How to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

Co-authored by Danny Gordon

Are you self-conscious about your flabby arms? If this concern is interfering with your clothing and activity choices, perhaps it's time to make a positive change and work on getting those arms firm and fabulous! Although there is no quick-fix method that specifically targets arm fat, it is possible to significantly improve the appearance of flabby arms by combining specific arm toning and muscle building exercises, with plenty of aerobic exercise and a healthy diet.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Specific Flab-Busting Exercises

1
Set up a routine. In order to get the most out of your work-outs and maximize muscle tone, it is important to set up a routine and stick to it. Choose 3 to 4 different exercises that you feel comfortable with and can perform correctly. You should also make sure to choose a selection of exercises that target different arm muscles, so as not to be working the same muscles all the time.
- To begin with, you should aim to perform 3-4 sets of each exercise, with 8-12 repetitions each. You can increase both the number of sets and the number of repetitions as you begin to build tone and muscle in your arms.
- Be aware that how you exercise will differ depending on whether you want to bulk up with added muscle or simply tone your arms without adding too much muscle mass. To simply tone up without bulking up - an option many women go for - you should use lighter weights with more repetitions. To increase muscle mass, you should aim to do fewer repetitions using increasingly heavier weights.
2
Do push ups. The push up is a pretty basic exercise, and one that most people have attempted at some point in their lives. It's an exercise that has stuck around for a reason - it works. Push ups target the tricep muscle in your arm, although they also strengthen your pectorals, abdominals, quads and lower back, making it a great overall exercise. To perform a basic push-up:
- Lie face-down on a solid floor, keep your legs together and prop your feet up on your toes and the balls of your feet.
- Place your hands palms-down on the floor, approximately a shoulder width apart.
- Raise yourself up, using just the strength in your arms, until both arms are fully extended. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels. This is the start and end position for the push up.
- Slowly lower your body to the ground until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Inhale as go down.
- Slowly raise yourself back up into the extended arm position, exhaling as you do. You have now completed one repetition.
- Variations: You can vary the basic push up exercise in a number of ways. If you're just starting to build up strength in your arms, you can make the exercise slightly easier by keeping your knees on the ground throughout the exercise. You can also try a triangle push up, where your hands form a triangle with your forefingers and thumbs, directly below the breastbone.
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3
Do bench dips. Bench dips are another common exercise that help develop the triceps, while also working the pectorals and major shoulder muscles.^{[1]
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Research source} All you need to perform this exercise is an exercise bench or step, though a kitchen chair will also work just fine. To perform a basic bench dip:
- Sit up straight on the edge of the bench or chair, extending your legs in front of you and planting your feet firmly on the ground.
- Firmly grip the edge of the bench or chair, with your fingers facing downwards. Slowly slide your body off the bench, without moving your legs.
- Slowly lower your body towards the floor, keeping your back straight, until your arms form a 90-degree angle.
- Straighten the arms again, and push your body back to the original starting position. You have now completed one repetition.
- Variations: To increase the difficulty of the bench dip, try propping your feet up on a second exercise bench or chair.
4
Do bicep curls. Bicep curls are one of the most basic weightlifting exercises, which help you to build arm strength and look good in short sleeves. Bicep curls target the two bicep muscles which control the flexing of your elbow.^{[2]
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Research source} To do bicep curls, you will need a set of dumbbells, that weigh between 5 and 15 pounds each.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
- Let your arms hang relaxed at your side, with your palms facing forward.
- With your elbows held at your hip bones, slowly raise both weights until your forearms almost touch your chest.
- Slowly lower the weights back into the starting position, maintaining tension in your biceps. Make an effort to maintain good posture at all times, with your back straight and stomach pulled in.
- Variations: If you are performing this exercise at your local gym, look for an arm-curl machine which will target the exact same muscles as the dumbbells.^{[3]
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  Research source} If you're doing the exercises at home for the first time, you can also use a standard 15 oz can of beans or peas to perform this exercise.
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Do pull ups. Pull ups are a very challenging exercise that target a whole range of muscles groups, including muscles in the back, chest, shoulders and abdominals, as well as the biceps and lower arms. To perform a pull up you will need an exercise bar, and if you're new to pull-ups, an assisted band.
- Grasp the overhead bar with your palms facing forward and your hands a little wider than your shoulders. Let your body hang.
- Pull your body up towards the bar, until your chin is slightly above it. Hold for one to two seconds, if you can.
