best way to get rid of flabby arms?

denisegolden
denisegolden Posts: 206 Member
edited October 4 in Fitness and Exercise
so like im losing weight very quickly and doing all i can to consume as much protein as possible to retain as much lean muscle as possible...but i have super duper flabby arms and need some ideas for different excercises that will help. if you can offer a site or instruction on excercises, that would rock...something tht you know works...i have been out of shape all my life and so this is all new to me, i cant afford a personal trainer or even a gym membership so i am doing this all on my own...with the help of mfp :bigsmile: THANK YOU!!!

Replies

  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Priority #1: Diet.
    Priority #2: Strength Training
    Priority #3: Cardiovascular Training
  • bump...hoping to hear this answer myself =)
  • ShelleyD81
    ShelleyD81 Posts: 237 Member
    I'd be interested to read people's answers, I too am plagued with flabbyarmitis!
    I've been doing a few weights at the gym but any extra help would be great!
  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
    Cardio + tricep exercises.
  • A really good one for the back of the arms are tricep dips. Go to your table or a chair and stand with your back to it, then put your hands on it and slowly lower your body to a sitting position and then lift up with your arms (not your legs). Free and works! Good luck.
  • Bump - MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY... huge arms....
  • Erica002
    Erica002 Posts: 293 Member
    Push ups, bench dips, overhead triceps...
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    Cut them off.


    But seriously folks, bicep curls, tricep extension, upper body weight training. Push ups, and if you can't do them on the floor do them on the wall. Both arms, one arm, you get the picture.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    one of the best exercises for the longer muscle in the tricep (the one that leads to baggy arm syndrome) is known in some circles as a skull crusher. I will try to explain it. lay down on a bench with a dumbbell in one hand.as you are lying down, hold the arm with the dumbbell straight up. then bend your arm at the elbow, bringing the dumbbell down towards your head. then lift up and repeat. after you exhaust one arm, do the other arm. while doing the exercise, keep the part of your arm from your shoulder to your elbow straight and at a 90 degree angle from your body. I usually use my other arm to help with form/support by holding the back of my tricep during the exercise.

    NOTE: tricep kickbacks are a solid exercise, but they target the shorter muscle in the tricep and don't generally do much/anything for the baggy part of the muscle.

    NOTE 2: push-ups and dips are 2 more good exercises for the longer muscle in the tricep.
  • It's so nice to know that I am not the only one the this problem....Hugh arms
    A lot of times I have to purchase larger suites in order for my arm to fit the jacket...Ughhhh
    Someone should invent an arm girdle :laugh:
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
    That will likely be one of the last places you see the flab go away. Keep at your diet, making sure to maintain a caloric deficit, get .5 to 1 g of protein per pound of lbm, and strength train. Push ups, bench press and dips will help tone those muscles the best.
  • stubbysticks
    stubbysticks Posts: 1,275 Member
    "Lean muscle" is your problem. If you want to minimize the flab, you gotta backfill that space with - wait for it - MUSCLE. The bicep/tricep exercises others mentioned are a start, as is your protein consumption. I don't know how much you're eating, but I'd call 100g daily a bare minimum, 150g is even better if you're doing strength training.

    Technique is even more important. Doing a thousand reps of any exercise is basically cardio. To grow your muscles you need to force them to adapt & the only way to do that is to stress them.

    Using pushups as an example, if you can do 8 with good form at a nice slow cadence of 3-5 seconds per pushup & can't quite do a 9th, then that's a perfect place to start. A few days later, try it again but see if you can do 10. Each time you do the exercise you should push yourself to do as many as you possible can before your muscles fail...this is called progressive overload.

