New to the group: I need tips for lean arms and good abs

emiff

Hi,

I am a new mom and have discovered that being pregnant has left some extra tummy flab! I would love to have a great abs! I also have always wanted lean, strong arms (not big and muscley).

If I could get some advice on what people eat (or don't eat), workouts, or any other advice and motivation I would love it!

Thanks!

cara4fit

You do have to work out, and lose body fat by way of diet, which accounts for 80% of how one looks, lean or not.
However, one can't always choose where one loses fat first, as it's lost from all over the body, and the places that have the most will be the last to visually improve. It's going to take a caloric deficit, very clean eating, and working hard to get those lean, well-defined arms and a flat, lean mid-section. For some people, that last is particularly challenging to achieve if they naturally store their fat there, unlike more true pear-shapes who store more on hips, butt, and thighs and often have flat tummies without doing very much diet or workout-wise.
Get onto a well-balanced workout program, and cardio too - the workouts will build muscle, and the diet and cardio will lessen body fat to make that muscle more visible. Don't worry at ALL about becoming "bulky" - most women don't, and often have no idea how much work it is to achieve some size anyway. The average woman who works out and keeps a clean diet will look sleek and firm, with some degree of muscle definition, according to her genetics, and also just how tight she keeps her diet. Since muscle is more dense by nature, a pound of muscle takes up a good bit less room than a pound of fat, so in the process of shifting to more muscle than fat, one might not lose a huge amount of weight(unless one really does have a lot to lose and of course this is where diet comes in too) but one will be a lot tighter and have dropped some inches along the way.
Best of luck!

Krista_1

I love push ups and sit ups because you can do them anywhere, any time. This is very efficient exercise time, as you can spend just 10 minutes a day on it. I really notice a difference in my tone when I am consistently doing them.

grecogab90

I do crunches everyday on a medicine ball