- Lower yourself down again but avoid extending your arms completely as this will keep your muscles engaged. You have now completed one repetition.
- Variations: Pull-ups are quite a complex exercise, but with practice they can be successfully completed regardless of age or gender. To help you get started, you can use an assisted band which is attached to the overhead bar. You then slip your foot into the bottom of the band, which helps by taking some of your body weight.
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Bench press. The bench press is an exercise designed to increase upper body strength, and targets the chest and shoulder muscles, in addition to the triceps.^{[4]
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Research source} To perform the bench press, you will need a barbell and an exercise bench.
- Place the barbell on the bench rack and add your chosen weights. The weight should be challenging, but light enough that you can do about 8 repetitions without resting. For beginners, the bar itself (with no additional weight) may be challenging enough.^{[5]
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- Lie down flat on the exercise bench in a natural position, with your feet on the floor and your shoulders touching the bench.
- Reach up and grasp the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands spaced about a shoulder-width apart. Some body-builders prefer a wider grip, but keeping your hands a shoulder-width apart places more emphasis on the triceps.
- Engage your abdominal muscles and slowly lift the bar off the rack. Position the bar directly above the middle of your chest and extend your arms.
- Slowly lower the bar down to your chest, bending your elbows out to the sides. Inhale as you lower the bar.
- Press the bar back up to the starting position, while exhaling. You have now completed one repetition.
- Note: With this exercise, it may be necessary to have another person present to act as a "spotter", particularly if you are working with very heavy weights. The spotter will help you lift the weight into position, return it to the rack afterwards and generally keep on eye on things to ensure you don't drop a heavy bar on yourself.
7
Do a side plank reverse fly. This is a great exercise for building overall upper body strength. Although it doesn't target the arms specifically, it will help build the necessary strength to do other arm-specific exercises. It is also fantastic for the oblique muscles along your side.^{[6]
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Research source} To perform the side plank reverse fly:
- Lie down on your side on the floor and prop yourself up with either your hand or elbow. The elbow is an easier option for beginners.
- Stack your feet one on top of the other and lift your hips off the floor so that your body forms a diagonal line.
- With your free hand, grab a dumbbell and extend your arm straight up, keeping it in line with your shoulder.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell in front of you, until your arm is perpendicular to your body.
- Slowly raise the dumbbell back up, forming a "T" shape with your arm and the dumbbell. You have now completed one repetition.
- Variations: Instead of stopping when the dumbbell is perpendicular with your body, you can keep going, rotating your body and twisting the dumbbell underneath, before returning to the starting position.
8
Do a shoulder press. The shoulder press is a great exercise to incorporate into your arm-toning routine. While it is primarily used for strengthening the shoulders, it also engages both the biceps and the triceps, making it a good overall arm work-out.^{[7]
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Research source} To do a shoulder press:
- Start from a seated or standing position with a dumbbell in each hand and your back straight.
- Lift the weights so they are at shoulder-level. Your elbows should be lower than your wrists and your palms facing away from your body.
- Slowly straighten your arms, lifting the dumbbells above your head. Try not to lock your elbows.
- Hold the dumbbells above your head for a second or two, then slowly lower them back to the starting position. You have now completed one repetition.
- Variations: You can also perform this exercise using a barbell or on a weight machine specifically designed for shoulder presses. This exercise is also easily combined with the bicep curl and triceps French press.
9
Start punching. Fast, repetitive punches are a great way to shape your arms. This exercise will work your shoulders and build strength. You can punch without any equipment, although you may use weights or a punching bag as well.
- Stand straight. Your legs should be hip-width apart with your knees slightly bent.
- Bend your arms 90-degrees at the elbow, and hold them up in front of your face.
- Punch your right arm forward until your arm is straight. Your palm should face the floor.
- Bend the right arm back to starting position, and repeat with the left arm.
- Variations: Hold a dumbbell in either hand, or use a punching bag.
10
Do arm circles. Arm circles are a great, easy exercise that can be performed anytime, anywhere, making them a great exercise option for beginners. Arm circles help to tone both your biceps and triceps, while also strengthening the back and shoulders.^{[8]
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Research source} To do arm circles:
- Stand with your feet about a shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight out to the sides, so they're in line with your shoulders.
- Begin rotating your arms forward in small, circular motions, without moving your wrists or elbows.
- After about 20 circles, change direction and begin rotating your arms backwards.
- Variations: To increase the intensity of the arm circles, you can rotate your arms faster or use hand weights that are light enough to allow you to do 8-10 rotations.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

