How to Lose Arm Fat: 9 Best Exercise to Lose Arm Fat

Hey, all you beautiful people! Are you looking for ways to lose arm fat¹?

Every person has a unique body. Opting to lose weight is a great initiative towards achieving a healthy lifestyle!

As it is truly said, the greatest wealth that the person holds is his health, and a healthy lifestyle changes not only your body but also your mind and attitude.

To start a healthy lifestyle, the following points should be kept in mind:

• Lose overall body fat
• Maintain Healthy diet
• Build lean body mass
• Increase protein intake
• Weight training

Over the years, people have been targeting to lose weight instead of losing fat. Weight loss means decreased muscle mass, loss of fluids, and a calorie deficit diet.

People should be focusing on FAT LOSS, which is losing the excessive deposition of fat molecules.

Fat loss is more beneficial than weight loss. Fat burning is the excess fat cells present in the body. A balanced diet leads to the loss of fat. This comprises adequate calorie intake.

A healthy diet means including different foods in specific quantities and proportions.

A diet must include –

• ¼ portion of whole grains
• ½ portion of vegetables
• ½ portion of fruits
• ½ portion of pulses
• 3-4 liters of water

Other factors that result in the accumulation of stubborn body fat are:

1. Gender- Studies have proven that men burn fat with more ease and have more muscle mass. Women have more body fat and less lean muscle mass.
2. Body composition – People with short height tend to burn fat at a lesser rate than tall people.
3. Age- As age increases, the muscle mass increases.
4. Medical conditions – PCOS², diabetes,³ and thyroid can increase body weight.
   For losing excess body fat, overall body fat loss should be targeted along with decreased caloric intake.

Having fat arms is undoubtedly an issue faced by everyone. Following simple workout regimes at home can give you toned arms.

A consistent workout is a key to success to gain those toned arms.

But how to lose arm fat with spot reduction?

Spot reduction is not possible. Every person has a different tendency to store fat in the body, as stated by Brianna Bernard, Precision Nutrition Coach, NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Performing exercises focused on the upper arms will help in achieving toned arms.

Resistance training, weight lifting combined with cardiovascular exercise reduces arm fat. Successful weight loss can be achieved only when you build a regular workout routine. A time should be allowed for a workout routine.

But what is the best time to work out?

Indeed, a morning workout can give better weight loss results. An increase in energy, motivation, and willpower is observed in early raisers. Exercising before a few hours of bedtime may hamper the sleep schedule.

But before moving on to exercises and how to lose arm fat, here are a few things to know:

Basal Metabolic Rate

Before starting a workout, you should have a brief knowledge about BASAL METABOLIC RATE [BMR}, the energy expended after consuming a meal in a neutral environment after the digestive system has been inactive for 12 hours.

BMR is also known as the rate of metabolism.

BMR Score

It is a number that reflects the number of calories burnt when the body is at rest. A normal BMR is between 1000-2000 energy units per time.

Calculating Your BMR

There are different formulae for men and women. The following will assist you to know your BMR

MEN: 88.362+(13.397xweight in kg)+(4.799xheight in centimetres)-(5.677xage in years)

WOMEN:447.593+(9.247+weight in kg)+3.098xheight in centimetre)-(4.330xage in years)

Tracking Weight

Tracking your weight daily! Yes, that is right; tracking your weight daily helps you stay focused on the target.

The weight should be measured on an empty stomach immediately after waking up early in the morning.

Diving into the anatomy:

Knowledge of upper body muscles is necessary to ensure a proper and effective workout. Focus on the shoulder and arm muscles.

The shoulder is a highly mobile and less stable joint.

The muscles around the shoulder girdle to be taken into consideration during a workout are:

• Trapezius
• Deltoid
• Biceps
• Triceps

Let’s have an overview of biceps and triceps muscles.

The Bicep muscle is located in the anterior compartment of the shoulder and is used during the bicep curls.

The tricep muscle is situated in the posterior compartment of the shoulder.

This is the area leading to flabby arms; to work out this portion, the tricep dips are more effective in decreasing saggy and flabby arms.

These are also responsible for the flexion and extension activities of the shoulder and elbow.

An overall body fat loss is always recommended for the best results. Irrespective of targeting saggy arms after losing weight or to tone flabby arms.

Losing arm fat can be tedious, but the results are worth shedding a little sweat.

How to lose arm fat? The answer to your question is here.

Here are a few exercises you could simply perform at home and get rid of those flabby arms. Burn arm fat and build muscle mass.

Exercises for losing arm fat

The following exercises might help you get rid of that stubborn arm fat.

1. Cardio Exercises

Before starting any workout, a warm-up is necessary to avoid further muscle damage. Just aim to warm up for 10-15 mins before starting your upper body workout.

