Say Goodbye to Flabby Arms

Bat wings. Chicken wings. Flying squirrels. Wing flaps.

Across the pond they call them “bingo wings.” I dare you to try to say that with a straight face…

Whatever you like to call yours, I’m sure you don’t love the look or feel of that flabby, jiggly skin under your arms.

I know I’ve purposely searched for swimsuit tops with sleeves just to keep my sagging arms tucked in, and I’ve even worn long-sleeved shirts in ninety-degree weather.

And while weight and age can definitely contribute to your arm flaps, it doesn’t necessarily discriminate.

I know my friend wears a size two and has always been tiny; and yet she’s struggled to get rid of her “bat wings” since her thirties!

That’s because there are a few different things that can give you wings (and no, it’s not Red Bull).

Besides looking far from cute, having extra skin flapping in the wind is just plain uncomfortable.

But can you really do anything about it?

Spoiler alert: YES, it is possible to reduce and even eliminate your flabby arms!

Before we get to that though, let’s take a quick look at why you have arm flab to begin with.

Flabby Arms Are Caused By:

• Drastic weight gain – Quite often, those extra pounds settle in your arms resulting in that flabby, heavy wings—especially if you’re lacking muscle to help keep things high and tight.
• Extreme weight loss without building muscle – I know! Totally unfair, but just because you lose weight quickly doesn’t mean you’ll magically be toned and fit.
• Age – As we age, we lose muscle mass and skin elasticity, which can result in those pesky bingo wings (and it’s just simply harder to lose weight after a certain age).
• Genetics – Some people are just prone to developing flabby arms regardless of their weight or age.  (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

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Now What?

So now you know why your arms wave along with your hands, but what do you do about it?

Exercise is your best bet, regardless of what caused your bat wings to sprout. (Keep in mind we’re talking about your typical flabby arms here—not extreme loose skin from drastic weight loss.)

Building muscle will help lift and tone your arms, and burning fat can also reduce the size and weight of your waving wobblers.

Exercises to Tighten Flabby Arms

And now the part you’ve been waiting for: Time to break a sweat and kiss those flying squirrel arms goodbye for good!

These exercises are sure to help tone and tighten your arms, and they’ll also burn some serious calories while you’re at it.

And the more lean muscle mass you build, the more calories and fat you’ll burn even when you’re not pumping iron.

1. Push-Ups

I can hear your groans already, and I get it—I’m not a fan of push-ups, either.

But this exercise is a popular staple for a reason—it really gets results!

While push-ups are often considered chest exercises, they also work the triceps to tighten up and tone your arms.

Pro tip: If you can’t handle a regular push-up, you can modify it! 

The best two ways for beginners to do a push-up are knee push-ups (where you’re on your knees instead of in full plank position) or incline push-ups (with your hands on the wall or a counter or bench instead of the floor).

You still get some of the burn, and you’ll work most of the same muscle groups.

2. Tricep Dips

For this exercise, you’ll need a bench or sturdy chair. You could use a couch if that’s your only option; but for proper form, we suggest sticking to something solid.

You’ll want to make sure that whatever you use for this exercise won’t move, so push whatever you’re using up against the wall to keep it from sliding away or tipping.

To do this exercise, sit down on and wrap your hands around the front of the seat with your knuckles facing forward. Then, slide your rear end off the front of the seat and extend your arms to hold yourself up.

From there, slowly lower your body until the elbows bend to a 90-degree angle.

Dip your body down and up for about 30 seconds three times resting about 30 seconds to a minute between sets.

If you’re struggling to do this one, you can bend your knees a bit more and put your feet flat, which will transfer some of the weight from your arms to your feet.

3. Bicep Curls

The key to this exercise is good posture, and proper form. If you don’t squeeze your bicep while doing it, you’re not going to get effective results from your movements.

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.

Let your arms relax with your hands at your sides, shoulders back, elbows at your hip bones, and palms facing forward.

Then, while keeping your elbows tucked to only work the bicep, lift both dumbbells up and then slowly lower your arms back down to complete one repetition.

Repeat for 10-12 reps three times with a 30-second rest between rounds.

4. Forward Punches

This is a great exercise to get your heart rate up in between strength building exercises.

It’s important to keep good form, and to keep your abs tight so you don’t throw out your back; but you don’t want to move too slow here.

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, and the knees slightly bent.

Make a fist with both hands. Then raise your arms, bend your elbow so that arms are at a 90-degree angle, with your hands in front of your face.

Punch forward with your right arm until it’s straight with your palm facing the floor. Then pull it back to it’s starting position. Repeat with the left arm to complete one repetition.

From there, continue punching forward, alternating your arms between punches for 60 seconds. Repeat three times with a 30-second rest between rounds.

5. Arm Circles

You might look like you’re trying to fly, but trust me—this will help your wings disappear!

This exercise will seriously tone your shoulder and upper arm muscles, which will help tighten those wings back in where they belong.

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms to the sides at shoulder height. Then, move your arms in a circle in a counterclockwise or clockwise motion.

Continue for about 30 seconds and then switch from counterclockwise to clockwise or vice versa.

To make it harder hold a small dumbbell or a 16-oz bottle of water in each hand.

Breaking Up With Your Flabby Arms

These exercises may not be a “quick fix”, but building muscle and burning fat is the only way to get flabby arms out of your life forever.

It may not be easy, and exercises alone certainly won’t make them go away fast, but when you put in the work consistently, your body will reward you by melting away all of that unwanted jiggly flab.

To get even better results, you should take your skin into account as well.

Adding a collagen supplement to your diet will help repair aging or saggy skin from the inside, and a high quality lotion will help restore moisture and elasticity from the outside.

Tighten and Tone All Over

If you’re searching for lower-impact exercises than the ones listed here, a daily yoga routine can also strengthen and tone your entire body overall.

Exercise is important no matter what your age or size, but fast-paced or high-impact exercises can be hard to get into—especially if you’re new to working out, or if you’re not as agile as you used to be.

That’s why we created the Yoga Fat Loss Bible.

It is the ultimate guide to getting started with yoga so you can get flexible, tone your whole body, and burn a crazy amount of fat with a gentle yoga practice.

We provide detailed instructions and beginner modifications for your practice + a 6-Week Workout Plan any beginner can start with!

It also comes with a free meditation guide for beginners that will help you let go of your worries and relieve stress and anxiety.

You can check it out by clicking here!

Always remember that the most difficult part of doing any new workout routine is SHOWING UP.

Make sure to show up today and give your best to your exercise practice. You deserve it!

If you enjoyed this article on getting rid of flabby arms or have any questions for us, please leave them in the comment section below!