General Weight-Loss Guidelines

1
Have realistic expectations. It is important to understand that it is not possible to target weight loss on a specific area of your body, such as your arms. If you lose weight, you may lose it off your waist or tummy before you see any difference in your arms. However, if you maintain a healthy diet and a well-structured exercise routine, you will certainly begin to see results all over your body - sooner rather than later.^{[9]
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- Understand that it is not enough to just do arm toning and muscle building exercises. Yes, you will improve muscle tone, but if the muscle is covered in a layer of fat the outward appearance of your arms will not change all that much. Once you shed the extra layer of fat, however, the fabulously firm muscles underneath will be revealed.^{[10]
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- Equally, it is not enough to just lose weight either. As mentioned above, there is no way to specifically target arm fat, so it may be a while before a healthy diet and aerobic exercise noticeably impacts the size of your arms. Even if your arms do become thinner, they can still look flabby if you have no muscle tone beneath the fat.
- This is why balancing specific arm toning exercises with overall weight loss is the key to getting rid of flabby arms. It's all about balance.
2
Determine how healthy your current weight is. People sometimes want to lose arm fat for cosmetic reasons, but flabby arms are often a sign of being overweight in general. The action you should take depends on your current health, and how much weight you stand to lose.
- Check your BMI. To get a quick handle on your health as it pertains to weight, you can perform a body mass index (BMI) test. Taking the test at the site provided will return a number that depicts your level of body fat.
- In general, a BMI score between 19 and 26 is healthy. A BMI score above 26 signifies the need to lose weight, and a BMI score over 30 indicates more serious obesity.
- Decide whether or not to talk to a doctor. If your BMI index number is above 30, you may want to consider talking to a doctor about how to proceed. If you are healthy and simply carry fat in your arms, simple dietary changes and exercise will likely do the trick.
3
Implement a reduced-calorie diet. There are many diet options and techniques out there, but they all have the same basic ground rules - you need to reduce your calorie intake and aim to eat healthier foods. The following are tips on how to eat if you want to lose fat from all over your body, including your arms.
- Avoid fatty or greasy foods. Ingesting fatty or greasy foods like fried food, cheese, and hamburgers is just asking to gain weight.
- It may not be necessary to significantly reduce your portion sizes to lose weight. Instead try to switch to lean meats like chicken or turkey, and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. That said, if you have a healthy diet already, decreasing your portions may help.
- Always eat breakfast. Research shows that people who eat breakfast - especially filling, protein-rich breakfasts - lose more weight and find it easier to keep it off. ^{[11]
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- Drink plenty of water. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day will support metabolism, help you feel less hungry, and burn fat.
- Avoid sports nutrition bars. These products may give you energy, but they often include fattening ingredients.
EXPERT TIP

Danny Gordon
Certified Personal Trainer
Danny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Danny Gordon
Certified Personal Trainer

Our Expert Agrees: If you want more defined arms, start by taking a look at your caloric intake. Make sure that you're eating foods that are lower in calories and fat, and increase the protein you're eating. As you lose excess weight, you'll be able to see more lean muscle. In addition, do cardio and strength training exercises. The cardio will allow you to burn extra calories, and strength training will build muscle, which will also help you burn more calories throughout the day.
4
Do aerobic exercise. Exercising is one of the best ways to burn fat - not just in the arms but all over the body. It is very important that you incorporate a substantial amount of aerobic exercise into your workout routine.
- You can do as many muscle building and toning exercises for your arms as you like, but unless you burn off the fat covering your muscles, your arms will continue to look flabby.
- Running, swimming, dancing or even walking are all effective forms of aerobic exercise, and will burn fat from all over your body, including your arms.
- Healthy adults should aim to do 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, or 75 minutes of intense exercise.^{[12]
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5
Keep the fat off. If you take the above advice and see results, congratulations! But know that in order to keep the fat off, you must maintain a healthy lifestyle. This means continuing to eat healthy.
- Lean proteins, high-fiber carbs, and a wide variety of vegetables are the best bet. Try to stick to three good meals each day, with limited snacking.
- Keep exercising. One great way to ensure continued health is by committing to an established routine. Get yourself a gym membership or set aside some time a few days each week to get your exercises done.
- If you keep up with your diet and exercise, you will remain healthy, and will most likely see additional benefits such as loss of other body fat, higher energy levels, and improvements in mood.

Exercises and Routines to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

Exercises to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

Beginner Routine to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

Intermediate Routine to Get Rid of Flabby Arms

Expert Q&A

Question

How to increase my weight?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Building muscle through a heavy resistance training program and increasing calories consumed are the healthiest ways to increase your weight. Check out this article to get some advice on gaining weight: http://www.wikihow.com/Gain-Weight.
Question

How do you firm up your arms?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Exercising your arms with weights or even activities such as boxing will help firm up the arms. Essentially, all upper body exercises help firm the arms.
Question

Can water walking and water resistance help with flabby arms and neck and thighs? What exercise specifically would help?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Yes, water aerobics can burn calories, but remember, you really need to get the heart rate up during your pool exercise. You would need to be getting at least 150 minutes per week at 70% of your heart rate maximum to maintain your current fitness level and double that if you are trying to lose weight. Try running lengths or actual swimming. If you cannot swim, consider taking lessons. Try the flutter kick on your back or the back stroke. Aim to get your heart pounding for at least 20 minutes, three times or more per week.

Warnings

It's not possible to get rid of flabby arms overnight, it will take dedication and hard work to see significant results.

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