How to Lose Arm Fat, According to a Personal Trainer
Updated: Aug. 28, 2019We'd all like our arms to be taut, toned and jiggle-free, but the reality tends to veer to flabby, flaccid, and jiggly. So learn how to lose arm fat from a pro.
Embrace muscle
Don’t be afraid of weights. After all, muscle burns more calories than fat. Do you want to know how to lose arm fat? Start with dumbbells, says Dede Lagree, owner and head trainer at Lagree Fitness Studio. For Lagree’s arm-toning workout, choose a pair of dumbbells that you can safely lift at least 20 times. But pick a weight that challenges you: Your arms should feel that 20th rep! Don’t have dumbbells? Substitute soup cans or water bottles, Lagree says. Afterward, check out all the subtle, yet substantial body changes that happen when you start lifting weights.
Bicep curl
So, here’s how to lose arm fat: Stand holding the dumbbells at your side, palms facing forward. Your posture and form is important, so keep your back straight and chest up. Lift your arms straight up until they’re at a 90-degree angle to your trunk. Now curl the weights to your shoulder as you count to three, then straighten to a count of three. Lagree recommends doing three sets of 20 repetitions. Also, don’t miss this 15-minute strength training routine that works your entire body.
Shoulder press
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights at your shoulders, palms facing the ceiling. Press weights straight overhead, keeping shoulders down. Lower weights back to shoulders. Lagree recommends doing 20 reps.
Triceps push-back
With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hinge forward at the hips. Keep your arms parallel with your trunk, palms facing behind you. Lift your arms straight back as you slowly count to three; pause, then count to three as you return your arms to your side. Lagree recommends doing 20 reps.
Plank-ups
Start in a high plank position—palms flat on the floor beneath your shoulders, arms straight. Carefully place your left forearm on the ground. Then, carefully place your right forearm on the ground. You should hit a forearm plank. Now push up with your right hand and then your left to return to a high plank. Repeat, alternating which side you lower first with each rep. Lagree recommends doing two sets of ten reps. Another workout worth trying: these 9 resistance band exercises that will work your entire body.
Lateral arm raises
One final exercise in a workout that shows you how to lose arm fat: Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in toward your body. With a slow and controlled motion, raise your arms out from your sides until they’re parallel with the floor. Then, slowly lower your hands back to your sides. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision, says Lagree—your arm isn’t directly out to the side, but slightly forward. Lagree recommends doing two sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side. Next, find out the 14 things that happen to your body when you begin a new strength training workout.
- Dede Lagree, owner and head trainer at Lagree Fitness Studio, Los Angeles.
