What Exercises Are Good for Flabby Arms?

What Exercises Are Good for Flabby Arms?
Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

The fix for flabby arms is a full fitness routine that incorporates cardio to help melt the fat and resistance training to add muscle tone and shape. Keep your diet in check as well, because no matter how much cardio you do, you'll never lose the fat if you continue to eat to much. Do resistance training for your entire body, working each muscle group twice per week with a day of rest in between. If your arms are your problem area, it is fine to pay special attention to them and design a comprehensive routine.

Triceps

The triceps tend to get flabby before the rest of the arm because that is where excess fat is stored. In fact, it is one of the places where body fat measurements are taken. Tone them up with two or three sets of overhead tricep extensions and tricep kickbacks if you have weights, or attach a resistance band to the ceiling and engage your triceps as you pull down. Stretch the muscle by placing your hand on the back of your neck with your elbow pointing up, and using your other hand to push your elbow straight down.

Biceps

You use your biceps every day, so strengthening them could make many routine things easier to do. Do bicep curls with dumbbells or a barbell, but make sure the movement comes from your biceps, not body motion or momentum. You can do bicep curls with a resistance band by standing on the middle of the band and curling up toward your chest. Try holding one elbow at a 90-degree angle while you curl four time with the other hand, then switching. It places a greater amount of stress on the muscle, and you'll find you fatigue earlier. To stretch the muscle, shake your arms like wet noodles then reach up, to the sides and back.

Shoulders

Strengthening your shoulders will provide you with support for your arm workouts, and will lend the finishing touch to your tank top look. Flys are one of the best exercises for the shoulders, whether upright, bent over or with straight arms. Use a lighter weight for straight arm flys because there will be more stress on your joints and tendons. The other exercise you should do is the overhead press. Combine these with curls by performing the curl, then lifting the dumbbells straight up over your head. To stretch the shoulders, roll them backward, then forward, then push them forward one at a time.

Body Weight Exercises

Body weight exercises are good to mix into your upper body routine because they increase your functional strength. This means that they mimic movements that you do in everyday life, resulting in a combination of increased strength and muscle memory. Push ups and pull ups strengthen your chest, back and arms. Experiment with grips and hand positions, and try them with a weighted vest once you improve. Tricep dips can be performed on a dip machine or off the edge of a chair, and they work your triceps and shoulders from a unique angle. Body weight exercises force you to lift your entire body weight, so they provide more resistance than typical weight lifting exercises and can stimulate faster progress.

References

Article reviewed by Jenna Marie Last updated on: Feb 10, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments