How to Lose Flabby Arms

A big and often unsightly problem for many men and women are flabby arms. That’s right, guys; men can get flabby arms too! And if you don’t believe me, just check out any episode of the “Biggest Loser” tv show and you’ll see what I’m talking about. In fact, soft, spongy-looking arms have become quite common on men in today’s fast-food and “no-time-for-exercise” culture. And if you think only the obese have saggy biceps and triceps, think again. Anybody’s arms can have the weak, droopy or “skinny fat” appearance that comes from poor diet and lack of muscle tone.

Whether you’re a man or woman, if you’re tired of hiding your “flabby” or feeling too embarrassed to wear a sleeveless shirt, consider this: wouldn’t you love to lose the flab from your arms so you never had to feel this way again? And if you’re not overweight but still have arms that look like they’re made of marshmallows, wouldn’t it be great to have tightly chiseled biceps and triceps instead? If you said “yes” to either of these questions, keep reading because I’ve got a simple but effective workout plan for you to burn flab and build muscle in your upper arms.

To build shape and “muscle tone” into your biceps and triceps, you need a few basic arm building exercises. To get started, the following exercises provide a good foundation for shaping these muscles and transforming them from a source of embarrassment to a point of pride.

1. EZ Bar Preacher Curls

The EZ bar preacher curl is one of my all time favorite biceps exercises. The preacher bench is a terrific training tool as it forces the biceps to work in relative isolation from the back and shoulders. The EZ curl bar offers both narrow-grip and wide-grip hand positions. When you use the narrow grip, your hands are in a semi-neutral position and put primary resistance on the long head or outer portion of your biceps. If you have no experience with preacher curls, you should probably begin with the narrow-grip position.
As you become more experienced with this exercise, and for balanced biceps development, you should also use the wide grip hand position which increases development of the short head or inner section of your biceps.

2. Standing EZ Bar Curls

As an alternative to the EZ bar preacher curl, standing EZ bar curls with back support are a great biceps builder. When performed while standing with your back leaning slightly against a wall, standing EZ bar curls force your biceps to lift the weight without the wasteful torso swing that will cheat your biceps of the benefits of this exercise. As mentioned previously, the EZ curl bar has narrow and wide hand-grip positions. If you have no experience with EZ bar curls, you should probably begin with the narrow-grip position. With increased experience in this exercise you should use the wide-grip position to supinate your hands and increase the workload on the inner portion of your biceps.

3. Concentration Curls

As the name suggests, this exercise places concentrated resistance on the biceps when performed properly. Besides building your biceps, this exercise also stresses and develops the brachialis. The brachialis is a true forearm flexor. It originates on the lower anterior surface of the humerus, ends on the anterior surface of the coronoid process of the ulna (the large bone on the inside of the forearm) and is visible on the outside of the upper arm between the biceps and the lateral head of the triceps. Development of the brachialis and biceps is crucial for balanced strength and appearance in your upper arms.

4. EZ Bar Triceps Extensions

This exercise, also known as “Skull crushers” is a terrific mass-builder for your triceps. For maximum growth, EZ bar triceps extensions require that you keep your upper arms in a position perpendicular (90 degrees) to the exercise bench throughout each repetition. If this position causes you any elbow strain or discomfort, you can lower the angle by moving your arms slightly forward to reduce the stress on your elbows. Don’t worry – making this minor adjustment won’t impede your ability to get the benefits of this exercise.

You should also place your hands in the narrow-grip position on the EZ bar which, when combined with proper arm position, ensures that each triceps head receives maximum resistance throughout the exercise motion. Lower and extend the weight in a smooth, continuous motion without jerking or swinging the bar with your back or shoulders. When done correctly, you can’t beat EZ bar triceps extensions for building rock-solid triceps.

5. Triceps Pushups

While standard pushups involve the triceps, chest and shoulders in the “pushing” motion, triceps pushups are designed to minimize chest and shoulder involvement so as to maximize training resistance on the triceps. Your training technique is extremely important with proper hand positioning essential to ensuring that these pushups firm up your triceps. For proper performance, take a standard pushup position with your hands and arms extended and shoulder-width apart. Then slide your hands closer together until your thumbs nearly touch each other. This is the starting position.

With your hands in this position, slowly lower your arms underneath you and then push yourself back up to the starting position as you would with regular pushups. Make sure that you keep your back straight and your head up for maximum resistance on your triceps. For added resistance or pyramid cycles, have a training buddy gently place a 5-10 pound barbell plate on your back to force your triceps to work harder if you want to build more muscle mass.

6. Seated Triceps Dips

Seated triceps dips are another terrific triceps builder, yet I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen anyone doing them in the gym. To do this exercise, sit on a workout bench with your legs together and extended on the floor in front of you. Your arms should be fully extended and shoulder-width apart behind you. Slide your body slightly forward to suspend yourself so that your arms are bearing your bodyweight between the bench and the floor. With your arms extended and your hands nearly touching behind you, slowly lower yourself as though to sit on the floor and then push yourself back up by extending your arms and returning to the starting position. This exercise, when performed properly, will add tremendous power, shape and definition to your triceps – guaranteed!

Now that you know which exercises you need, here’s how to use them. To burn fat and build muscularity in your upper arms, high repetition training (12-15 reps) will help you burn the calories necessary to get the fat off of your biceps and triceps. The primary source of energy for your weight training workouts is stored carbohydrates or glycogen. Once your glycogen stores have been depleted, your body will begin to metabolize fat as its primary energy source. High repetition training will deplete your glycogen stores so that your body can then start burning fat to power you through the cardiovascular component of your workouts.

Keep in mind that you cannot “spot reduce” and make only the fat from your arms disappear with high rep training. But this approach will help you reduce your overall body fat content with resulting improvement in the shape and tone of your upper arms.

As I just mentioned, cardiovascular training is also crucial to burning fat and building muscle in your biceps and triceps. For your cardio work I suggest high intensity interval training, also known as “HIIT” in bodybuilding circles, to get rid of your excess body fat. This training consists of relatively short bursts of cardiovascular activity that: (a) prevent your body from adjusting to a static and routine level of aerobic exertion; and (b) metabolize stored fat at a higher rate through dynamic and varied levels of cardio training. Unlike conventional aerobics which usually involves a single activity (e.g., cycling, walking or distance running) in a given workout session, high intensity interval training consists of multiple cardio exercises during a single 20-30 minute workout. For example, you might combine stationary cycling, treadmill walking and running, and rope jumping in 5-minute intervals of a single 20-minute cardio session.

Finally, you must combine your arm training with a healthy diet that avoids sugary and fatty foods. For many people, this is the hardest part of any workout plan. But if you combine healthy eating with the arm training tips I’ve given you, you’ll be well on your way to getting the chiseled arms that you deserve!