Excess arm fat can be annoying. Especially if you’re already lacking in upper body strength, arm flab can be a dim reminder of how difficult it can be to lift that heavy box off the top shelf. So whether your goal is to eradicate that pudge or to do a pull-up, developing upper arm muscle is key to building strength and dropping that extra fat.
Thankfully, there are many workouts you can do to build that upper body strength. According to 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, the key to dropping arm flab includes losing overall body fat.
“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,” said Dr. Taber to Parade.
Taber recommends a simple exercise routine (in addition to the other workouts below) to start seeing results in your arms, as well as tone the areas around the arms.
“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 said. “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.”
Ready to start? Here are some of the exercise videos Dr. Taber recommends watching for more fitspo.
As always, be sure to consult a doctor or medical professional before starting any new exercise program. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, be sure to get medical help.
