Don't shy away from sleeveless tops because you're ashamed of your arms. Shape them up with these tips.
If you've ever looked at a photo of yourself with your arms hanging at your side only to realize that your fat upper arms are wider than your body, you're not alone. Arms are one of the most-cited problem areas, leaving countless people suffering through long sleeves in the summertime to disguise their insecurity, leaving them wondering how to lose arm fat.
Just because you're not walking around with cut arms just yet doesn't mean you can't get there, though. Whether you're looking to get rid of saggy arms after weight loss, slim your arms after weight gain, or tone excess arm flab that just hasn't been a priority for you in the gym, these tips will all help you learn how to lose your arm fat.
These 10 evidence-backed diet tips and exercises for how to lose arm fat will have you handing out tickets to the gun show in no time.
1 Target arm fat with bicep curls.
Man doing bicep curls with dumbbells
One of the easiest ways to get rid of arm fat is by toning your arms. To do that, you'll want to incorporate some bicep curls into your routine. Simply raising and lowering a weight in a 180-degree range of motion, starting with your arm extended along your side, and bringing it up toward your shoulder, can yield serious definition in a hurry. Fortunately, this exercise doesn't require a fancy gym membership or even special equipment; while it's not hard to find a set of dumbbells for under $10, you can also use household products, like gallon jugs of water or soup cans to get the same result.
2 Bulk up your protein intake to increase muscle synthesis.
scrambled eggs in cast iron skillet
Toning your arm muscles will certainly get you the definition you seek, but increasing your protein intake will get you there even faster. Research published in The Journal of Nutrition reveals that adding more protein to your diet increased muscle synthesis by as much as 25 percent, meaning that you can build stronger muscles faster, right in the privacy of your own home.
3 Do dips to define triceps.
Woman doing tricep dips
Want to see those arms getting leaner in a hurry? Try adding some dips to your routine. While there are resistance machines that can help you tackle this exercise, it's also easily accomplished using parallel bars or even a sturdy chair at home. With your arms shoulder-width apart by your waist, grip whatever surface you're dipping on. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, bringing your whole body down, and extend to straighten your arms again. Not only does this help build strong triceps, it can also help you define your pectoral muscles, making your whole upper body look and feel stronger.
4 Make lat pulldowns part of your routine.
Woman doing lat pulldown at gym
Think you can't get a good workout while you're sitting? Think again. In fact, the seated lat pulldown is one of the best exercises for toning those arms in a hurry. Using a pulldown machine, grip the bar and pull to chest level, and then raise again. This exercise makes it easy to build your biceps quickly and helps strengthen and tone your shoulders, which can make your arms look leaner, as well.
5Lose arm fat by losing body fat with the help of grapefruit.
Grapefruit
The easy answer to how to lose arm fat is to get rid of excess fat on your body. The biggest issue most people face in terms of the appearance of their arms isn't a lack of muscle definition, it's excess fat. So if you want to learn how to lose arm fat without gaining muscle, the answer lies within losing overall body fat. This means that what you're eating is as crucial for fixing the arm fat problem as the amount you're exercising.
Instead of grabbing an electrolyte drink after your workout, try adding some grapefruit juice to your routine; researchers at Vanderbilt University found that obese study subjects who sipped a half-cup serving of grapefruit juice before meals significantly reduced their weight and BMI when compared to those who drank water instead. Fortunately, when you lose fat, it disappears all over your body, so a few sips of real grapefruit juice —the fresh, no sugar added stuff— can help you ditch those batwings for good.
