The underarm is a problem area for many of us while trying to lose weight, as this area is prone to becoming flabby more so than other parts of the body. Flabby arms are one of many reasons why so many of us cover up even during the summer time, out of embarrassment of our arms flapping in the wind.
While liposuction and other cosmetic procedures may be an extremely popular and effective way to lose fat, these are still surgical procedures that come along with risks, as well as being extremely expensive in many cases. Before you decide to spend potentially thousands of dollars on weight loss surgery, here are some cheaper yet effective ways to tone those arms and get rid of that arm jiggle.
Do Cardio More Often to Burn Calories and Tighten Arms
While there are some exercises out there which can help tone up your arms, there is nothing out there which can spot remove fat. The body tends to remove fat from the body consistently throughout the body from exercise, no matter what type of exercise we are doing.
This in turn means that cardiovascular exercise can be some of the most effective ones that we have at our disposal which can be used to lose all types of fat, including around our arms. Getting a good cardiovascular exercise doesn’t mean that you have to be running miles a day either, as it mainly revolves around maintaining an elevated heart rate.
As long as you are able to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day at about 80-90% of your maximum heart rate, you will see a significant change in your body composition. This also means that other exercises which we normally wouldn’t consider cardio such as weightlifting can also be used in this way, allowing for more variation to keep your exercise routine fresh.
Heavier Weight Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better Results
Weight training exercises can be effective ways to tone up the arms as well, but many people who aren’t familiar around the gym or those who don’t like lifting heavy tend to shy away from weight lifting. Research has shown that lifting heavier isn’t going to burn more fat than lifting lighter, as long as you compensate with more repetitions.
This makes sense as we are expending the same amount of energy to do the same amount of work while we are lifting 50 lbs for 5 repetitions, or 5 lbs for 50 repetitions. Just make sure to keep a steady pace during exercise if you’re going lighter to maximize its fat burning potential.
Exercise Early in Your Day to Lose Flabby Arms
There is so much debate over what the ideal time of day is to exercise as far as burning fat is concerned. A study conducted in England at Northumbria University found that men who exercised first thing in the morning prior to eating a meal saw an increase in their ability to burn fat to levels upwards of 20%.
So, if you want to help shed some pounds including what is hanging around your arms, make sure to exercise often, preferably first thing in the morning. Follow that up with a healthy breakfast rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats to get you through your day. Oatmeal with some peanut butter, a yogurt smoothie with fresh fruit, or eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast are some great options for breakfast.
Eat More Protein to Improve Definition
Modifying your diet to include more protein rich foods will help make your arms look better as well, not only in helping you lose weight, but to build up your arms as well. More protein consumption means that your body is going to be able to synthesize more muscle tissue, and getting you more defined muscles faster.
Try swapping out calorie rich foods which are low in fiber with ones that are rich in protein. Eating foods that have a higher protein content not only is going to help you build more muscle, it’s going to satiate your hunger, keeping you fuller for a longer time.
Pullups or Lat Pulldowns
You can’t spot remove fat as we mentioned prior, however doing exercises which target the arms can help to tighten them up by building more muscle in this area. Pullups and lat pulldowns are core exercises you will find in many back routines, however they are great for targeting the triceps and rest of the arm as well.
Pullups are considered to be a better exercise in general, however people tend to have more difficulty doing it than they do with seated lat pulldowns. If you can’t do at least a few pullups without assistance or struggling, than you should try lat pulldowns instead.
Make sure to do the variation where the bar is kept in front of you and pulled down to your chest, not the one where it is pulled behind your neck. It is very easy to injure yourself doing the latter exercise, so make sure to do keep the bar in front of your face.
Do Dips to Improve Arm Strength
Dips are an excellent exercise you can do to improve your arm strength and to give them more definition. Dips are also an exercise that can be done by anyone at any fitness level, as there are many different dip variations, and the exercise is easily modified.
Dips can be done on a dip machine, using a chair, or parallel bars. Just grab a hold of whatever you’re using with a tight grip, and lower yourself to where your elbow bends at almost a 90 degree angle, then raise back up to the starting position to complete one rep.
This exercise is a great one to throw in at the end of your arm routine, or as a superset to encourage even more muscle growth and definition.
