Unsightly fat deposits in the armpits are a common problem among overweight people.
But it also happens that a person with normal body weight is dissatisfied with the appearance of his hands because of their excessive fullness.
Proper nutrition and physical activity with an emphasis on the problem area will help you lose weight quickly and effectively in your forearms.
Why is fat deposited on the arms?
To a large extent, it all depends on genetics, but many other factors also have an influence:
- Of course, one of the main reasons is consuming too much sugar, trans fats and processed foods (candy, baked goods, soda, fast food, etc.). In one study, geneticists found that unfavorable heredity caused obesity in only 60% of patients. At the same time, 97% of all overweight subjects ate incorrectly and did not exercise, so do not rush to shift responsibility from yourself and blame your parents for everything.
- Stress, a sedentary lifestyle and poor sleep can cause testosterone levels to plummet. Testosterone is a male sex hormone, which is also found in the female body, but in smaller quantities. It promotes muscle growth, but if deficient, it can cause fat accumulation.
- Women also have higher levels of estrogen, which promotes fat storage. On average, according to statistics, women have 6-11% more fat in their bodies than men.
- As we age, muscles atrophy and the skin, which was once firm and elastic, becomes thinner and stretches. Without physical activity, the only way to restore their shape and remove loose skin is through surgery.
Is it possible to lose weight only in your arms?
For many years, experts have debated whether targeted fat loss or so-called “spot reduction” is possible. That is, can we, by doing local exercises, for example, only on the hips or abs, lose weight exclusively in this area of the body.
Most scientific evidence suggests that focusing only on problem areas rather than the entire body is utopian.
A study looking at the effectiveness of upper body resistance training in 104 people found that a 12-week resistance training program targeting the arms increased overall fat loss but had little effect on the forearms, where muscle contraction was maximum.
What to do to lose weight on your arms?
A balanced diet and weight training are the most effective ways to get rid of arm fat and strengthen, shape and tone your muscles.
Exercise equipment
This type of weight loss is becoming more popular every year. Cardio exercises make it possible to achieve a slim, toned figure in a fairly short period of time. Most suitable exercise equipment is available in any gym or fitness center, and some of them can be used at home.
The most effective tools for working out your hands are:
- Ellipse trainer. This equipment has adjustable running/walking modes, which can be used to set the appropriate intensity.
- Bicycle simulator. It completely replaces cycling, activates calorie consumption, and helps control body weight.
- Stepper. A small walking area allows you to provide full exercise to your muscles at home, including your arms and shoulders. Using this exercise machine you can tone your body in a short time and maintain excellent physical shape.
- Exercises with a skipping rope. Simple exercises have been known to everyone since childhood. They are included in most serious training complexes. The main emphasis is on the forearms, legs, and waist.
- Nordic walking. During classes, the muscles of the arms and shoulder girdle are well worked out. The soft load due to the emphasis on the sticks makes the system accessible to people of any age. Experts recommend Nordic walking to anyone who is prone to obesity.
Nutrition for weight loss
Research has shown that exercise alone is not effective for weight loss unless the amount of calories consumed is controlled and the quality of the diet is not changed.
To achieve weight loss on your arms, pay attention to the following:
- Control your portions. Watching the amount of food you eat is one of the key factors when trying to lose weight. One way to reduce portions is to use smaller plates. Research has shown that this can trick the brain and thereby promote weight loss.
- Consume more fiber. High fiber foods (vegetables, beans, fruits, oats, etc.) provide a feeling of fullness and can prevent overeating. Research shows that eating a fiber-rich salad before meals is an effective way to shed extra pounds.
- Limit processed foods and sugary foods. Remove chips, sausages, cakes, processed foods, sugary drinks, etc. from your diet. They offer no nutritional benefits, cause weight gain, and can cause diabetes as well as a number of other health problems.
- Eat foods rich in protein. Protein affects the hunger hormone (ghrelin) and gives a feeling of fullness. This eliminates unhealthy snacking and overeating.
In addition, to lose weight, it is important to follow the basic rule - burn more calories than you consume. Eating healthy, balanced and minimally processed foods is the best way to do this.
Review your diet
To remove fat from your arms quickly, you need to lose weight in general, and this cannot be achieved without adjusting your diet . Most likely, it makes sense to talk about a violation of the muscle-fat balance, which leads to the fact that the figure is far from in ideal condition. Try to reduce the amount of fatty, starchy, sweet, and fried foods in your diet. Eat the right foods - lean meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, slow carbohydrates. It is also important to limit salty foods and salt in general. The fact is that it retains water in the body, which leads to swelling of both the arms and legs, and the face.
Skin care
You can speed up the process using simple procedures that help restore skin elasticity - contrast showers and massage. A contrast shower stimulates blood vessels, enriches them with oxygen, enhances the production of collagen and elastin in the skin, and also reduces tissue swelling.
Massage also helps get rid of sagging skin; it has a stimulating effect on tissue by accelerating blood circulation and triggers regeneration processes. This can be a salon procedure or self-massage. For the latter, it would be a good idea to use a special massage brush.
As a rule, the massage is done from the bottom up, it can be dry or wet (using special oils). It is enough to spend 15-20 minutes on problem areas at least several times a week and you will definitely see improvements.
Recommendations for performing exercises for the arms
Exercise at least 2-3 times a week. Keep in mind that the break between workouts should ideally be 48 hours so that the muscles have time to recover.
Try to give preference to exercises that involve different groups of arm muscles to speed up the weight loss process and achieve maximum results. On average, one workout should consist of 3-6 different exercises of 3 approaches (depending on physical fitness and training time).
For exercises with dumbbells or barbells, choose a weight with which you can perform 10 repetitions without compromising your form.
Do push-ups
Push-ups are a very useful exercise for both men and women. It wonderfully tightens the arms and shoulders, removing all that is unnecessary, if the technique is correct. You need to take an emphasis lying down, spreading your arms wide and bending them slightly at the elbows. Smoothly lower your torso until your chest touches the floor. Then return to the starting position. In just two weeks of regular push-ups, you can see clear results. Start with 10-15 repetitions , gradually increasing this number.
Exercises for losing weight on your arms
The main muscle to focus on is the triceps (the back of the forearm). Strengthening and building this muscle will help you achieve the slender and sculpted look of your arms that you are fighting for. The simultaneous load on the biceps will help you achieve even greater results. Also, special attention should be paid to the shoulders.
Keep in mind that not every exercise in your workout needs to focus on your arms if your goal is to lose fat there. Complementary full-body exercises (whether lunges or squats) increase your heart rate, speed up your metabolism, and thereby burn fat.
Load for home and street
Push ups
This is a great and simple exercise that you can do anywhere.
Push-ups work your shoulders, chest, and upper back.
Take a lying position, arms should be slightly wider than shoulders, head looking at the floor. Slowly lower yourself down and bend your arms so that your elbows point out to the sides at a 45-degree angle from your body. Then slowly rise up.
If the straight-legged option is still too difficult for you, focus on your knees. You can also increase efficiency by doing push-ups with a narrow hand position.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
Chair squats (reverse push-ups)
Works the triceps, shoulders and upper back.
Rest your hands on the seat of a chair or sofa, place your feet about half a meter away. Keep your back straight and slowly lower yourself until your arms are at a 90-degree angle. Using your triceps, push yourself up to the starting position.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps or time yourself for a minute and try to do as many reps as possible.
Reverse plank
Involves shoulders, abs, triceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles.
Sit on the floor with your legs extended, lean back a little and lean on your hands. Then lift your hips off the floor and lift them up. Make sure that your arms and legs do not bend. The body should form a straight line. Hold the position for a minute. After a short break, repeat the exercise again.
Raising and lowering in the plank
The starting position is the same as for push-ups.
Tighten your tailbone and make sure that you tense your body so that it forms a straight line without bending. If all conditions are met, begin to alternately straighten and bend your arms, moving them from your palms to your elbows. Do 3 sets of 16 reps.
These simple exercises for losing weight in your arms without pumping up (with your own weight) can also be performed on outdoor sports grounds; they do not require special equipment or additional equipment.
Exercises for losing weight in the gym
Pull-ups on a gravitron
Don't be alarmed, this is a counterweight machine, so you don't need to know how to do pull-ups. The exercise is suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes.
Set the optimal weight (try starting with half your own), place your knees alternately on the platform and grab the handle with a wide grip. As you exhale, without inertia, only with the help of your muscles, pull your chest towards the bar. As you inhale, slowly lower yourself down.
Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 times.
Crossover arm extension
Grasp the handle with an overhand grip and lower it slightly below your shoulders, pressing your elbows to the sides of your body. This position must be fixed, making sure that your elbows do not come off or go to the sides. As you exhale, lower the handle down and fully extend your arms with maximum amplitude, while inhaling, slowly return to the starting position.
Do 12 reps and repeat the cycle 3 times. You can gradually increase the load. This exercise can be performed using different types of handles.
Bent over arm extension
This exercise works the triceps, latissimus dorsi and rear deltoids.
