8 Exercises to Get Rid of Arm Jiggle
These fat-blasting exercises, along with a healthy diet and cardio, will have you well on your way to getting the toned, sculpted arms of your dreams.
Overview
Arm flaps, granny arms, bat wings, whale flippers: Whatever you call them, chances are, if you have arm jiggle, you want it gone. And while even elite athletes have some jiggle — they're just like us! — the best way to get rid of accumulated excess fat in your upper arms is to incorporate a consistent exercise regimen while reducing your caloric intake, says Stephanie Thielen, ACE-certified personal trainer. These eight fat-blasting exercises, along with a healthy diet and plenty of cardio, will have you well on your way to getting the toned, sculpted arms of your dreams. All you'll need are some five- to 10-pound weights (lighter if you need to modify) and a can-do attitude!
1. Elevated Biceps Curl
Although arm jiggle appears to lurk on your triceps, you'll need to build your biceps, too. Elevated biceps curls will warm up your shoulders and strengthen your biceps.
HOW TO DO IT: Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Raise straightened arms to shoulder height with your palms facing the ceiling. Curl your arms so the forearms are perpendicular to the floor and hands are directly over the elbows. Keep the elbows lifted and in line with the shoulders. Do three sets of 15 reps.
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2. Overhead Triceps Extension
This exercise targets your shoulders, triceps, forearms and biceps — all muscles you'll need to do to pinpoint your arm flab.
HOW TO DO IT: Hold a weight in each hand. Bring them behind the back of your head, palms facing the base of the skull and elbows out. Raise the weights until arms are straight (hands together at the top), and then lower back down. Keep your neck and spine aligned, maintain a strong core don't arch your back. Do three sets of 15 reps.
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3. Triceps Kick Back
Triceps kick-backs are one of the three most productive exercises for shredding arm flaps (stay tuned for the other two), according to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise. When done properly, they'll shape and sculpt your arms as they crush the flaps.
HOW TO DO IT: Stand with feet hip-distance apart and knees bent. Tilt your torso 45 degrees forward, keeping your spine long. Hold a weight in each hand bend at the elbows to bring your hands toward the shoulders in front of you, and then straighten your arms back behind you. Do three sets of 15.
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4. Triceps Dip
Triceps dips are another of the top moves for busting arm flaps, according to the ACE study. Don't dip too low or use your legs to push you back up, says personal trainer Stephanie Thielen. "Use the hands and full arms to maximize this exercise."
HOW TO DO IT: Squat down and place your palms on a chair or bench with the fingers pointing toward the edge.With feet hip-distance apart and ankles right below or slightly out in front of the knees (harder), begin to dip the body down and up. Try to keep the elbows going straight back (in line with the shoulders and wrists) as opposed to opening out to the sides. Do three sets of 15.
5. Modified Push-Up
Yogis have been doing this powerful exercise for ages. Modified (or Cobra) push-ups engage and strengthen the triceps while boosting the superficial muscles at the front of the deltoids.
HOW TO DO IT: Lie on your stomach on the floor. Bring your hands under your shoulders and bend at the knees to bring your feet off the floor. Without letting the pelvis sag — keep the core engaged — press yourself up to a modified push-up, balancing on your hands and knees. Lower your chest back to the ground. Do three sets of 15.
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6. Supine Triceps Extension
You can do this variation of regular triceps extensions when your arms are fatigued, since they give your postural muscles (read: core) a bit of a break.
HOW TO DO IT: Lie on the floor with your legs extended. Keep your upper back pressing into the floor and your shoulder blades down. With a weight in each hand (or a single, heavier weight in both hands), bring your hands together straight above your chest. Keeping the elbows pointed straight up toward the ceiling, bend the arms and bring the hands toward the face. Then extend the arms back up. Do three sets of 15.
7. Side Plank Triceps Extension
We love this compound move for purging arm flaps because in the process, you'll also trim your waist, strengthen your core and improve your balance! "Engage the core to keep the hips lifted, and push away from the bottom arm, keeping space between the ear and the shoulder," says personal trainer Stephanie Thielen.
HOW TO DO IT: Start in a side plank on your forearm, keeping the line of your body straight. Stack your feet or knees. If on your knees, thighs should be back and flush with your trunk, so your body forms a straight line from head to knees. With a weight in your top hand, raise the arm straight up toward the ceiling with the palm facing forward. Bend at the elbow and bring your hand toward your head, and then straighten your arm, always keeping the elbow fixed. Do three sets of 15, alternating sides.
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8. Triangle Push-Up
We've saved the mack daddy of all bat-wing-busting exercises for last! The ACE study found more real-time muscle activity in the arm-flap area during triangle push-ups than during any other exercise, making them the best move for eliminating the jiggle.
HOW TO DO IT: Come into a push-up position (on your knees if you need to modify) with the hands turned in toward each other and the forefingers and thumbs touching, forming the shape of a triangle (or diamond). Position your hands so that, as you perform a push-up, your chest is directly on top of your hands. Do three sets of 10.
What Do YOU Think?
Do you have arm flab that you're trying to get rid of? What kind of dietary changes have you made? Are you also working out more? Will you be adding any of these exercises to your routine? Which of these exercises do you feel is the most effective? What part of your body is the most difficult to target? Let us know in the comments section below!