how to get rid of fat arms
Fitness

How to Get Rid of Fat Arms? 9 Things You Should Do

While many people work out to make their arms bigger, an equal number are exercising to make them smaller. These people are striving to get rid of arm fat, which usually accumulates at the back of the upper arm. If you are one of them, then this article is for you. In it, we’ll reveal nine proven tactics to get rid of fat arms fast.

1. Whole Body Weight Loss

person standing on white digital bathroom scale

Even though you want to get rid of fat from your arms, you need to do exercises for your whole body to achieve that goal. That is because it is impossible to spot-reduce body fat. In order to get rid of stored fat in your arms,  you need to burn calories from all over your body. The best way to do that is with a whole-body exercise program.

2. Lifting Weights

pink and gray rolling chair

Lifting weights will not, in itself, allow you to lose fat from your arm muscles. But it will help you to lose overall body weight by burning calories and it will shape and build muscle tone. The more muscle you add to your body, the faster your metabolism will be, and the more efficient you will be at burning body fat.

Here are three effective arm exercises:

Tricep Dips

  1. Stand in front of an exercise bench, facing away from it. Place your hands on the bench behind you and extend your legs out on the floor so that your body forms a 30° angle.
  2. From a starting position with your arms straight, and the elbows to lower your body towards the floor.
  3. When your elbows form a 90° angle, push through the triceps muscles at the back of your upper arms to return to the start position.
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Overhead Tricep Extensions

  1. Sit on a bench with a dumbbell held by one end in both hands in a cupping position. Keep your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Extend your arms overhead, keeping your elbows in by your ears.
  3. Bend the elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head to full contraction.
  4. Push through the triceps to return to the start position.

Bicep Curls

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of dumbbells held at your sides, palms facing forward.
  2. Keeping your elbows in at the sides of the body, curl the right-hand dumbbell up toward your shoulder. Do not swing or otherwise use momentum.
  3. Squeeze the bicep in the top positions and then lower the weight under control. 
  4. Repeat with the left arm.

3. Eat More Fiber

white ceramic bowl with brown nuts

Fiber helps you to lose weight because it processes very slowly in the body and takes up quite a lot of room in your stomach. This helps to fill you up and keep you full for longer. As a result, you will be less likely to snack between meals. 

Fiber should, therefore, form part of a healthy diet for weight loss. Get a plentiful supply by adding vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains to your eating plan.

4. Prioritize Protein

cooked dish

You probably know that protein is good for building muscle. It will also benefit your weight loss efforts. Protein is a very satiating macronutrient so it fills you up fast. It also revs up your metabolism so that you burn more calories. 

Protein’s ability to help increase muscle mass also helps with weight loss. That’s because a pound of muscle is denser than a pound of fat and needs more calories to maintain it. As a result, the metabolic rate increases.

5. Increase Your Cardio Exercise

woman exercising indoors

Cardio exercise is the best way to burn calories. So, doing regular cardio will help you achieve the calorie deficit which is necessary for fat loss. Try to do around 30 minutes of cardio exercise each day.  The best cardio for you is the one you enjoy doing the most. Good options are cycling, jogging, jumping rope, and swimming.

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6. Reduce Carb Intake

white and black floral round decor

Not all carbohydrates are bad, but people on a healthy nutritious diet for weight loss will try to reduce their refined carb intake. Refined carbs are heavily processed foods that are usually high in sugar and low in vitamins and minerals. They are usually also very high in calories. 

Try to reduce your intake of such refined cover hydrates as white bread, sugar-loaded breakfast cereals, and pasta. Replace them with healthy complex carbs like brown rice, broccoli, and pumpkin. 

7. Improve Sleep Quality

woman sleeping on blue throw pillow

Lack of quality sleep can lead to elevated levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and diminished levels of the satiety hormone leptin. That is a recipe for disaster if you are trying to lose arm fat. As a result, you should try to get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night.

8. Drink More Water

person holding clear drinking glass

The more water you drink, the more full you will feel without adding calories to your body. We recommend getting into the habit of taking a full glass of water with your meals and sipping on a water bottle between meals.

Drinking water has also been shown to boost metabolism. Replacing your sugar-laden soft drinks with water will go a long way to helping you lose weight. Aim for a water intake of half a gallon per day.

9. Bodyweight Exercises

woman in blue sports bra and blue denim shorts standing on wooden dock during daytime

You don’t have to join a gym to be able to do exercises to get rid of fat arms. Bodyweight exercises have been done for thousands of years to get in shape. Creating a routine from such calisthenic moves as push-ups, bodyweight squats, pull-ups, chin-ups, the plank, and the wall sit will allow you to work your entire body from the comfort of your home.

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Conclusion

To get rid of fat arms, you need to combine a number of strategies, including weight training to build muscle mass, cardio to burn off calories, and a reduced calorie healthy diet to burn off excess body fat. Stick to a program that involves all of these elements and you will steadily see a decrease in arm fat and an increase in muscle definition and tone throughout your whole body.

How can I get skinnier arms?

To get skinnier arms, you need to do calorie-burning exercises for the entire body. That’s because you cannot spot reduce body fat. Combine your workouts with a calorie-reduced diet. Add in some muscle-building workouts and a calorie-reduced diet.

Should I do arm exercises to lose arm fat?

Arm exercises will help to shape your arm muscles, but they will not get rid of the fat on your arms. To do that, combine a reduced-calorie diet with all-over body exercises to burn calories. 

Why do women have more arm fat than men?

Men and women tend to store fat in different places. While men tend to pack it on the belly and sides of the waist, for women it is the hips, thighs, and backs of the upper arms where fat tends to accumulate. 

What can I do about excess skin on my arms?

Excess or loose skin on the arms cannot be removed by exercise or diet. You will have to undergo a surgical procedure to have your loose skin removed. 

Steve Theunissen

Steve Theunissen is a former gym owner and personal trainer based in Tauranga, New Zealand. He is the author of six hardcopy books and more than a hundred ebooks on the topics of bodybuilding, fitness, and fat loss.

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