any ideas how i can make my arms look better?
rawk_fairy_666
Posts: 103 Member
I have lost 17lbs so far, another 20 or so to go. My arms are looking much slimmer but don't look particularly nice.
I already go swimming twice a week, walk every day pretty much, but other than that I'm a complete novice when it comes to exercise and this sort of thing. What should I be doing to improve the look of my arms?
any advice would be greatly appreciated! Anything you have found to work at all? Thanks so much.
I already go swimming twice a week, walk every day pretty much, but other than that I'm a complete novice when it comes to exercise and this sort of thing. What should I be doing to improve the look of my arms?
any advice would be greatly appreciated! Anything you have found to work at all? Thanks so much.
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Replies
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Progressive weight lifting
http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
Strong Curves
New Rules of Lifting for women
Take your pick but lift heavy things and put them down again, and then lift heavier things .. include push-ups, pull-ups .. weight bearing exercise
this is alongside continuing to eat at a defecit to reduce body fat0 -
I don't know a lot about recomp, but looks like you may benefit from lifting some weights. I started with circuit training with Jillian Michaels (30 Day Shred) DVDs... you can start with light weights and build up, as well as get your cardio in. So many folks have gotten great results working out with the program (so did I) that it is worth a try. Only 20 minutes a day!0
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You need to be lifting weights to improve your arms and create definition, swimming will help but the weights will make more difference and get you teh arms you want.
You just need some dumbbells and then do various forms of bicep curls, tricep extensions and press/pull downs. Don't just focus on the arms though as to make them really look good you need to work on your shoulders (Deltoids) as well. For those there are lateral and frontal raises, shoulder press, bent over rear delt raise, upright row and the Arnold press. You say you are a complete novice at this sort of thing so either seek help at your local gym or Google can be your friend where you will find videos on how to do all those exercises0 -
Coffeeholic8 wrote: »You need to be lifting weights to improve your arms and create definition, swimming will help but the weights will make more difference and get you teh arms you want.
You just need some dumbbells and then do various forms of bicep curls, tricep extensions and press/pull downs. Don't just focus on the arms though as to make them really look good you need to work on your shoulders (Deltoids) as well. For those there are lateral and frontal raises, shoulder press, bent over rear delt raise, upright row and the Arnold press. You say you are a complete novice at this sort of thing so either seek help at your local gym or Google can be your friend where you will find videos on how to do all those exercises
This..
The reason you work all those different muscles is to have a better overall shape. The very motion of arm movement incorporates various different muscles so you must work them all to have the definition. Don't just focus on bicep curls. An example would be that a lot of people think to achieve great abs you need to do sits ups until you cant move, I believe the best movement for abs is the deadlift as it forces your core to tighten to control the movement much more than the humble sit-up.0 -
IMHO a decent compound lifting programme will achieve most of that for you and is far simpler for a newby to grasp .. you can focus on isolation exercises once you have that sorted0
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Sorry, had to take my little girl to her hospital appointment.
Thank you so much for the advice. Is there any chance I would be able to do this at home with a simple set of weights? My oh has some. I am just very limited on chances to get out to the fitness centre as I have a toddler to look after. I wouldn't want to give up my swimming time as it's something I love doing, so it would be great if I could do it at home when little one is napping/in bed.
I need to do some serious research and learning I think because a lot of what you have told me isn't making much sense to me at the minute.
Rabbit thank you for the links I will have a read now.0 -
For your triceps you can do dips off the sofa or dining room chair. So place your palms on the edge of the chair so that your fingers are over the edge, have your legs stretched out in front of you with toes pointing up and lower your body down slowly so that your bum is just off the floor, then push back up. If you find this difficult the place your feet flat on the floor with a 45 degree bend in your legs.
Biceps... Stand up and curl any weight you can manage, or sit down with your back upright, this will eliminate any potential swing.
Shoulders again standing or sitting and press the weight above your head. Aim for 3-5 sets of about 8-12 repitions with 30 seconds rest between each set, and just see how you go.
Good luck0 -
For your triceps you can do dips off the sofa or dining room chair. So place your palms on the edge of the chair so that your fingers are over the edge, have your legs stretched out in front of you with toes pointing up and lower your body down slowly so that your bum is just off the floor, then push back up. If you find this difficult the place your feet flat on the floor with a 45 degree bend in your legs.
Biceps... Stand up and curl any weight you can manage, or sit down with your back upright, this will eliminate any potential swing.
Shoulders again standing or sitting and press the weight above your head. Aim for 3-5 sets of about 8-12 repitions with 30 seconds rest between each set, and just see how you go.
Good luck
Thank you very much for this clear and idiot proof advice. It's very helpful thank you.0 -
You have a small child .. perfect for weight resistance
Lift her over your head, put him down again, squatting as you do it
Lay on the floor and do flyovers
Swing her round your body
Push her on the swings, play tug-o-war
Carry her on your shoulders
:bigsmile:
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Look what I found (I didn't watch it but the first list of exercises sounded great)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p28IhcUG740&safe=active
genius :bigsmile:0 -
Lift, lift, lift.0
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Rabbit. That is pure and utter genius. The video is fantastic!!0
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Yoga... Great shoulders really help0
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Been lifting the whole time and I probably have quite a bit more muscles than OP (I actually like my arms!) but my skin looks the same (which seems to be the OP's problem too). As far as I know, lifting doesn't help with stretch marks...0
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Years ago I used a book called "Look great sleeveless". It has lots and lots of weight lifting tips and routines, especially for arms. You can certainly do them at home with weights, don't need a gym. Here's a link to the book on Amazon.
http://amazon.com/Look-Great-Sleeveless-Beautiful-Shoulders/dp/B000J3EGL20 -
Progressive weight lifting
http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
Strong Curves
New Rules of Lifting for women
Take your pick but lift heavy things and put them down again, and then lift heavier things .. include push-ups, pull-ups .. weight bearing exercise
this is alongside continuing to eat at a defecit to reduce body fat
cosigned0 -
I also highly suggest a kettlebell for at-home strength training. Obviously can't get as heavy as you could with a bar at the gym, but I have seen major differences in muscle definition from doing kettlebell workouts.0
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Body paint?0
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Right I think the plan will be, start the lifting at home using the toddler as well as trying the exercises pelamblue suggested and then move on to barbells/dumbells as I already have them. Then once I have more free time I can go to the gym and try and do it properly with a proper routine.mikeshockley wrote: »Body paint?