    If you keep at it, at some point you'll be able to do 12 before failing. That's when you need to start adding resistance. Put on a backpack that weighs 5 lbs before you start. Maybe you only get to 8 before failing. Then you work your way up again, & each time you get to 12 you add more weight.
  • schnugglebug
    schnugglebug Posts: 330 Member
    Great advice and thank you for asking that question as I was curious too...
    want to have fab arms not flab arms for my wedding next year :D lol since I am getting a sleeveless dress! lol
  • lculian
    lculian Posts: 313 Member
    Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. and a couple of hand weights. 25 minute workout that completely changed my arms!!!!!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Dips, pushups, chinups, bicep and tricep curls. Don't forget to work your deltoids also (the muscle at the top of your arm that connects to the shoulder).
  • Bump
  • Bump
  • Cardio
    Strength Training with a focus on your triceps!
    Pilates/planks (plank rows with weights or resistance bands)
    Tricep pushups (I hate these...but that just mean they work;)
    Remember, this is a big problem area for even the most thin ladies! As frustrating as it is, it will take time.
  • aguilarrumiko
    aguilarrumiko Posts: 52 Member
    bump :-)
  • Fight2bFiT
    Fight2bFiT Posts: 48 Member
    hello there! when i first started back in 2009, i was 55lbs from goal weight and had flabby everything. but i can honestly tell you what works (but a LOT of women dont like to hear it).....ready?....lol.......WEIGHT TRAINING. so a lot of ladies like to be on the tredmill for hours, or do cardio as their main concern, you may loose weight, but you will not tone this way.i recommend 2-3x wtrength training and 3x cardio, but do INTERVAL TRAINING. you want to burn fat (not muscle) and an hour on the tremill going same pace isnt really that beneficial in long run. you will burn more calories and more fat doing interval training on a machine or routine than an hour or longer doing a machine at standard pace.

    i would start out doing weights you are comfortable with and then slowly add more, bc heavy weights will not bulk you up if you are deficient in calories annd girls have a hard time bulking up anyways. it takes years to add on 10 or more pounds of straight muscle for girls, even the ones who are trying to bulk, it is VERY difficult. so if you cut calories, do both cardio and strength training, you will loose weight and tone in the right places. though i am 30 pounds away from goal( its bc i dont eat as good as i should :cry: ) but i am 1-2 sizes away from old pant sizes and toner and more fit than i've ever been....i can do things that even at 140 i wasnt able to do, like pushups or knee jumps.

    i've tested theories, see what works best, and best results is lifting heavy, low calories, interval cardio conditioning (like stuff like insanity or exercises that get your heart rate high while conditioning muscles, like squats or pushups, etc.) and eat clean.........but it depends on your goals. depends on what you like. some women just want to loose weight, not really focus on the toning. others have not a slight interests in doing exercises that will hurt, like squats, or pushups, or doing things that will cause their body to change drastically. think of it like this: if you do something that is comfortable, most liekly it wont bring much change bc your body can handle it. major changes will bring about MAJOR RESULTS! some ladies dont want to have muscles bc it turns them off, and i understand that our desires and what we like is all different, thats what makes us all unique....but if you want tone arms, and a tone body, like the ladies in magazines, then strength training is required, and clean eating is a MUST....80% is diet, so painfully we have to make some difficult changes and choices, but if you want it bad enough, you'll do it. hope this helps!!:happy:
  • secostley
    secostley Posts: 409 Member
    Diet is still going to be the priority in your efforts. For many women, the arms are the last place the weight tends to come off.

    Incorporate some tricep training (e.g. tricep presses, tricep kickbacks, and one-hand tricep pulldowns). Keep in mind that it will take some time.

    Also incorporate some cardio work to bring it all together.


    Shawn
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    I always thought a moderate calorie deficit resulted in weightloss?
  • riley711
    riley711 Posts: 298 Member
    BUMP
  • Eimear_k
    Eimear_k Posts: 1 Member

    I'm having arm issues too, this is an awesome website, thanks for the link!
  • I always thought a moderate calorie deficit resulted in weightloss?

    Generally--but underarm flab is pretty much known to be the hardest area for women to tone and reduce fat;) (Even fairly thin women fight this--I have a petite, tone upper body and my underarms are still an issue)
  • SWilland
    SWilland Posts: 232 Member
    Bump
  • Toenges1
    Toenges1 Posts: 99 Member
    Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. and a couple of hand weights. 25 minute workout that completely changed my arms!!!!!

    I completely agree with the above. I am 42 years old and my arms have never looked so good..I've been a gym rat and still never got these results. Now I am doing the Ripped in 30 (also Jillian)..I would say Ripped in 30 is a little bit tougher than 30 Day Shred, but I think she is also going for variety. If you do the same exercises day after day your muscles won't respond..it's all about muscle confusion, protein and a good technique.
  • I like CollageVideo.com workout tapes, you can sort by what your goals are, such as to target arms. But I think growing muscle will help. but I would guess the saggy arms is fat and you need to lose fat with cardio and diet, and then work on muscle building. Check out CollageVideo.com - I have found tapes on there for as little as $10 that I have had and used for almost 20 years and still have them.
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