You can perform it either standing or leaning your hand and knee on a bench. The arm with the dumbbell is bent at the elbow, the body and shoulders are parallel to the floor (it is important that the back remains straight and the shoulders do not round). As you exhale, slowly straighten your arm with the dumbbell, while keeping your elbow pressed to your body. As you inhale, return your hand to the starting position.
Bent over arm extension sharpens the relief and symmetry of the triceps. Do at least 3 rounds of repetitions of 10 reps.
French press with dumbbells while seated
Training your shoulders is no less important than pumping up your biceps and triceps.
This exercise primarily works the triceps brachii muscle, as well as the wrist flexors, wrist extensors, and deltoid muscles.
The starting position is as follows: sit on a bench, place your feet on the floor and straighten your back. The situation must be stable. Take a dumbbell with both hands, lift it above your head with straight arms (palms facing inward). As you inhale, lower the dumbbell behind your head, pressing your elbows tightly to your head. As you exhale, contracting your triceps, lift the dumbbell to the starting position.
This exercise can also be done standing.
Triceps extension behind the head using a fitness band
Depending on your level of training, the exercise is performed sitting on a bench, fitball or standing. Instead of a fitness band, you can use an expander.
It is important to keep your back straight, do not tilt your elbows to the side, and keep your shoulders still. Place both hands behind your back so that one is on top and the other is on bottom. In your hand located at the level of the lower back, fix the tape and try to hold it motionless. As you inhale, straighten your arm from above at the elbow joint and stretch the elastic band. Movements should be slow and controlled. As you exhale, lower down.
Repeat the movement 10 times, then change hands. Do 2-3 approaches.
Bent-over dumbbell row
Another way to pump up your shoulders.
Take a stable position, place your feet hip-width apart and bend your knees slightly, your body should be leaning forward. Keep your back straight. At the starting point of the amplitude, the dumbbells should be located at shoulder level. Pull the dumbbells toward your stomach, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise. Inhale at the lowest point of the amplitude, and exhale while pulling the dumbbells to the lower back.
Perform 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Seated shoulder press
Sit on the machine bench and grab the handles with an overhand grip. The chest and shoulders should be straightened, the back should be straight, and the elbows should point to the sides. Raise the levers of the machine by extending your arms at the elbow joints. Lower the weight and repeat the exercise at least 13 times (3 sets).
What will the experts say?
Healthy lifestyle and weight loss experts will give valuable advice on losing weight in the shoulder and armpit areas.
Irina Venskaya, fitness model, participant of the Moscow bodybuilding championship
Exercises for the beauty of the hands should be performed, complicating them by lifting small weights (bottles, dumbbells). The weight of the loads is increased only after a person can perform 35 repetitions of the exercises without significant expenditure of effort.
Olga Sologub, expert on healthy lifestyles, author of a thematic blog
He recommends supplementing the diet and exercises for losing weight with a professional massage of the shoulder area and upper arm area (it starts at the armpit level and goes further, reaching the neck area). The procedure will help improve muscle tone and eliminate excess fat deposits.
Alexey Kovalkov, nutritionist, owner of the Kovalkov Weight Correction Clinic
It will not be possible to achieve rapid weight loss in a specific area of the body, since the stage of stable weight loss occurs only 2-3 weeks after starting the diet. In this case, the body loses fat deposits in all parts of the body, and not in any specific area. During this period, the body adapts to changes in lifestyle and nutrition.
Workouts at FitCurves
Circuit training at FitCurves takes just 30 minutes and includes cardio and strength training, allowing you to lose weight faster and more effectively. Each lesson is supervised by a trainer, who monitors the exercises and controls the level of load.
During the workout, all muscle groups are involved, including work on special machines that work out problem areas of the arms: shoulder press, overhead pull (among other things, the deltoid, trapezius and latissimus muscles work) and a biceps-triceps machine. The exercise machines are based on hydraulic resistance and are designed taking into account the anatomical features of the female body.
How to remove fat in the shoulder area: exercises
Fat in the shoulder area is another enemy of swimsuits, open dresses, tops and T-shirts. Exercise alone will not help you here; you need to adjust your diet. We will find out how to do this later in the article.
Excellent exercises for getting rid of fat in the shoulder area include:
- push-ups with a narrow grip and a wide grip
- exercise "prayer"
- "bar"
- reverse push-ups
- raising arms to the sides
The technique for performing all these exercises has already been described in our article. Swimming or rowing machines are also very helpful in the fight against back and shoulder fat.
a beautiful back will add self-confidence
