No More Long Sleeves
Banish underarm flab with these simple exercises.
Feel like you have wings? Do you wear long sleeves even in warm temperatures to hide your flabby arms? As the years pass by, women are especially prone to weight gain on the back of their upper arms, around their triceps muscle. This area is often the first to gain and can be one of the last to lose. When you’ve had enough of the fat, the flab, and the jiggle, it’s time to do something about it.
Feel confident wearing tank tops next summer by incorporating these five upper arm exercises into your daily workout routine.
Triangle Pushup
Rated as the best exercise to rid yourself of upper arm flab, the triangle pushup is similar to the traditional pushup with slight variations. Depending on your strength, this exercise can be done on your knees or toes. Then, instead of placing your hands on the floor beneath your shoulders, place them under your chest to form a triangle. Your middle fingers from both hands should meet while your two thumbs touch to form the bottom of the triangle.
Once in position, lower your body toward the floor, keeping your core tight and
your body in a straight line. Then raise your body back to starting position. Repeat.
Triceps Dip
A second effective upper arm exercise is the triceps dip. Sit on the edge of a firm bench or chair and rest your hands on the edge of the seat by your sides. Place your feet together about a foot to a foot and a half in front of the seat so your knees are bent at 90 degrees.
Then move your bottom off the seat, hold yourself up with your hands, and lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Hold for five seconds then slowly raise your body and straighten your arms until you’re seated again. Repeat. Or use the dip bar at the gym with your trainer’s assistance.
Backward Triceps Extender
Strengthen and tone the back of your upper arms with the triceps extender. In standing position, hold a five-pound dumbbell in your left hand. (Increase the weight if needed.) Step forward about a foot and a half with your right foot and lean your upper body forward. Bend your knees and rest your right hand on your right thigh. Keep your left arm next to your torso and bend your elbow to a 45-degree angle. Slowly extend your left arm straight behind you, hold for five seconds, and then bend your arm again. Repeat and switch sides.
Thumbs Down
You may not feel a work out from this exercise until it’s repeated several times so try doing as many as you can in one minute to feel the burn.
Place your feet in a wide stance, toes pointed out. Stand straight and keep your chin up. Extend both arms out to either side and put your hand in “thumbs up” position. Rotate your thumbs into a “thumbs down” position and lower your arms until your thumbs meet in the middle. In one sweeping motion, raise your arms back up to each side as high as you can. Keep sweeping down and up as many times as you can in a minute.
Plank Switch-Out
A fifth way to banish underarm flab is with the plank. Get in the traditional plank position on the floor by holding your body up on your hands and toes, keeping your back flat and your body in a straight line. Then lower your body and support yourself on your toes and elbows. Go back to your hands, and repeat.
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