-joint exercises, you must train your back, where the biceps works as an auxiliary muscle. However, there are a number of isolation methods that directly work the biceps.
Multi-joint exercises.
- Pull-ups with a reverse grip.
- Neutral grip pull-ups.
Isolation exercises.
- Curling the barbell for biceps: execution options - wide grip, regular grip, narrow grip.
- EZ lift - barbells for biceps: execution options - wide grip, narrow grip.
- Lifting dumbbells for biceps: execution options - alternately, sitting, standing, with both hands, with supination, hammers.
- Biceps curls from the lower block: execution options - with a straight handle, a rope handle, with a V-shaped handle, using an insulating bench.
- Bending arms in a crossover from the upper blocks.
- Curling arms on a Scott bench - execution options - with a barbell, with dumbbells.
- Concentrated biceps curls: execution options - with dumbbells, with a lower block.
- Arm curls while lying on an inclined bench: execution options - with dumbbells, from the lower block.
- Arm curls lying face down on an inclined bench: execution options - with a barbell, with dumbbells.
Read also: Erin Stern's 4 favorite supersets.
Synergetic exercises.
Add these exercises to your back workout to further target your biceps. Perform these movements with a reverse grip to increase stimulation of the biceps.
- Bent-over barbell row (back)
- T-bar row (back)
- Lat Pulldown (Back)
- Horizontal row of the lower block with a straight handle (back)
Swimming
Swimming will be the best option for those who are unable to do strength training for some reason.
During swimming, all muscle groups are used, and the arms work at full strength. It is recommended to visit the pool at least 3 times a week. The duration of the lesson is individual and on average is 20-50 minutes.
This type of exercise will allow you to remove excess fat from problem areas within a month and help form a beautiful relief. Suitable for women, girls and men, it has almost no contraindications. Women should remember that with frequent and prolonged training, increased development of the muscles of the shoulder girdle will begin, which will invariably lead to widening of the shoulders.
V Superset
Wide-grip push-ups with feet on a fitball and Dumbbell abductions on a fitball
8 reps + 10 reps
Technique for performing wide-grip push-ups with feet on a fitball:
Fitball push-ups are an extended variation of regular, simple push-ups. If you realize that this is too difficult for you, do not hesitate to lighten the load a little, there is nothing wrong with that.
Take a plank position on straight arms, but your feet should be on the fitball. Place your hands wider than your shoulders.
Slowly lower your chest toward the floor, supporting your chin and looking forward.
Return to the starting position and repeat, inhaling each time you lower.
Note: Your abs should be very tense during the movement. Do not move your hips, chest, neck or back; the only movement should be from your elbow joints.
Technique for performing dumbbell abductions on a fitball:
This exercise targets your rear deltoids as well as your triceps.
Lie on your stomach on an exercise ball with your arms hanging directly in front of you. Place your feet on a plinth against the wall behind you for added stability.
Raise the dumbbells at your sides until your arms are parallel to the ground. Flex your back, arms, and shoulder muscles as you exhale, then slowly return the weight back to the starting position.