I'm not sure if you are trying to be funny or if you are trying to be nasty. Either way, not a very helpful post.
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Lifting doesn't help with stretch marks, but it does help with loose skin. Apply cocoa butter to stretch marks to help reduce their appearance as you loose weight and build muscle. I've actually found strength training (Starting Strength and the New Rules) to be really helpful in maintaining overall skin tension. I don't have nearly as much loose skin despite losing quite a bit of fat (down 4% bf). My bingo wings are still present, but don't have the "sag" they used to.
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emelinerenz wrote: »Lifting doesn't help with stretch marks, but it does help with loose skin. Apply cocoa butter to stretch marks to help reduce their appearance as you loose weight and build muscle. I've actually found strength training (Starting Strength and the New Rules) to be really helpful in maintaining overall skin tension. I don't have nearly as much loose skin despite losing quite a bit of fat (down 4% bf). My bingo wings are still present, but don't have the "sag" they used to.
Thank you, I'm not too fussed about the stretch marks. They have faded to silvery lines and can't be seen unless you are up close. I moisturize everyday. I just wanted to generally improve the look of my arms in other ways as I have come to terms with the fact that the stretch marks aren't going to get much better really. Improving overall skin tension sounds good.0 -
Years ago I used a book called "Look great sleeveless". It has lots and lots of weight lifting tips and routines, especially for arms. You can certainly do them at home with weights, don't need a gym. Here's a link to the book on Amazon.
http://amazon.com/Look-Great-Sleeveless-Beautiful-Shoulders/dp/B000J3EGL2
Sorry I missed this post, thank you I will have a look!0 -
rawk_fairy_666 wrote: »I have lost 17lbs so far, another 20 or so to go. My arms are looking much slimmer but don't look particularly nice.
What should I be doing to improve the look of my arms?
If you have recently lost what looks like approximately half of your goal weight loss, then you can expect a little saggy 'arm flags' at the outset. The elasticity will to a large extent, return gradually depending upon how long you have been overweight and how much. But, from your post, it seems your big question is about the 'orange peel' skin and the stretch marks.
As far as the stretch marks, there is nothing you can do for it. Stretch marks are actually torn tissue so the stretch marks are actually scars. The appearance will diminish somewhat and there are several products on the market designed to help diminish scar tissue.
As for the pebbly skin? It is caused by uneven distribution of fatty tissue, sort of like if you were to scatter a handful of marbles on the floor and cover them with a sheet. You get that bumpy surface appearance. Weight lifting, to some extent, can help this condition but it needs to be targeted to the specific areas you are trying to improve. In this case, the upper arm (one of the prime areas to be victimized by this 'malady' during weight loss.) Not all weight lifting is equal. In the biceps area, which you show in your photos, biceps curls are generally the best attack. And, surprisingly, this is something you can do all day long, even without weights, as an isometric exercise. At work, sitting at a desk or whatever, lay your forearms, hands palm up, in front of you as though you were holding dumb bells in your hands. Tighten the muscles in your arms as much as you can and flex your arms, slowly lifting them as though lifting weights to your shoulder. Five minutes here and there throughout the day can do wonders for your arms and you may be surprised to find a little soreness in your arms if you are not accustomed to doing any lifting.
Bottom line: Just as with losing the weight, it takes time. Little by little you can make the change. It won't happen overnight.
Also, pelamblue's recommendation for triceps exercises is absolutely excellent! A great workout. Go with that!0 -
rawk_fairy_666 wrote: »For your triceps you can do dips off the sofa or dining room chair. So place your palms on the edge of the chair so that your fingers are over the edge, have your legs stretched out in front of you with toes pointing up and lower your body down slowly so that your bum is just off the floor, then push back up. If you find this difficult the place your feet flat on the floor with a 45 degree bend in your legs.
Biceps... Stand up and curl any weight you can manage, or sit down with your back upright, this will eliminate any potential swing.
Shoulders again standing or sitting and press the weight above your head. Aim for 3-5 sets of about 8-12 repitions with 30 seconds rest between each set, and just see how you go.
Good luck
Thank you very much for this clear and idiot proof advice. It's very helpful thank you.
Your welcome, any help you need don't hesitate to ask0 -
emelinerenz wrote: »Lifting doesn't help with stretch marks, but it does help with loose skin. Apply cocoa butter to stretch marks to help reduce their appearance as you loose weight and build muscle. I've actually found strength training (Starting Strength and the New Rules) to be really helpful in maintaining overall skin tension. I don't have nearly as much loose skin despite losing quite a bit of fat (down 4% bf). My bingo wings are still present, but don't have the "sag" they used to.
Well, you're lucky. Sure, my bat wings are smaller than they used to be, but they're still there and not going anywhere I'm afraid.
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Check out www.fitnessblender.com too-- they have a ton of free workout videos, lots of dumbbell strength training and body weight workouts.0
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