As odd as it may seem, the best way to get rid of fat on your arms is to sweat it off, though not literally, of course. Cardio exercise that uses up calories will eliminate fat. Running, hiking, swimming and playing sports are all examples of cardio, but really anything that gets your heart rate and breathing elevated is considered cardio. You might as well choose cardio activities that involve your arms, though, for the purpose of toning and slimming. While you're at it, do a few arm exercises. Fitness studio owner Ellen Barrett recommends combating arm fat with push-ups in her article "Fight Flabby Arms" on MyLifetime.com, but there are other arm exercises that you can try that don't require you to lift a large percentage of your bodyweight.
Cardio
Step 1
Work out on an elliptical trainer with movable arms, swim laps or do jumping jacks to burn fat and use your arms. Begin at a slow speed and incrementally go faster to prepare for your cardio workout, recommends the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
Step 2
Work up to a moderate or high intensity. A moderate intensity will still allow you to carry on a conversation but likely make you sweat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A high intensity of exercise will prevent you from talking a lot, but shouldn't make you feel as if you are exercising at a dangerous level.
Step 3
Exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at a high intensity or 60 to 90 minutes at a moderate intensity on most days of the week to lose weight, recommends the CDC. The weight will come off your entire body, including your arms.
Step 4
Cool down for five minutes to bring your heart rate down near where it was before your workout.
Biceps Curl to French Press
Step 1
Perform two sets of 12 to 20 reps of the biceps curl to French press exercise to target your forearm, biceps and triceps muscles. Sit down on a chair and put your feet on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Step 2
Straighten your arms toward the floor and hold them at the sides of your chair with your palms facing forward. Bend your arms and lift the weights up as you do so. This is the first part of a biceps curl.
Step 3
Raise your arms straight up to the ceiling. Rotate your palms to face each other and touch your hands together. Bend your elbows and lower the weights behind your head.
Step 4
Straighten your arms to the ceiling again to do a French press. Bend your elbows and turn your palms to face behind you. Drop your elbows down by your sides in the same place they were in at the top of the biceps curl.
Step 5
Straighten your arms toward the floor in the starting position to the sides of your chair.
Tips and Warnings
- Three days a week of arm exercises, such as the biceps curl to French press, are enough to tone your arms. Two days even will probably be fine if you are doing other resistance training exercises, because they too will involve your arms.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
References
- My Lifetime: Fight Flabby Arms
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual"; Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
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