2. Brisk Walking

A brisk walk for 10 minutes should increase your blood flow and heart rate. This would make you ready for the workout.

3. Jumping Jacks

This is also known as a star jump. It is a basic cardio exercise that can be performed in a limited space.

How to perform a jumping jack?

• Stand straight with legs together, feet flat on the ground, and arms by your side.
• Knees slightly bent, and take a jump in the air.
• Spread your legs about shoulder-width apart, and raise your arms in the air.
• Jump back to the starting position.
• Repeat the procedure.

4. Arm Circles

Arm circles for 1-2 minutes should be performed both clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Steps to perform arm circles

• Stand straight with legs together, feet flat, arms by your side, and palms facing inside.
• Lift arms to the shoulder level, with palms facing away.
• Begin to circle your arms without bending your elbows.

5. Wall Pushups

• Stand in front of a wall, with a 1 or 2 feet distance away.
• Place your palms on the wall, with a distance more than shoulder-width apart.
• Place your legs firmly on the ground.
• Elbows should be bent, bringing the chest and chin close to the wall. This is your starting position for basic wall push-ups.
• Exhale while pushing your elbows, chest, and chin away from the wall.
• Get back to the starting position and repeat the process.

6. Inchworm

This exercise helps to stretch out the entire body.

Steps to perform inchworm

• Stand straight with feet close together. Bend forward.
• Place your palms beside your feet.
• Start walking with your hands.
• Until a plank or push-up position is achieved, keep moving forward.
• Start taking small steps forward with legs. Stop when your feet are near your palms.

7. Squat Jumps

This helps work out the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Repeat this 10 times and 3 sets.

This exercise is not entirely for arms, but your arms do have a great movement while doing this exercise.

Steps to perform a squat jump

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms resting by your side
• Bend knees to squat.
• From the squat position, jump into the air until the hips extend and the body is upright.
• Land down on flat feet to absorb the shock.

8. Trunk Rotations

This helps in decreasing belly fat. To make it more challenging, you can add weight to it, and you could use a football or any household item.

Steps to perform trunk rotations-

• Stand straight with arms elevated by the side.
• Turn side to side by twisting the torso.
• Repeat this process by holding onto a heavy object.

9. Advanced Arm Workouts

This workout will help shape your arm muscles and give you the sculpted, toned arms you’ve been looking for. No gym equipment is required for this arm workout!

Following are a few advanced arm workouts:

I) BURPEES

This workout not only gives you toned arms but also toned abs and legs

Steps to perform burpees

• The body should be in a push-up position.
• Push the feet to bring the knees close to the chest in a squat position.
• Jump again in a squat position by raising the arms in the air.
• Place the palms underneath the shoulders.
• Push back the legs to starting position.

II) BICEP CURLS

The bicep curls are a weight training exercise for the upper arm. This helps in working out the brachialis and brachioradialis. Substitute dumbell with a 1-liter bottle instead.

Steps to Perform bicep curls

• The feet should be shoulder-width apart. Keeping the core muscles tight.
• Hold the bottle in each hand. The arms should be on either side of the body.
• Keep the upper body stable, initiate the curls by bending the elbows and bringing it closer to the chest.
• Repeat it 10 times.

III) TRICEP DIPS

Tricep dips will help lose arm fat without bulking up. This exercise can be performed anywhere using household equipment.

Steps to perform tricep dips

• Sit on the edge of a stable chair.
• Place a firm grasp on the arms of the chair.
• Extend your legs and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your elbow and lift your body from the chair.
• Again bend elbows o to 90 degrees.
• Get back to starting position and repeat it.

VARIATION

Tricep dips can be performed with knees bent at 90 degrees instead of extending them. In this variation, you will be able to lift more weight off the ground.

IV) PUSH-UPS

Push-ups are great exercises to strengthen your core muscles, tricep, bicep, and deltoid muscles. This is also a common calisthenics exercise for beginners.

Steps to perform push-ups

• Use a yoga mat to get on the floor in the prone position.
• Palms should be shoulder-width apart and legs extended on toes.
• Tighten the core muscles, keeping the spine aligned with the body.
• Elbows should be bent in 90 degrees as you inhale and bring the chest closer to the mat.
• Exhale while extending the elbows, pushing yourself away from the mat.
• Get back to the starting position; repeat this 10 times.

VARIATIONS

A beginner should perform basic push-ups. But as you advance, the intensity of the workout should be increased. Here are a few modified push-up variations.

BENT KNEE PUSH-UPS-

The knees are bent and crossed over one another. The spine, knees, and hips should be aligned in a line. The same steps should be repeated.

INCLINED PUSH-UPS-

This is performed on an inclination or table, or bench elbows should be bent at 90 degrees and pushed back to the starting position.

