Upper arms - HELP!

dolly3186
dolly3186 Posts: 81 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!

I'm new here but have been dieting and eating healthier since March of this year. I've managed to lose 20 pounds on my own, and now that I have my fitbit and am diligently tracking I've lost 2 pounds just this week. Yeah!!

I managed to lose inches all over as well...when I started my waist was 40.5 and now it's down to 36, my thigs were 25 and now they're 22...

Everything on my body has lost inchest EXCEPT my upper arms! THey're still exactly the same at 13 inches. What the heck?!

I do step aerobics 3 or 4 times a week and use a resistance band for toning a few times a week.

Does anyone else have any major trouble spots that are NOT budging? So frustrating...any ideas on how to slim down my arms? They're starting to look funny with the rest of my body! :)
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Replies

  • ladyphoto
    ladyphoto Posts: 192 Member
    really? No one responded? I have the exact same problem as you. I hate my upper arms. It's hereditary but they are huge! The only time I had upper arms I liked was when I was 129 lbs and 20 years old. (lol). I"m 5'9 so that is waaaay too skinny. Anyway, in the past I have done a lot of weight lifting to tone my arms- and it did make them more attractive, but they never really budged a whole lot in circumference...
  • ellekatrz
    ellekatrz Posts: 3
    Have you tried a low-carb diet? Low carb diet helps me lose weight in my upper body (chest, back, shoulders, upper arms) very quickly. Cardio dance class, and some work with light weights has always helped me tone my arms.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I've been doing this for 5 months, dieting and strength training, and I've only lost about an inch on my upper arms but a ton of inches everywhere else.They seem to be the most stubborn area for me right now grrrrrrrrrr I think it just takes time, your body decides where it wants to shed the fat, not us.

    ***edited to add.... although they are not smaller, they are a LOT stronger and not as "flappy" hehehe. I'm sure once the fat FINALLY starts to go away the muscle will be nice, but it's just slowwwww going right now.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Some areas are just the last to go.

    Best you can do is heavy strength training, some cardio, and a diet to lower your body fat %.

    I lose it last in my love handle region.
  • dolly3186
    dolly3186 Posts: 81 Member
    really? No one responded? I have the exact same problem as you. I hate my upper arms. It's hereditary but they are huge! The only time I had upper arms I liked was when I was 129 lbs and 20 years old. (lol). I"m 5'9 so that is waaaay too skinny. Anyway, in the past I have done a lot of weight lifting to tone my arms- and it did make them more attractive, but they never really budged a whole lot in circumference...

    I know, mine are huge too!! It's so frustrating...i'm losing, losing, losing everywhere else but my arms aren't budging! Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I guess I'll just have to wait it out. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding next May...my arms better be in better shape by then!
  • ellekatrz
    ellekatrz Posts: 3
    Have you tried low-carb diet? I mentioned this above but you didn't respond. I ask again b/c it really works for me with that problem area, and might help you as well.
  • MrsLVF
    MrsLVF Posts: 787 Member
    Just keep losing weight, eventually they will get smaller.

    And lifting weights helped my arms get smaller, and more shapely. :bigsmile:
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
    bicep & tricep exercises with weights.
    the stronger the muscles, the more fuel they need.
    that means fat burning!
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 909 Member
    cleans, pool punches, rows, overhead swings, snatches.
    that should do the trick.
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    This is my current project! I am down to my last 10lbs. AND lifting weights. I am just now starting to see the definition I was hoping for. This area and my tummy from kid's are gonna be the last to budge.

    Good luck and keep at it.
  • masumaj
    masumaj Posts: 153 Member
    hi
    i had the exact same measurment for my arms, they were 13 inches and flabby,

    so i decided to take up jillian micheaels 30 day shred, which is a full body workout, my arms got toned and now are 11.5 inches. if you want toloose the fat i would suggest so arm curls of lifting.

    do you have dumbells? if not just pick up something heavy like a can of soup and start lifting

    good luck
  • thunderthyghz
    thunderthyghz Posts: 45 Member
    same problem here!!!
  • seabuckaroo
    seabuckaroo Posts: 85
    I do tricep dips, push-ups and vinyasas(yoga) for my arms. they are starting to look great :)
  • NaomiDollar
    NaomiDollar Posts: 49 Member
    Sounds like you need to hit the weights. My trainer has me doing Cable Tricep Pushdowns. It is supposed to help with getting rid of what us women like to call wings. I have noticed a tremendous difference in mine in just 2 weeks of doing this exercise.
  • Mom_To_5
    Mom_To_5 Posts: 646 Member
    bump to read later, just shutting down my pc at work hometime!!!
  • jyuubi
    jyuubi Posts: 109
    My upper arms are huge, and while I'm watching inches go from other places, but arms are hanging in there. But a lot of my work outs involve leg movement...so I suppose it's not surprising that it's my thighs, hips, and waist that are losing, but my bust and arms are staying the same... Maybe you could try adding in weight training, or simply using weights when doing your other exercises to work out your arms?

