arm flab - more reps? or heavier weights?

veracruz
veracruz Posts: 104 Member
edited September 30 in Fitness and Exercise
One of my biggest problem areas is my arms - tricep area. I've been researching specific exercises for the arm area and I know that using weights is important, however, I don't know if the # of reps is more important or if I should be focusing on using heavier weights? I'd love some advice. Thanks!!

Replies

  • bmw4deb
    bmw4deb Posts: 1,324 Member
    I have no idea ,, however this is a big problem of mine as well
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
    Same issue........... I was using machines at the gym but developed a hernia.

    Now do free weights:

    Bicep curl - 3 reps of 15
    Tricep ext - same

    I do 10 or 12.5 lb weights.

    I don't feel any soreness so same questions - up weights or reps?
  • kettlenic
    kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
    Bump - hoping this gets answered :)
  • tammykoon
    tammykoon Posts: 298 Member
    Flap, flap... I mean bump, bump.

    Need to know this one too.
  • Shan605
    Shan605 Posts: 41
    Ive been told that the last few reps should be hard to complete, if you are able to do your 10, 12, or 15 reps without breaking a sweat then move up on the amount of weight you are using.
  • StanMcCullars
    StanMcCullars Posts: 14
    Arm flab, or any flab for that matter, requires weight loss more than weight lifting. Spot training/reduction (working a specific part of the body such as arm flab or abs to get rid of fat in that area) is a myth. I would encourage you to keep working at reaching your goal weight which. That should take care of most of the flab. I wish there was an easy and quick way to do it but there isn't.

    Of course you should continue resistance training to strengthen your muscles which will increase your metabolism and help you lose weight even faster.

    As to more reps or heavier weights, lift an amount that you can do comfortably up to 15 repetitions. Once you're able to do that you can safely increase the weight lifted. Remember: No pain, No pain!
  • bmw4deb
    bmw4deb Posts: 1,324 Member
    I think everyone knows you cannot spot reduce, however you can target areas
    to tone while losing weight, that is the question here
  • bentobee
    bentobee Posts: 321 Member
    bumping to add to my topics... I'm struggling with this too.

    I'm doing lots of reps with 10 pound weights. Like 50 reps a day, for months, and I am not seeing the improvement I want!
  • kandrews24
    kandrews24 Posts: 610 Member
    No personal experience (yet), but I'm trying to get ahead of the issue. There seems to be some info out there that makes sense: more weight loss (remove all possible fat), more weights (increase muscle mass), good lotion like stuff (e.g., post pregnancy products to increase elasticity and reduce stretch marks, also can help excess skin) - 2-3 x daily - especially before bed; more water, massage, exfoliating, losing weight slowly, cardio exercise, stretching, weight lifting (i.e., well rounded exercise programs). Some folks swear by certain products, other swear by something called "shake weight" specifically for arms. Again, I have no experience, but am sharing what I've read (all personal testimonials, not product hype).

    I have also read that it can take up to two years for your body to adjust after lots of weight loss. I know the two year rule applies to post pregnancy as well.

    I thought this was a good article and some of the comments were insightful.

    http://allwomenstalk.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss/
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
    Ive been told that the last few reps should be hard to complete, if you are able to do your 10, 12, or 15 reps without breaking a sweat then move up on the amount of weight you are using.

    I agree. I try to do 3 sets of 20 and the last 2 or 3 are very hard. If they are not I increase the weight and make sure I can do at least 12-15. My arms have tighted up a lot!!!
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
    bumping to add to my topics... I'm struggling with this too.

    I'm doing lots of reps with 10 pound weights. Like 50 reps a day, for months, and I am not seeing the improvement I want!

    I would increase the weight. If you are doing that many reps your muscles are used to it. Try 12 lbs.
  • neela31
    neela31 Posts: 180 Member
    All the reading I've been doing says to use heavy weights.
  • nob86
    nob86 Posts: 8 Member
    I second what Stan says about focussing on reducing fat levels generally. Fat around the tricep is a stubborn area and may be one of the last bits to go for most people - the only real way to beat it is to do your best to not think about it, and focus on the bigger picture.

    Don't waste your time doing tricep exercises in isolation. Instead do multijoint exercises such as chest presses, shoulder presses as these burn more calories and have a more favourable hormonal response. Reps are pretty irrelevant - the notion that high reps tone is false!
  • letsdothis2010
    letsdothis2010 Posts: 190 Member
    My thoughts have always been to train the way that women are instructed to train...."less weight, more reps"

    That being said...I feel like that is advice for a time after most of my flab comes off haha. I feel and "see" more results when I train with heavier weights and do maybe 12 reps & 2-3 sets.
  • Pisc2749
    Pisc2749 Posts: 61 Member
    Heavy weights!!! As heavy as you can comfortably use while maintaining correct form. Other posters are right, you should barely be able to do the last 2-3 reps. If you can do more than 12-15 at a time, your weight is not heavy enough.

    I still have about 15 lbs. to lose, but my arms are more toned than any other part of my body. And by toned I mean they are noticeably smaller and the muscle shapes are visible. I just turned 40 (female) and have no arm flab at all.

