Arms

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ChangeIsGood29
ChangeIsGood29 Posts: 103 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Other than continuing to lose fat, what will help make my upper arms look more like arms and less like uncooked biscuit dough. Are there good exercises that will tone that or will the extra skin there just always be a problem. Help! Thank you!

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  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    You can work the biceps and the triceps to give definition to what's under the skin. It will spring back some over time, but it may never fully recover depending on how much extra there is.

    For the biceps a simple curl is a great place to start. My absolute favorite is tricep dips. You can modify them for any fitness level.

    There are several YouTube videos that can help, especially if you're a beginner.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    You can build the muscles underneath if you follow a well structured routine, so when you continue to lose fat, it will become more appealing and defined.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,168 Member
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    If you still have weight to lose, doing so will let your muscles show more. "Toned" is a combination of well-developed muscles and a low enough body fat to uncover them.

    Also, be sure you don't over-diagnose the problem: Evaluate your upper arms in a completely flexed position, like a body builder, bent upward with tight fists, moving and tightening until the upper arm is as tight as you can get it. Only when your triceps (back of upper arm) muscles are fully tightened can you see what you've got going on up there.

    Way too often, people (especially women, IME) are looking at a relaxed upper arm, waving it around, seeing movement, and calling the part that moves fat or loose skin. Often, much of what's moving is neither fat nor loose skin, but rather relaxed triceps muscles. Relaxed triceps are somewhat mobile and soft, perhaps even a bit floppy, even in very strong, fit women.

    Another thing to try is to take one hand, and grab the "floppy" part of the opposite arm, trying to get a good grip on the loose part, right up as close to the bone as you think it's fat or skin. Then tighten the upper arm as described above. Anything you feel firming up in your hand is muscle, not fat or skin. (Sure, there can be some fat or loose skin there, too.)

    Almost any woman I've ever asked to try this (usually after she complained about her "bat wings" or some such negative term ;) ) has turned out to be misidentifying nice relaxed triceps muscles as fat or loose skin, and criticizing her appearance because of them. Please make sure you're not doing that!

    (Psulemon already gave you the good advice about how to continue making appearance improvements. :) ).

    Best wishes!

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