Toning Tips-

Wonderob

My arms LOOK better after heavy lifting despite a calorie deficit. Don't really know (or care) if I built any muscle (newbie gains) or what, but it's probably looks that you're going for anyways.

Yeah that's exactly right - doesnt matter if you're not building muscle so long as the results are right

Looking at your stats (hope you don't mind)

Starting Weight 149
Current weight = 126

Current BF = 20.4% so your lean muscle mass = 100.3 lbs

If your lean muscle mass was the same as when you started then:
Starting weight = 149
Lean muscle mass = 100.3
Body fat = 32% (obese!)

I would have said something more like
Starting weight = 149
Lean muscle mass = 112
Body fat percentage = 25%

Losing about 10lbs of muscle

I don't know what my body fat was when I was 149. I started MFP at 142 and 25.5% which would have put my LBM at 106. There's some variation in the body fat measurement though (I've measured as low as 19% which would put me at 102 instead of 100).

Not to say, though, that I couldn't have build a little muscle in my arms while losing it elsewhere (like my legs, since I was running quite a bit the past year too) and having a net loss of a couple pounds of LBM. I did increase my biceps measurement by about half an inch.

Running won't make you lose muscle from your legs and not elsewhere though???

Anyway the point is that your picture is testimony to the fact that you don't need to put on lots of muscle to have a profound effect on how defined and lean you look. Keep it up

suejonestx

Try skull crushers!

Wonderob

Try skull crushers!

Agh! My worst exercise! Aggravates all my little injuries. Tried a straight bar and an EZ bar, no good at all! - swore I would never do these again.

I'm not saying that they aren't good for triceps though!

qtiekiki

Just need to keep eating in a calorie deficit..and eventually they will shrink.

Also, 100 reps of Arm rows is a bit ridiculous. Drop the reps, drop the weight, and mix up the arm exercises.

I think you mean drop the reps and INCREASE the weight.

^This. You are wasting your time if you are doing 100 reps. Also don't ignore your triceps. It's 2/3 of the muscles in your upper arms. Do skullcrushers, tricep dips, tricep push ups, etc. I would actually suggest doing full body exercises like bench presses, rows, deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses. Can't go wrong with compound lifts that work the whole body.

Kelly_Runs_NC

increase the weight and lift between 8 and 12 reps. Congrats BTW. Don't give up - it will happen.

MadCheernGurl09

Lift Heavy! only 10 to 20 reps of a given lift using the max amount of weight you can.

xXKatrinaXx

Yep I think you definetly need to drop the reps and increase your weight!!!! Tons of reps like that is pointless. Do a few sets of each arm exercise - like 3 sets or so. And do 8 reps, but do the HEAVIEST weights you can do to just complete 8 reps with good form.

erickirb

Lift Heavy! only 10 to 20 reps of a given lift using the max amount of weight you can.

20 reps is not considered heavy, if you can do that much you are lifting light which is for endurance, not strength or muscle retention.

chubb666

Well for starters; "toning" doesn't exist. (its a myth sold to women by the fitness industry circa 1980)
You can build the muscle or decrease the amount of fat stored in a fat cell (can't create a muscle cell or remove a fat cell outside of cosmetic surgery).

I'd suggest hitting the arms once or twice a weeek but as always with everyone who stands round in gyms constantly hoggin the squat rack to do bicep curls, try doing a heavy compound movement first, for stimulating the Biceps try the deadlift (not that much stimulation) the bent over row (not strictly a complex movement).

personally If I was going to do an arm routine I'd do it once a week after hitting 5x5 heavy sets of deadlifts and I'd do
5x8 Ez bar curls (60%)
5x8 hammer curls (60%)
5x12 Reverse Curls
3x12 forearm curl (light warm up weight [sitting on a bench, fore arms resting on knees, palm facing up, curl the weight down to your finger pads then curl back up)
5x8 forearm curls (heavier weight)
5x12 Single arm over head tricep press (warm up)
5x8 double handed tricep press (heavier)
5x8 Cable pull down
5x5 close grip bench press
5x5 military press (really light weight)
Pull ups/dips 5:10 x3
Lat raises 3x10
Shoulder press 3x10

Thats what I'd do; if I trained arms. Not saying you should do it.

If your not eating a decent meal an hour/45 minutes before training I'd suggest getting a bcaa powder and having 5g before training.

ningggsm

Thank you so much for the tips everyone Didn't expect a lot of responses. I love it. Have a beautiful day!

Wonderob

Lift Heavy! only 10 to 20 reps of a given lift using the max amount of weight you can.

20 reps is not considered heavy, if you can do that much you are lifting light which is for endurance, not strength or muscle retention.

I agree - 20 is light
6-10 reps I reckon

erickirb

Well for starters; "toning" doesn't exist. (its a myth sold to women by the fitness industry circa 1980)
You can build the muscle or decrease the amount of fat stored in a fat cell (can't create a muscle cell or remove a fat cell outside of cosmetic surgery).

I'd suggest hitting the arms once or twice a weeek but as always with everyone who stands round in gyms constantly hoggin the squat rack to do bicep curls, try doing a heavy compound movement first, for stimulating the Biceps try the deadlift (not that much stimulation) the bent over row (not strictly a complex movement).

personally If I was going to do an arm routine I'd do it once a week after hitting 5x5 heavy sets of deadlifts and I'd do
5x8 Ez bar curls (60%)
5x8 hammer curls (60%)
5x12 Reverse Curls
3x12 forearm curl (light warm up weight [sitting on a bench, fore arms resting on knees, palm facing up, curl the weight down to your finger pads then curl back up)
5x8 forearm curls (heavier weight)
5x12 Single arm over head tricep press (warm up)
5x8 double handed tricep press (heavier)
5x8 Cable pull down
5x5 close grip bench press
5x5 military press (really light weight)
Pull ups/dips 5:10 x3
Lat raises 3x10
Shoulder press 3x10

Thats what I'd do; if I trained arms. Not saying you should do it.

If your not eating a decent meal an hour/45 minutes before training I'd suggest getting a bcaa powder and having 5g before training.

I would never suggest that much volume, way too much if you were to do this all in one day. Or did you mean those exercises spread out throughout the week? even if that is the case there is no need for this amount of isolation exercises.

chubb666

Its perfectly fine to do that much isolation exercises in one day a week; do it as many times as you want a week. Muscle stimulation varies from individual to individual, as does hypertrophy/sarcroplasma secreations.