    If I'm using a machine, I will use 70-80 lbs. for lat pulldowns, and 60-70 lbs. for chest press.
    I use 15-20 lbs. free weights (dumbells) for bicep curls, and overhead shoulder presses. The lat pull downs are what toned my triceps the most.

    And for comparison sake, I have been working out with the same person for over a year now, she never uses more than 7.5 lbs. dumbells and never goes above 30 lbs. on the machines. Her arms have not changed in a year, no visible muscle tone and still has arm flab.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    --EDIT--
    You know what, what I had to say has been said. Look at poster above me, for example. :)
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    neither...lose fat
  • afwg1979
    afwg1979 Posts: 170 Member
    I've researched this subject for years . . . bottom line to get rid of the wings = Brachioplasty (Arm Lift).

    Google "brachioplasty" to see before and after photos.

    I've decided to start a savings account for this procedure as a reward once I reach my goal, which MFP predicts will take approximately 18-to-24 months. ( Cost: $5000 - $10,000 :sad:)

    At my age, the reality is that I'm going to be sporting some serious "flaps" come 2013 - Hopefully the price will come down.
  • nob86
    nob86 Posts: 8 Member
    I think it's important to distinguish between excess fat on the arms that can be reduced or even irradicated through reducing overall bodyfat, and excess skin that is left behind after the fat is gone.

    Surgery should not be considered until you have reached a healthy weight. As i said in my earlier post, arm flab can be one of the last areas to go.
  • lucythinmint
    lucythinmint Posts: 239
    I started out with 2.5lbs then I moved up to 5lbs. and then up to 7.5lbs. In about 2 more weeks I will be moving up to 10lb weights. I am not sure if I will go past 10lb weights or not.
    I know that spot reducing is a myth but it does not hurt to work that area. I have the flab on my under arms and my hips and I have increased the exercises in that area to increase the muscle underneath it.

    I ALSO run 5 miles every morning, but I have noticed changes in my arms. The muscle is larger and and because I am doing some hefty cardio the fat is being burned away and I now have muscles that look pretty nice. I am not trying to be muscular just toned.

    This worked for me, just upping the pounds and continuing the # of reps until doing them becomes easy then I up the pounds again. The cardio is a huge part of it but having the muscle built up under neath doesn't hurt either. :bigsmile:
  • Holmfridur_Gestsdottir
    Holmfridur_Gestsdottir Posts: 83 Member
    OK there are 3 ways to lose the flab. Cardio, strength training and diet. First and foremost you need to lose weight through diet (most important) cardio and resistance training). If you have excess pounds, they are going to be visible on the arms, just as they will be in other areas. So if you lose the weight, the flab will be less. Be aware that fat tends to accumulate on some areas more than others. For example I tend to accumulate tummy fat and that is also the last place the fat leaves. So maybe you will have to be patient - but it is going to be SO worth it if you are persistent with good clean diet.

    Strength training is also going to help. It is NOT going to burn the fat away, but if you train wisely, you will develop nicely shaped arms you will love looking at when the flab has gone. Now I see that many women worry about becoming like the Hulk if they are going to be lifting more than teeny weights. But that is NOT the case! You need to be a man or eat steroids to become like a man via strength training. It is not going to happen overnight, trust me.

    You need to lift weights that are DIFFICULT. No pain no gain applies 100% to strength training. I reccommend changing up your routine. Try a new program at least every month. Change up the number of sets and reps - it is a good idea to do 2-4 sets and 6-15 reps. More than that is not going to help you to increase muscle mass (which in turns help to burn that flab away even when you are on that couch watching Dr McDreamy). It might go without saying but if you are going to do 15 reps with 10 pound db, you are going to have to pick up a heavier one if you are planning on 6-8 reps. You need to feel the pain for the last reps, and if you can maintain a normal face and breath normally throughout the whole set, you are cheating yourself out of results. But you should of course always maintain proper form. You need to rest 30 secs to 2 minutes for each exercise. For arm exercise, don't rest between sets more than a minute. For multijoint / compound exercises (which are going to bring much faster and more results) like squats, lunges, pullups etc) you might want to increase the resting period.

    Good luck with the flab fight!
  • bmw4deb
    bmw4deb Posts: 1,324 Member
    OK there are 3 ways to lose the flab. Cardio, strength training and diet. First and foremost you need to lose weight through diet (most important) cardio and resistance training). If you have excess pounds, they are going to be visible on the arms, just as they will be in other areas. So if you lose the weight, the flab will be less. Be aware that fat tends to accumulate on some areas more than others. For example I tend to accumulate tummy fat and that is also the last place the fat leaves. So maybe you will have to be patient - but it is going to be SO worth it if you are persistent with good clean diet.

    Strength training is also going to help. It is NOT going to burn the fat away, but if you train wisely, you will develop nicely shaped arms you will love looking at when the flab has gone. Now I see that many women worry about becoming like the Hulk if they are going to be lifting more than teeny weights. But that is NOT the case! You need to be a man or eat steroids to become like a man via strength training. It is not going to happen overnight, trust me.

