We spend a lot of time focusing on how to lose belly fat in our society, and that’s important: excess fat is associated with type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other diseases, so it’s always a good idea to do whatever you can to keep yourself healthy. fit. But excess fat in your arms can also be bothersome, especially when you don’t have much upper body strength and want to be able to lift things more easily and have more toned muscles. Whether you have sagging skin after losing a lot of weight or have always had weaker arms, we tell you how to lose weight and strengthen your arms to eliminate excess fat.
How is fat lost?
Certain areas of the body have a higher number of fat cells, such as the abdomen, thighs, and upper arms, but the body stores fat as triglycerides in fat cells throughout the body. Genetics and hormones determine where fat is primarily stored and how it is lost. When there is a calorie deficit from eating less than you need, your body uses these fat cells for energy.
When you lose weight, your body draws triglycerides from fat cells throughout your body, not from one area. A 1971 study demonstrated this when it looked at fat on the arms of tennis players. If the spot training theory were viable, the dominant arms of these players would be considerably thinner than the other, but it really wasn’t.
A more recent study published in a 2013 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that 12 weeks of strength training, three times per week, focused on one leg, did not change participants’ lower body fat distribution of the body. However, this exercise reduced the participants’ upper body fat.
Follow a healthy diet to lose weight arms
To slim down your arms and lose fat in general, you’ll need to be in an energy deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. To determine your daily caloric needs, you’ll need to take into account your height, gender, age, and activity level. The most reliable way to get the number of calories you should consume per day is using the Harris-Benedict formula :
- Men : BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) – (6.75 x age in years).
- Women : BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) – (4.7 x age in years).
You can lower the amount you calculated by cutting back on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like sugar and refined grains, and avoid desserts, soda, and white bread. You should focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods such as fresh produce, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains .
When you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain itself and you lose weight, you may notice that areas other than slimmer arms begin to shrink first . This is the nature of the weight loss process. In general, where the fat has been accumulated for a longer time, it is more difficult to lose it. If you want to lose weight in your arms, you must be patient with the results, since although you will eliminate fat from this area of your body, it may not be as soon as you want.
workout to lose weight arms
A combination of cardio and strength training is the best option to lose weight and tone your arms.
Cardio workout
Cardiovascular exercise increases your daily calorie burn , which increases your energy deficit and causes fat loss. Running isn’t your only option: swimming, cycling, kickboxing, brisk walking, and elliptical exercise are all very effective cardio activities for shedding fat from your entire body. Focus on movements that target the largest muscles in the body, get your heart rate up for an extended period of time, and work up a sweat. To lose a lot of weight, try to get 250 minutes or more of this type of movement throughout the week.
On the other hand, rowing machines offer alternative cardio exercises that can help you build lean, toned arms so you lose extra fat. These arm-specific exercises won’t directly burn arm fat, but they will help you burn calories so total fat loss is possible.
strength training
Strength training is regularly recommended as a weight loss tool. It helps you maintain lean muscle mass to speed up your metabolism and the muscle burns more calories at rest . A quarter of every pound lost without strength training comes from muscle. Strength training won’t burn fat directly, but it will help you achieve lean, toned muscles as you lose weight.
A common mistake that women especially make is to avoid lifting weights in their workouts, but the reality is that women generally have too much estrogen to build big muscles. It takes hours in the gym , precise meal plans, and sometimes supplements to achieve the body of a bodybuilder. Men have more muscle than women and can pack on muscle faster, but it still takes excess calories and a strategic strength training plan to gain 2 pounds of muscle.
To slim down your arms, the ideal is to commit to doing two or three resistance training sessions per week whose exercises target this area, along with other major muscle groups in your body, such as your back, chest, legs, hips, etc. and the abs . Just one set of eight to 12 repetitions of intense resistance exercise for each of these muscle groups is enough to maintain lean muscle mass, improve function, and improve muscle tone. Dumbbells, barbells, weight machines and kettlebells are the best options for sports equipment. If you prefer to avoid iron, use resistance bands or your own body weight.
Bibliography
- GWINUP, G. (1971). Thickness of Subcutaneous Fat and Activity of Underlying Muscles. Annals of Internal Medicine , 74 (3), 408. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-74-3-408.
- Ramírez-Campillo, R., Andrade, D.C., Campos-Jara, C., Henríquez-Olguín, C., Alvarez-Lepín, C., & Izquierdo, M. (2013). Regional Fat Changes Induced by Localized Muscle Endurance Resistance Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , 27 (8), 2219–2224. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e31827e8681.
