Flabby Upper Arm Exercises

Flabby upper arms can be embarrassing and frustratingly difficult to get rid of. Focusing on strength training for the back of the upper arms (triceps), where most of the flab gathers is the first point of attack. To complement that work you will want to add some front upper arms (biceps) and shoulder work to get rid of the flab.

Tricep Exercises

The triceps are the muscles on the back of the upper arm, where most flab gathers. For this reason, you want to spend time focusing on these muscles. Perform your arm exercises twice a week and do three sets of each exercise with brief rests between in set.
The first exercise is the tricep dip. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet on the ground and place your hands on the edge next to your hips. Your fingers should face forward and wrap over the edge. Slide off the bench so your arms support your weight. Bend your elbows, lowering your weight down as far as you can comfortably go, then straighten your arms, lifting your weight back up. This is one repetition; perform as many repetitions as you can in each set.
For the tricep extension, you will need a set of hand weights. To choose the proper weights, you should be able to perform the recommended number of repetitions but it should get challenging by the last two to three repetitions. Hold the weights in your hands, standing tall. Bring your arms over your head so the weights are straight up in the air. Bend your elbows, lowering the weights behind your head, and then straighten your arms to bring the weights back up. This is one repetition; perform 12 to 15 repetitions per set. If 15 repetitions is easy, you should increase the amount of weight you use for the exercise.
The third exercise, tricep kickbacks, also uses weights. With a weight in each hand, stand and bend at the hips to lean your upper body forward. With your elbows bent, pull your upper arms to your ribcage so your elbows are just above your back. Straighten your arms, moving the weights back by your hips, then bend the elbows back to your starting position. This is one repetition; aim for 12 to 15 repetitions per set.

Bicep Exercises

The biceps are the muscles in the front of the arms. Although flab is not as apparent on this part of the arm, it is important to train these muscles as well for an overall balanced appearance of the upper arm. For the first bicep curl exercise you will need hand weights; often the weights will be heavier than those you were able to use for the tricep exercises. Stand tall, and holding the weights in each hand, start with your arms by your side. Bending at the elbows, bring the weights up until they are close to your shoulders and then lower the weights back down by straightening the arms. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions of this exercise in each set.
For the second bicep curl exercise you will need a cable machine with a curl bar attachment. Stand tall in front of the machine and hold the bar slightly out in front of you using an underhand grip. Keep your knees slightly bend and engage your abdominals for support. Bending your elbows, bring the bar up toward your shoulders as far as you can, and then release the bar back to the start position. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions in each set.

Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder exercises will help with flabby upper arms in an indirect way because the tricep and bicep muscles attach to the shoulder area. Including two shoulder exercises in your upper arm routine will help round out the attack on upper arm flab.
For the lateral raise exercise you will use hand weights. Stand tall and start with your arms at your side. Lift both arms straight out to the side, stopping when they reach shoulder level, and then lower them back down. You will probably need lighter weights for this exercise; select weights you can perform 12 to 15 repetitions with for each set.
The second shoulder exercise is a front raise, and is a slight variation from the previous exercise. Stand tall and start with your arms in front of your body, the weights lightly resting on your front thighs. Lift your arms out straight in front of you until they reach shoulder level, and then lower back down to the thighs. Again, perform 12 to 15 repetitions for each set.