Do You Want More Youthful Looking Arms? Try these isolation exercises to reduce underarm flab!
Guest Post by Kelli Smithgall of Fit & Sexy Lifestyle
I used to think because I was on the slender side that I would never have a problem with fat. So when the underneath of my arms started to lose what I thought was just muscle tone, I began trying to “target” that area with exercise.
Boy was I wrong.
When I didn’t see any results, I began to research. What I found was that the cause wasn’t loss of muscle tone, but it was from aging and excess body fat.
Fat? Please. How could *I* have had excess fat?
But I did.
Apparently, I had (gasp) more than enough to cause dreaded jiggling.
I learned as you age that loss of elasticity, collagen, and of course gravity not only takes a toll on your face but also your underarms. I couldn’t lose fat in my arms through toning alone, but I had to lose fat off my entire body through a combination of exercise *and* healthier eating.
Many people don’t realize that eating healthy not only helps maintain and/or lose weight, and improve health, but it also puts nutrients back into your skin, which adds elasticity to it, and reduces excess body fat.
Tricep isolation exercises are just one of the things you can add to your fitness routine to etch out sexier underarms. They serve two purposes. The first, being better precision with definition, and the second, to help reduce underarm flab.
If you’re not familiar with isolation exercises, they are single-joint exercises with the majority of focus on one muscle. Whereas, exercises that focus on multi-joints and muscles are compound exercises.
Okay, let’s get to *three* of my favorite isolation exercises:
1. Stability Ball Triceps Dip
First: Take your stability ball and place it against a wall.
Second: Sit down on your ball placing your hands behind you.
Third: Walk out your legs out until your hips are away from the ball, and bend your knees.
Last: *Dip* until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then extend your arms making sure you don’t lock your elbows. Then *dip* again, and keep repeating.
2. Overhead Triceps Extension with Medicine Ball & Stability Ball
First: While sitting on your stability ball (or the floor), lift your medicine ball over your head without bending your elbows.
Second: Lift your medicine ball slightly behind your head with your arms extended holding the position for five counts. Keep your chin up. Then move it back to right above your head. Do this a few times.
Last: Bend your elbows and move the ball behind your head, and return to your starting position, then repeat.
3. Single Arm Lying Cross Body Tricep Extension
First: Lie down flat and extend your arm up holding your 5 or 10 pound hand-weight (or however many pounds you’re comfortable with) straight up in the air.
Second: Bring your hand-weight down to your chest, or over to your other shoulder, and back up again. Repeat.
Last: Continue with your opposite arm.
Note: Be sure when doing any of the above exercises, to keep your core tight.
Remember, exercise alone will not cure the jiggly underarm blues – you *have* to eat healthy too!
To your fit & sexy success,
Kelli Smithgall
Ya know, I just realized that this aweful problem has arrived to my arms as well (don’t know how I missed it). Great info to start working on this not so over the night problem.
Hi Rikaine – it’s so shocking how suddenly it comes on! Two of my kids were the first to notice “it” on me, and I literally ran to the mirror to take a double look and was horrified hahaha.