But excess arm fat can be annoying, too, especially when you don’t have much upper body strength and want to be able to lift things more easily—not to mention show off some toned muscles. Whether you’ve newly acquired some loose skin after dropping a lot of weight or have always had weaker arms that you want to tone up, the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to make your arms stronger and eliminate excess fat. Dr. Christopher B. Taber, PhD, CSCS, an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist and an assistant professor in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, emphasizes that in order to lose arm fat and display your muscles, you’ll have to lose overall body fat, too. “When you lose body fat, you’ll be able to display your defined arms. Your goal should be total body weight loss, then using a strengthening plan focused on making the muscle groups stronger.” Dr. Taber has come up with the following easy and effective arm exercise routine to help make your arms tight and toned. “Stick with repetitions in the six to 15 range and two to four sets,which will allow for the strengthening and development of your arm muscles,” he says. “You’ll start each workout with one to two large muscle mass exercises that will help to develop strength, challenge a large amount of total muscle mass, and increase your caloric expenditure. Next, you’ll do one to two isolation exercises that will allow them to focus on the specific muscles you want to develop.” These major strength exercises will also tone areas surrounding your upper arms, which will in turn make your upper arms even sleeker. Ready to get going? Check out each of the YouTube videos Dr. Taber recommends before and during each exercise to make sure you’re using proper form. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends engaging in muscular strength and endurance exercises at least two times per week, so start at two days, see how you’re feeling, and then gradually increase your frequency. It’s always a good idea to get the OK from your doctor before starting a new exercise program, so if you have any concerns (especially if you’re using new equipment) be sure to check in with your doctor. And last but not least, have fun!
Bench press
This move is great for your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Close grip bench press
A close grip bench press is great for your triceps, chest, and shoulder.
Seated DB shoulder press
This move targets your triceps and shoulders.
Underhand grip barbell row
The underhand grip barbell row targets your lats, rhomboids, rear delts, and biceps.
Lat pulldown machine
This move is great for your lats, rear delts, and biceps.
Seated row machine
Spending time on this machine will target your lats, rhomboids, rear delts, and biceps.
EZ bar curl
This is a great move for your biceps.
Standing hammer curl
A standing hammer curl is another great move for your biceps.
Overhead triceps extension
This move is great for toning your triceps.
Underhand triceps extension
This is another great move for your triceps.
Lateral raise
This is an excellent move for your deltoids.
Rear deltoid fly
This move targets your rear deltoids.
Sources
Christopher B. Taber, PhD, CSCS, USAW2, EP-C, PES, an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist and an assistant professor in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University.The American College Of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity Guidelines