    You need to lift weights that are DIFFICULT. No pain no gain applies 100% to strength training. I reccommend changing up your routine. Try a new program at least every month. Change up the number of sets and reps - it is a good idea to do 2-4 sets and 6-15 reps. More than that is not going to help you to increase muscle mass (which in turns help to burn that flab away even when you are on that couch watching Dr McDreamy). It might go without saying but if you are going to do 15 reps with 10 pound db, you are going to have to pick up a heavier one if you are planning on 6-8 reps. You need to feel the pain for the last reps, and if you can maintain a normal face and breath normally throughout the whole set, you are cheating yourself out of results. But you should of course always maintain proper form. You need to rest 30 secs to 2 minutes for each exercise. For arm exercise, don't rest between sets more than a minute. For multijoint / compound exercises (which are going to bring much faster and more results) like squats, lunges, pullups etc) you might want to increase the resting period.

    Good luck with the flab fight!


    THANK YOU WONDEFUL REPLY :drinker:
  • veracruz
    veracruz Posts: 104 Member
    Thanks everyone for the feedback - great advice!! I'm going to buy some 10 lb weights tonight and just be persistent!
  • clairegreen1974
    clairegreen1974 Posts: 121 Member
    Bingo Wings... my arch nemesis!!!
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    Arm flab, or any flab for that matter, requires weight loss more than weight lifting. Spot training/reduction (working a specific part of the body such as arm flab or abs to get rid of fat in that area) is a myth. I would encourage you to keep working at reaching your goal weight which. That should take care of most of the flab. I wish there was an easy and quick way to do it but there isn't.

    Of course you should continue resistance training to strengthen your muscles which will increase your metabolism and help you lose weight even faster.

    As to more reps or heavier weights, lift an amount that you can do comfortably up to 15 repetitions. Once you're able to do that you can safely increase the weight lifted. Remember: No pain, No pain!

    Ahhhh.....Stan! I think you are approaching this "ladies question" as a man. Lucky you, probably no arm flab! = D I have the same problem of flab. I have lost 60 pounds so far with 12 left to go. I am 146 pounds, but 54 years old. My skin has lost it's ability to "snap back". So my arm flab is like your grandmothers. Arm with some muscles and then loose bag of skin hanging below it when I raise my arm up. My uneducated thinking is the muscle needs to be built up to fill up the "empty bag of skin". The bigger the muscle, the less hanging skin. And good luck on building the muscle. It takes a long time for me, and not that I would want to completely bulk up my arms by doing weights to fill the skin out completely, either. So I am working on raising my weights as I can.

    My belief is the sag is earned by years of neglecting my body. The younger the person is, the better luck they may have in reducing this type of weight loss induced flab. Good luck to you all ladies. It isn't a race, let's see what we can do. It will be a lifetime project in my case!
  • nb9251
    nb9251 Posts: 151 Member
    OK there are 3 ways to lose the flab. Cardio, strength training and diet. First and foremost you need to lose weight through diet (most important) cardio and resistance training). If you have excess pounds, they are going to be visible on the arms, just as they will be in other areas. So if you lose the weight, the flab will be less. Be aware that fat tends to accumulate on some areas more than others. For example I tend to accumulate tummy fat and that is also the last place the fat leaves. So maybe you will have to be patient - but it is going to be SO worth it if you are persistent with good clean diet.

    Strength training is also going to help. It is NOT going to burn the fat away, but if you train wisely, you will develop nicely shaped arms you will love looking at when the flab has gone. Now I see that many women worry about becoming like the Hulk if they are going to be lifting more than teeny weights. But that is NOT the case! You need to be a man or eat steroids to become like a man via strength training. It is not going to happen overnight, trust me.

    You need to lift weights that are DIFFICULT. No pain no gain applies 100% to strength training. I reccommend changing up your routine. Try a new program at least every month. Change up the number of sets and reps - it is a good idea to do 2-4 sets and 6-15 reps. More than that is not going to help you to increase muscle mass (which in turns help to burn that flab away even when you are on that couch watching Dr McDreamy). It might go without saying but if you are going to do 15 reps with 10 pound db, you are going to have to pick up a heavier one if you are planning on 6-8 reps. You need to feel the pain for the last reps, and if you can maintain a normal face and breath normally throughout the whole set, you are cheating yourself out of results. But you should of course always maintain proper form. You need to rest 30 secs to 2 minutes for each exercise. For arm exercise, don't rest between sets more than a minute. For multijoint / compound exercises (which are going to bring much faster and more results) like squats, lunges, pullups etc) you might want to increase the resting period.

    Good luck with the flab fight!


    I Agree. I did Chalean Extreme for a bit and she was very adament that you needed to lift heavy weights. her famous saying "Go heavy or go home!" The most reps we did was 10-12. ANd you should be pretty much done for by then. And another hint is to go slow. If you go faster then momentum may be helping you do the owrk instead of havig it be 100% muscle. NAyway. Hope all these hints from everyone helps. I can't wait to have fabulous arms. Gotta lose some pounds first
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