Weight loss and big arms

teamAmelia

What's your opinion on spot-training? Can lifting weights help you lose weight in your arms? Thanks.

Kandieh123

I think it definitely does my arms slimmed down significantly even from just body weight exercises like push-ups .

scolaris

Sorry to say I've learned there's just no 'spot' reducing... It was an old myth that has been completely debunked. The pattern in which people utilize their fat stores remains mysterious and highly idiosyncratic. You can improve the look & bulk of muscles by working those muscle groups so that when the fat recedes there is some visible definition. (My understanding is that you won't gain a ton of new muscle while you are in calorie deficit for weight loss, though, because serious muscle creation requires a slight caloric surplus so the two processes are mutually exclusive. Hence the cycles of 'feeding' and 'cutting' that weight lifters talk about.) I am sorry to say that I have heavy-ish upper arms. Even when I'm in size 6 pants you'll find me still struggling with the arms! But I'm told if I keep cutting into my body fat percentage the arms will eventually submit. Also, have you ever noticed dancers have uniformly slim, well defined arms? They do A LOT of repetitive movement above the shoulder midline. So that can be a great body weight tool in creating strong & defined arms. But you'll still have to lose fat all over to unearth these treasures! Good luck!

teamAmelia

Thanks for your responses. That was helpful.

DopeItUp

Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

AnvilHead

There's no such thing as spot reduction. When you exercise, you're exercising the muscles, not the fat. Fat is inactive and can't be exercised. By maintaining a caloric deficit, the fat will come off your body from everywhere, not any one particular spot, regardless of what exercises you've been doing. And genetics have a lot to do with how and where your fat comes off first and last.

riffraff2112

God how I wish it worked that way. I have very large thighs and buns and do hours of cardio work on my legs. Still that is where my body wants to store fat. My upper body, arms, face and stomach have slimmed down but I still have the legs of a rhino. I have never actually measured them, and I am certain they have reduced but not nearly as fast as I would like.
The battle continues and I hope the years that come I start to see some progress.

scolaris

Keep at it riffraff! I have a neighbor who was a classic pear. She is a serious triathlete who has recompositioned -- over the course of years, not months -- and that paired with very low body fat overall has brought her to a beautifully balanced hourglass shape. It's inside all of us if we can stay the course...

jemhh

You cannot spot reduce fat. Fat reduction is a matter of eating in a caloric deficit, which means eating fewer calories than you burn. To do that, you can either eat less, move more, or do a combination of the two.

You can spot strengthen muscle and, given the proper nutritional support, can spot build muscles by working on them through a progressive resistance program. Progressive resistance programs include bodyweight programs and lifting weights. Exercising a specific muscle strengthens it and may help it to grow. It does not burn the fat on and around that specific muscle.

Traveler120

I had fat arms and they've shrunk nearly 3 inches after losing about 28 lbs. I only did cardio and now that I've lost most of the fat (cw 125 lbs), I've started adding bodyweight exercises and dumbbells. Together with continuing cardio, another 5-10 lbs should drop another inch of fat and make my arms look toned.

tulips_and_tea

scolaris wrote: »

Keep at it riffraff! I have a neighbor who was a classic pear. She is a serious triathlete who has recompositioned -- over the course of years, not months -- and that paired with very low body fat overall has brought her to a beautifully balanced hourglass shape. It's inside all of us if we can stay the course...

This is true! I was a pear shape (as are most of the females in my family) and was getting discouraged. So, I stepped up my lifting and adjusted my calorie intake and although I'm no triathlete and have no idea what my body fat is, I can say that I'm no longer a pear shape. I've been able to balance out. It takes consistency and time, but just keep at it!

YouHadMyCuriosity

Everything the PPS said. You can't spot reduce. However, since I have been strength training, while my arms have not gotten significantly smaller (I've also been losing weight), they have changed tremendously in shape. Building up my shoulders and getting some muscle in my biceps and triceps has served as the best aesthetic change. They look better (in my opinion) than when I was much lighter and had much thinner arms.