Women often ask me “how do I get rid of this?”, pointing to the flab on their arms and around their shoulders. Some even wiggle their arms for me in order to emphasize the point. If you have excessive flab around your arms and shoulders, the only natural remedy involves a combination of sensible eating, fat burning with cardiovascular (cardio) exercise and regular weight training, especially for the muscles of the arms and shoulders.
So, if you’re looking to sculpt attractively lean, sleek arms to improve the overall appearance of your upper body, here are six exercises you can easily perform at your gym, at home or even at work.
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Standing Dumbbell Curls
Standing curls are great for sculpting the biceps muscles located on the front of the arms. It’s actually one of the best exercises for giving your arms an overall sleek and shapely appearance. To perform standing curls, stand or sit on an exercise ball while holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward.
To complete the movement, curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders either simultaneously or alternately and then return to the starting position.
It’s important to keep your abdominal muscles engaged while performing this exercise so that your back doesn’t arch. You should also keep your elbows as close to your waist as possible during the movement.
Hammer Curls
Hammer curls are great for sculpting the forearm muscles and they also works the biceps. This exercise is very easy to perform. Simply stand or sit on an exercise ball while holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in.
To complete the movement, curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders either simultaneously or alternately and then return to the starting position.
It’s important to keep your abdominal muscles engaged while performing this exercise. You should also keep your elbows as close to your waist as possible during the movement.
Seated Overhead Extensions
If the backs of your upper arms have a flabby appearance, your triceps are a likely culprit. Overhead extensions are great for sculpting the triceps in a way that gives our arms a more shapely appearance. To perform this exercise, sit on a bench or an exercise ball while holding a dumbbell with both of your hands behind your neck.
To complete the movement, extend your arms straight up until they’re above your head and then return to the starting position.
It’s important to keep your abdominal muscles engaged while performing this exercise so that your back doesn’t arch. You should also keep your elbows as close to your ears as possible during the movement.
VIDEO: Three Simple Exercises that Reduce Underarm Flab
Body Weight Bench Dips
The dip is an excellent exercise for improving the look of your arms and it’s also great for building definition in the chest and shoulder muscles. To perform this exercise, sit on a bench and place your hands on the edge while resting your feet on the floor.
To carry out the movement, bend your arms while lowering your hips down.
Stop when your elbows are at about 90-degree angles or slightly higher and then straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
During the movement, be sure to keep your shoulders down with your back straight and close to the bench. To increase the intensity of this exercise, place another bench in front of you and rest your feet on it.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
The dumbbell shoulder press is an excellent exercise for sculpting the perfect shoulder muscles (deltoids). Well-developed deltoids give the impression of a small waist, contributing to the coveted hourglass figure.
To perform the shoulder press, start by sitting on a bench or an exercise ball with your back straight and a dumbbell in each hand using an overhand grip.
Next, lift the dumbbells to the level of your shoulders with your palms facing forward. To complete the movement, press your arms straight up until they’re above your head and then return to the starting position.
Reverse Flyes
Finally, reverse flyes are also great for developing your shoulder muscles, especially the back of them (rear deltoids). To perform flyes, stand with your feet spread about hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent while holding a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows also slightly bent.
Next, bend forward at your waist and keep your back straight. This is your starting position.
To complete the movement, simply raise the dumbbells to your sides and then return to the starting position. Be sure to keep your abdominal muscles engaged while performing this exercise.
VIDEO: Six Effective Ways to Tone Your Arms
And there you have it! Six exercises that are perfect for building sleek, strong, more sculpted arms. For maximal results, perform 1-3 sets of each exercise at least 1-2 days per week. When the exercises require using weights, start with enough to fatigue your muscles between 8 and 12 repetitions. In other words, 8 should feel like you aren’t going to make it to 12 but light enough for you to get there.
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