DECLINED PUSH-UPS-

The feet should be placed on a table, bench, or an inclination. Elbows should be bent at 90 degrees. This will increase the resistance felt by the upper arms.

DIAMOND PUSH-UPS-

This targets the tricep and tricep brachii muscles. The hands should be placed so that the thumbs and the index fingers should touch each other, making a diamond shape.

V) PLANKS

The planks are a great exercise to increase core strength and upper arm strength. This can also improve your posture.

Planks should be performed on a yoga mat with adequate cushioning under the elbows to prevent injury or bruises.

Steps to perform a planks

• The elbows should be bent 90 degrees with shoulder-width apart.
• The head, neck, spine, and hips should be aligned.
• The body weight should be taken on the elbows and the toes.
• The face should be looking forward.
• This position should be held for 30 seconds.

VARIATIONS

There are many variations of the plank with different intensities. The following are a few modifications of the planks that might help you.

TABLETOP PLANKS

Arms should be extended, and the knees must be bent at 90 degrees. This is a simplified version of plank for beginners.

PLANK WITH LEG LIFT

The elbows should be bent in a 90 degrees position, with the legs fully extended, and the weight is bared on the elbows and the toes. Slowly a leg should be raised.

This position should be maintained for 30 seconds. The legs should be switched after timely intervals.

PLANK LIFTS WITH ARMS

The elbows should be bent in a 90 degrees position, with the legs fully extended, and the weight is bared on the elbows and the toes. Slowly a hand should be extended.

This position should be maintained for 30 seconds. The hands should be switched after timely intervals.

VI) PULL-UPS

The pull-ups help to build the muscle of the upper back. This exercise focuses on upper body strength.

Steps to perform pull-ups

• For this exercise, a bar is needed which can withstand heavy weight.
• Have a firm grip over the bar.
• While pulling yourself towards the bar, exhale the air out.
• Lower yourself until the elbows are fully extended.
• Repeat this process.

VI) ARM PULSES

This should be performed with arms extended. The exercise should be performed by pulsing upwards and downwards.

Each pulse should be performed for 30 seconds.

Stretches for Arms

Remember to end your workout with a 10-15 minutes cool-down session. This helps prevent any kind of muscle, tendon, or ligament injuries.

Stretching also helps to improve your flexibility.

A regular stretching routine can reduce muscle tightness and soreness.

Trapezius Stretch

This stretch can be performed both in standing as well as sitting positions.

• One arm should be placed behind the back
• Another arm should hold the neck
• Stretching it to the opposite side
• Hold for 30 seconds
• Repeat the same on the other side

Tricep Stretch

• Bring the desired arm above your neck, placing the palm on the shoulder blades.
• The other hand is placed on it, giving it a stretch.
• Hold this position for at least 30 seconds
• Repeat the same for the opposite side.

Crossbody Stretch

• Grab one arm above the level of the elbow.
• Stretch it towards the opposite side
• Hold for 30 seconds
• Perform the same on another side

Bicep Stretch

Place the palms behind the body, bend the knees and bring it closer to the chest. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Wrist Stretch

Stand in an upright position. Extend both your arms away from the trunk. Hold the palm of one hand with another and give a gentle stretch to the wrist.

Again hold this position for 30 seconds.

Trunk Stretch

Extend both your arms above the head. Interlock the fingers of both the hands and stretch the torso laterally and medially.

Precautions to be taken while working out

Ensure to begin your workout with a proper warm-up routine so that you have a gradually increased heart rate.

Start with moderate resistance training and weight lifting. This helps to develop muscle tone. And always end the workout with a cool-down session.

Protein intake should be increased, and carbohydrates should be reduced from the diet. The body should constantly be hydrated; a 3-4 liter of water intake is necessary.

A normal breathing pattern should be maintained throughout the workout session.

To avoid fatigue and breathlessness, the accurate time to inhale and exhale should be kept in mind.

Also, do not overexert yourself if you are a beginner. A workout session should extend from 1-2 hours only and not more than that as it will lead to increased muscle wear and tear.

The arm workout can also be combined with overall body exercises. The workout regime should be followed at least 3-4 times per week.

No need to look at those fat arms and worry about losing arm fat! Just follow the given tips and exercise for better results.

It is not about the perfect workout or diet regime, and it is about the effort you put in every day; that is when you see the transformation.

1. Calculator, B. M. I., et al. “25 Best Exercises for Flabby Arms (Lose Arm Fat).” ↩︎
2. Azziz, Ricardo. “PCOS: a diagnostic challenge.” Reproductive biomedicine online 8.6 (2004): 644-648. ↩︎
3. Forouhi, Nita Gandhi, and Nicholas J. Wareham. “Epidemiology of diabetes.” Medicine 38.11 (2010): 602-606. ↩︎

Last Updated on August 2, 2024 by Sathi