Excess arm fat can lead to embarrassment and low self-esteem, especially in warm weather when you want to wear short-sleeved shirts, tank tops or bathing suits. Specific muscle training designed to work your arm muscles does little to remove arm fat. However, a combination of strength training, aerobic exercise and proper diet will help remove the excess fat stored on your arms.
Diet Changes
People often turn to starvation diets, fad diets or quick fixes when they want to diet. Unfortunately, these techniques tend to leave you feeling deprived or hungry. To reduce arm fat, you simply need to take in fewer calories than your body uses. This does not mean you have to go hungry. Cut calories by consuming more fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, water and whole grains. As you increase your intake of these foods, decrease your intake of processed foods, fried foods, alcohol, sugary snacks, salty snacks and high calorie drinks. For every 3,500 calories you cut from your diet, your body will burn 1lb. of fat.
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic activity is another way to make your body burn more calories than you consume. All forms of aerobic activity -- physical activity that increases your heart rate and makes you sweat -- helps reduce fat throughout your body. However, aerobic activities that involve your arms, such as elliptical training or rowing, maximize the amount of fat you lose from your arms. Any bout of aerobic activity will increase your ability to lose weight, but it may take between 60 and 90 minutes of aerobic exercise a day to see results.
Strength Training
Strength training builds lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat, even at rest. Exercises that work large muscle groups, such as those in your thighs, butt and back, help build the most lean muscle. However, strength-training exercises that focus on your arms, such as bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, push-ups, bench presses and shoulder presses, tone and shape your arm muscles, giving your arms a slimmer look.
Motivation
It may take six or more weeks before you notice results, making it important to have motivational tools in place. An exercise and diet log can help keep you accountable to the changes you have decided to implement. If you measure the circumference of your arm once a week, you can track the amount of fat you lose from your arm to keep yourself motivated. Exercising with a friend or compete with coworkers to see who can lose the most weight in a given period may increase your desire to lose weight even more.
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