TOP 20 TIPS AND EXERCISES ON HOW TO LOSE ARM FAT

Top 20 tips and exercises on how to lose arm fat 

How to get rid of arm fat? You might be surprised to learn that fat on the arms is not going to be cured by just focussing your exercise regime on that area. Although targeted workouts will help to tone your arms and build muscle, but you can’t lose fat on just one area of your body alone. To lose fat on the arms, you need to work out regularly, exercise your arms to tone them and to build muscle, and you need to eat a balanced, healthy diet.

Fat on the arms is not just caused by poor diet and lack of exercise though; it can also be caused by low testosterone levels. Low testosterone levels are not often thought of as a problem for women, but even though women have far less testosterone in their bodies than men, it is still there and it is still important. Testosterone is a hormone that, amongst other things, keeps you lean and, if you don’t have enough testosterone in your body, then that can be a cause of fat developing in the arms. Low testosterone levels can be caused in women by stress, lack of strenuous physical exercise, lack of sleep or over exposure to oestrogen through medications like the birth control pill or even from hormone laden foods.

Here is a selection of diet tips, targeted exercises and general lifestyle advice that will help you to tone your arms and lose that extra fat around and under them.

1. Watch your diet

Our first tip on how to lose arm fat is to watch what you eat. It’s not just a case of watching the calories, although that is important, the quality of your food has a big role to play as well. Make sure that you include in your diet plenty of green leafy vegetables, lean protein and slow burning carbohydrates, like whole grain foods and cut out the processed foods, products with high sodium content and high sugar soda drinks.

2. Cut the calories

As always, the advice to lose weight anywhere on your body is that you need to burn more calories than you consume. Don’t cut down overnight though, this could make you feel dizzy and lethargic, cut down slowly, as you increase your rate of exercise.

3. Always eat a good breakfast

When losing weight, it is important that you don’t cut out breakfast. Eat a good sized breakfast, and it will boost your metabolism and give you enough energy to see you through to lunch, without snacking.

4. Eat less, more frequently

It is much more effective if you eat less, but you can eat more often. Eating smaller meals, more often, keeps your body fuelled throughout the whole day and it will stop you from overeating at night.

5. Where to get your protein from?

Your body needs protein to build muscle mass and you will need muscle, to replace the fat that has accumulated on your arms. The best sources of protein for building muscle, and losing weight at the same time, are gained from lean meats, like turkey, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy products.

6. Where to get your carbohydrates from?

Slow release carbohydrates will give you energy over a prolonged period of time without creating peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels. Some of the best foods for this are beans and lentils. Also, always chose whole grain foods, as these too take longer for your body to break down into energy.

7. Eat protein before and after a workout

When you work out, you can burn off muscle, as well as a fat, so it is important to feed your muscles, before and immediately after a workout. Eat a small, high protein snack within an hour of when you start your workout, and straight afterwards too.

8. Keep yourself well hydrated

Don’t overlook the importance of water, and drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Water will help to suppress your appetite and your body needs it to keep your metabolism working at a good pace.

9. Eat of plenty of fruit and veg

Fresh fruit and veg are the order of the day! That will give you the minerals, vitamins and fiber that you need to keep all your organs functioning properly and your digestive system running smoothly.

10. Cardiovascular work

The best kind of exercise, to lose body fat, is cardiovascular. This means working out your body, so that your heart rate increases, giving cardiovascular system a good workout and burn energy, which will, in turn, burn off the fat. If you are new to exercise, then start out gently, with ten to fifteen minutes at a time and work your way up to thirty minutes a session of running, swimming, cycling or similar forms of exercise.

11. Include resistance training in your workouts

To be able to tone and build muscle, you will need to do some resistance or weight training as well. This is where your exercise routine can focus on your arms, and we have given some examples of weight training and arm exercises below.

Let’s look at exercises to lose arm fat:

12. Pushups

One of the simplest forms of exercise for your muscles is pushups, and you don’t need any special equipment to do them. For beginners, start with pushups from your knees, not fully outstretched to your toes, as you will find this easier to do.

13. Arm twisting

Another one of good exercises to lose arm fat is arm twisting. Hold your arms out, horizontally, to your sides with the palms of your hands facing the floor. Twist your arms so the palms are facing the ceiling, then return to them the original position and repeat.

14. Scissors

Scissors is another one of effective exercises to lose arm fat. Hold your arms out in front of you, at shoulder height. Then, move your arms outwards until they are fully back, bring them back together so that your arms cross in front of you, like a pair of scissors, and repeat this action as many times, as you can.

15. Counter pushups

Place your hands on a kitchen counter or a sturdy, well secured table. Move your feet back until you are standing on your tiptoes. Then perform as many pushups in this position as you can. Keep your back straight and, each time that you move down, to the counter, your elbows should touch the surface of the counter.

16. Stretch

Another good exercise that can help you lose arm fat is stretching. Stretching your arms regularly will tone the muscles and help to bring them back into shape. You can do this any time of the day; you don’t need to wait until your workout. Hold your hands behind your back, palms together and fingers interlocked. Then stretch your arms away from your back, hold and then repeat.

17. Skipping

Skipping is great for reducing arm fat, because you get the benefit of the cardio workout and you get the focussed exercise on your arm muscles. Include skipping into your daily routine and gradually increase the length of time that you skip for.

18. Weight training and gym work

There are many different exercises and pieces of equipment that you can use at the gym to build muscle in your arms, including using dumbbells and TRX cables. Check with an instructor at your gym for the best workouts that will suit you.

19. Yoga

Practicing yoga, twice a week, can also be an effective way to combat fat on the arms. Yoga stretches and strengthens your arms, so it will help you to build sleek and streamlined look to your arms and body. Try it!

20 Start off easy

As with any form of exercise, especially if you are not accustomed to it, if you go mad in the first few days, your muscles will become sore, you will become tired and you probably will quit too soon. Start off gently, build up slowly and then you will stay motivated and continue on with the program.

How to lose arm fat? Do you have tips to share?

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