I hate my arms

emmaslaton
emmaslaton Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
As much as I consider myself fitness knowledgeable, I still just don't know what to do about my arms.
How much of it is fat compared to genetics? Some people are just blessed with smaller, thinner arms, but no matter how much I work/tone them out, they just seem flabby to me.

Should I focus more on losing weight or toning them?

I'm currently 120 pounds and 5'3. I started at 133 pounds.

Thanks!

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I think generally when people say "toning" they mean losing weight, or more specifically, losing the layer of fat that is covering the muscle they already have but can't see.

    Congrats on your weight loss so far - what is your goal - weight/fat loss, gain strength, build muscle? And what sort of exercise do you do?

    To lose fat, a small calorie deficit does the job while keeping as much lean muscle as possible (as opposed to a big cut in cals). Adding some form of strength/resistance training also helps to maintain that lean muscle while you're dropping the fat.
  • emmaslaton
    emmaslaton Posts: 23 Member
    Thank you!

    My goal is to weigh 110 pounds and have a pretty toned body. I used to visit the gym quite a lot, but now I'm mostly focusing about getting my diet under control.
    I do about an hour of cardio (Stair Master) and then half an hour/40 mins weight training. Whether it's my arms, back, legs, abs etc.
    I split my days up. I think my biggest issue is my diet. Once I get rid of the fat, I'll see my results. I guess it's just frustrating because I wouldn't deem myself as overweight, so I don't know why my arms just...Suck. Hah.
  • fit_rox
    fit_rox Posts: 83
    It took me a while to see any noticeable results with my arms. And even so, any small fluctuations in weight seem to impact how "big" or "small" they appear. I would work on your diet first. It's easy to be critical about certain body parts but after time the results will show no matter how long that takes if you be patient.

    Genetics plays a huge factor in where your body tends to store weight- whether it be in your lower body, abdominals, or upper body. So if it is harder for you in a certain area don't beat yourself up about it!

    As far as arm exercises go, focus on working out the larger muscle groups (ie: back exercises and chest exercises) instead of smaller muscle groups like biceps or triceps in particular.
  • emmaslaton
    emmaslaton Posts: 23 Member
    Thank you so much! That is very, very helpful! I really appreciate it :)

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