    Obviously, I have no luck too, but it's an idea.
  • thunderthyghz
    thunderthyghz Posts: 45 Member
    That sucks! I don't want to be slim with flabby arms lol, not a good look!
  • WarriorReady
    WarriorReady Posts: 571 Member
    Problem areas are so frustrating! I would add tricept dips and tricept extension as well as laterial raises to your workouts. Google or search pinterest for upper arm workouts. Good luck! My problem spot is the tummy - everything else is starting to look mad toned and good but not able to whittle the middle! :happy:
  • thunderthyghz
    thunderthyghz Posts: 45 Member
    Some areas are just the last to go.

    Best you can do is heavy strength training, some cardio, and a diet to lower your body fat %.

    I lose it last in my love handle region.

    That sucks! I don't want to be slim with flabby arms lol, not a good look!
  • katerams
    katerams Posts: 50 Member
    PUSH UPS.

    PUSH UPS PUSH UPS PUSH UPS PUSH UPS PUSH UPS.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I am really happy with my arms and achieved my results with strength training and swimming (front crawl). I regularly use the rowing machine as well which may also have assisted.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    Hi everyone!

    I'm new here but have been dieting and eating healthier since March of this year. I've managed to lose 20 pounds on my own, and now that I have my fitbit and am diligently tracking I've lost 2 pounds just this week. Yeah!!

    I managed to lose inches all over as well...when I started my waist was 40.5 and now it's down to 36, my thigs were 25 and now they're 22...

    Everything on my body has lost inchest EXCEPT my upper arms! THey're still exactly the same at 13 inches. What the heck?!

    I do step aerobics 3 or 4 times a week and use a resistance band for toning a few times a week.

    Does anyone else have any major trouble spots that are NOT budging? So frustrating...any ideas on how to slim down my arms? They're starting to look funny with the rest of my body! :)
    Time to hit the weights for higher resistance. Don't be afraid to train them heavy and hard.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • prov31jd
    prov31jd Posts: 153 Member
    Sounds like you need to hit the weights. My trainer has me doing Cable Tricep Pushdowns. It is supposed to help with getting rid of what us women like to call wings. I have noticed a tremendous difference in mine in just 2 weeks of doing this exercise.

    NaomiDollar, can you describe a Cable Tricep Pushdown? Or do you know of some website that shows how it's done?

    Thanks!
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
    I found this book to be helpful when I got started lifting:

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Womens-Health-Book-Exercises/dp/1605295493#_

    Now instead of NEVER wearing sleeveless shirts, I wear them as much as I can. There's a great arms workout in the book, going by memory:

    Choose 1 bicep exercise (such as hammer curls) and 1 tricep exercise (such as overhead triceps extension), choose a weight you can lift 15-20(?) reps. Start with the bicep exercise, and do reps to failure. Switch to the tricep exercise, and do reps to failure. Switch back to biceps, go to failure. And so on, for 10 minutes, resting as little as possible. Keep track of your rep totals and aim to do more each time. Do this twice a week.

    If you don't get the book, you can always get youtube or bodybuilding.com videos to show you how to do these and other exercises, but the book has great detailed color pictures.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You can't choose where your body loses fat, unfortunately. But you can work your arm musles to build muscle under the fat adn keep them looking firm. The only way I know of to spot reduce fat is through liposuction.
  • alisiaendris
    alisiaendris Posts: 213 Member
    I googled arm exercises for women and there was a nice article from fitness magazine that explained how to do four different exercises that help women to tone this problem area. I tried three of the exercises last night and did 3 sets of ten reps. Took 15 min.s and I could really feel it when I was done.
  • ItsMeRebekah
    ItsMeRebekah Posts: 909 Member
    cleans, pool punches, rows, overhead swings, snatches.
    that should do the trick.

    pull not pool LOL and also clean presses! my fav
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    My suggestion is to tone your arms with resistance training. Use weights or resistance bands but get to as heavy a weight as you can use. Lift for about ten minutes using a heavy weight and move slowly through the eccentric part of the lift --- from six to ten seconds.

    If you don't, your arms with go totally to flab.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    My husband is a tai chi instructor and has the most AWESOME, lean, muscly arms.

    Very simple exercise - I do them too. Put your two hands in front of your chest, palm down with the elbows bent (like chicken wings).

    Straighten your arms, moving your hands forward now back to back. They will be straight out in front of you.

    Twist your hands around so the palms are down, then facing each other.

    Pull your hands towards yourself, back to chicken wing position.

    Push your hands up to the ceiling, palms up.

    Stretch them out.

    Go back to original position.

    You can do it other ways, but essentially you just want to keep twisting and stretching your arms. You will SO see the difference really fast. It doesn't do anything about fat deposition, but it really tones those muscles so your arms will look great.
  • dolly3186
    dolly3186 Posts: 81 Member
    Wow everyone! This is so inspiring. I haven't been doing enough strength with my arms, that's for sure. I'm going to really focus in on them with my next workouts.

    Whoever asked me about a low-carb diet...I haven't really specifically tried anything too fancy with my diet. I eat carbs but usually in the beginning of the day with lots and lots of veggies (tons of salad!) and no empty calories. (Snacks, sugary drinks, etc.) I seem to have the diet part down, but was getting frustrated with the lack of loss in my arms.

    What a great idea to google different arm exercises or look on pinterest. I'm going to do that tonight for sure. I've been doing some of the same exercises for so long, maybe I just need to shake things up.

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