Slimming Tricks for Arms

Having a bit of arm flab is easy enough to disguise during the winter, but during the summer months, the task of covering up gets a little more difficult. Instead of hiding your body, take steps to burn fat and you'll be wearing that summer outfit in no time. You can't solely target your arm fat, but a combination of exercises can help you build the body you desire.

  1. Spot Reduction

    • It might seem plausible that arm exercises will specifically help you burn the excess flab on your arms, but the concept that you can burn by working the nearby muscles is an exercise myth called spot reduction. CNN Health lists this theory, which fitness infomercials often perpetuate, among its 10 common exercise myths. According to the American Council on Exercise, fat loss as a result of exercise will occur throughout your body, not just in the area around the muscles you used.

    Aerobic Exercise

    • Aerobic exercise is an effective way to burn enough calories to experience fat loss throughout your body, including on your arms. This type of exercise elevates your heart rate and involves multiple major muscle groups. Aerobic exercises that work your arms include swimming and jumping rope. At the gym, machines such as the elliptical trainer and rowing machine also involve the arms. Pick one or more types of aerobic exercise that you enjoy and aim to spend at least 300 minutes each week performing them.

    Strength Training

    • Strength training won't burn calories as rapidly as aerobic exercise, but is nonetheless an important element of any workout regimen. Strength training includes body-weight exercises such as pushups, crunches, planks and jumping jacks, and weight-training exercises with free weights and weight machines. If you wish to work out at home, use resistance bands and dumbbells for exercises. Increasing your muscle mass can also play a role in reducing body fat; WeightLossResources.co.uk reports when you develop your muscles, your body will burn more calories daily. Incorporate at least two days of strength training into your weekly workout regimen.

    Arm Exercises

    • Even if your prime workout objective is to burn enough calories to create slimmer arms, working your arms can help you build sleek, toned arms once you've lost the fat. The arm exercises you can add to your workout regimen are nearly endless; for your biceps, perform biceps curls with a dumbbell. To target your triceps, use a dumbbell for triceps extensions. If you wish to sculpt shapely forearms, try the barbell reverse curl. Other arm exercises to consider include biceps hammer curls with dumbbells, triceps pushups and cable roller wrist extensions for your forearms.