Flabby Arms

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theawill519
theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've lost a total of 103 pounds since last May and I feel like I've lost the weight evenly in all parts of my body except my arms. They pretty much look exactly like they did when I weighed 299 pounds. I knew excess skin would be an issue, but I feel like a lot of it is still fat. I do tons of cardio, but I also lift a little. I've been doing an arm workout vid with these exercises (below), plus some, 3 days a week for just over 3 months and there are no differences in measurements or look. Any suggestions on what else I could do to get rid of these bat wings???
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Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited January 2016
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    If it's fat, then you just need to keep losing overall bodyfat. If it's loose skin, there's not much you can do except give it time to see if it tightens up (doubtful) or surgery. Keep doing resistance training and eat adequate protein to maintain your muscle while losing though.
  • theawill519
    theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
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    Ughh. That sucks. I'll "just keep swimming" and see what happens. :/
  • FabianRodriguez94
    FabianRodriguez94 Posts: 221 Member
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    A fully developed lifting routine is key to shaping your entire body. Cardio will make you smaller, lifting will change your body.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    Yeah, forget the 30 reps. Stick more to like 10 reps with as much weight as you can use to finish. This will "harden" you better than doing 30 reps with light weights.

    And if there is loose skin (likely due to weight loss amount), it may retract. If not, they it's either acceptance or surgery.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • theawill519
    theawill519 Posts: 242 Member
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    I'm not actually following the 30 rep thing. I do an arm toning video. I just posted that pic to show the type of moves the video incorporates.

    Thanks guys!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    That's pretty much the only place I hold weight. I'm in a normal BMI, but I have the arms of someone much, much larger - genetics. Lifting and being in the lower end of my BMI is the only thing that really helped.
  • firead
    firead Posts: 56 Member
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    What size weights are you using for the exercises?
    One thing I noticed is that I didn't see or feel any difference in my arms when using the "typical" light dumbbells marketed to women, but I did once I started lifting heavier.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    theawill519 wrote: »
    I'm not actually following the 30 rep thing. I do an arm toning video. I just posted that pic to show the type of moves the video incorporates.

    Thanks guys!
    What weight and rep range?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • latineyes2
    latineyes2 Posts: 31 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Swimming is good for cardio. Doing tons of cardio does nothing for building muscle tone. Your skin, depending on how many years it was stretched and your age may never return to full elasticity. But if you feel it's fat and not excess loose skin, then you need resistance training and weight lifting to begin building that muscle. Toning is what you do when you're already there, so your toning video won't help much. The exercises in the picture you posted are great starters. But the goal isn't 30 reps at once. It should be 3 sets if bare bones min 10 reps each using bare bones minimum 10lb weights and you work up in weight lbs from there. Ideally, you should be doing 3 sets of 12-15 reps. If 10lbs is too light, go to 12 or 15 lbs. You should be able to complete all 3 sets of 10-15 reps (be consistent). If 3 sets of 10 reps at 10lbs is super easy, then the next time you work arms try 12 reps before you add more weight, increasing up to 15 reps. The final set should be a struggle by the 8th rep. Once 3 sets of 15 @ 10lbs becomes too easy, that's when you increase the weight and start back at 10-12 reps, etc. Hope you find a solution! Best of success!
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I have this problem too. I've hit my goal weight...am within a normal bmi...and have horrible flab on my arms. I've been lifting heavy for five months, and while the skin is still there, weights have helped a lot in that I've reduced fat and am much firmer underneath. Far from stellar, but better!

    If you're still losing weight I would say just keep the faith....take the advice everybody is giving you above about the weights, and see what you eventually end up with. I think some of us are just destined to have this problem, and all we can do besides surgery is get the fat percentage down and work those muscles. The "lifting heavy" part here is key.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
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    Overall fat percentage and so forth, but body weight exercises can do a whole lot for the look of your arms. Specifically, push-ups and pull-ups. Even the process of working your way up to being able to do one will do wonders for muscle building.

    Don't get sucked into doing thirty reps with tiny little weights. That's a sales tactic, not an exercise.

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