Burn Arm Fat Fast: Top 10 Exercises for Effective Results

Get this.

In the U.S., the percentage of women who got upper arm lifts to reduce arm fat went up by nearly 5000% from 2000 to 2016!!

Yep, if you’ve ever felt conscious about wearing a cute sleeveless dress just because of that jiggly bit of arm fat, know that you’re not alone.

While it’s perfectly natural for women to store more fat in their arms (thanks to genetics and hormones), that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to sculpt and slim down our arms (and no, we don’t mean plastic surgery!)

In this blog, we’re going to share with you a few of the top exercises to reduce arm fat and some arm-slimming tips that’ll take your arms from flabby to fabulous!

Let’s go!

10 Best Exercises To Reduce Arm Fat

1. Arm scissors

While being an excellent exercise to reduce arm fat, arm scissors also help enhance shoulder flexibility and mobility.

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, chest, upper back.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Raise your arms out to your sides parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down. Your arms should be at shoulder height.
• Cross your left arm over your right arm and then quickly bring your arms back to the initial position.
• Now cross your right arm over your left arm and then return to the starting position again.
• Keep alternating between arms as you cross them over each other.
• Repeat for reps.

2. Arm circles

An awesome exercise for flabby arms as it tones up your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, biceps.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Raise your arms to your sides at shoulder height with your palms facing down.
• Draw some circles in the air with your arms for about a minute, in a clockwise direction.
• Rest briefly and then repeat the motion in the anti-clockwise direction for a minute.
• Alternate between both directions for the desired amount of time.

3. Floor tricep dip

Triceps dips target the back of the arm (fat deposits love being here!) thus making it a great arm fat reduction exercise.

Muscles worked: Triceps

How to perform

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent.
• Place your hands just behind your glutes with your fingers pointing towards you.
• Begin the movement by pressing through your hands and extending your arms to lift your butt off the ground.
• Bend your elbows and slowly lower your butt toward the ground.
• When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, press through your hands to get back to the top of the movement.
• Repeat for reps.

4. Half cobra push-up

Apart from being an amazing exercise to reduce arm fat, half-cobra push-ups also improve your posture and relieve you from lower back pain.

Muscles worked: Triceps, abs, shoulders, chest, lower back.

How to perform

• Lie down on a mat keeping your chest flat on the ground.
• Place your palms on the ground close to your armpits.
• Your elbows should remain close to your sides pointing straight back.
• Now slowly use your triceps to push your upper body a few inches off the ground. Your belly should remain on the ground.
• Pause for a few seconds and then slowly lower back down.
• Repeat for reps.

5. Sphinx push-up

Wondering how to slim down arms? The sphinx push-up is great for firming and toning that stubborn back-of-the-arm flab.

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, abs, shoulders.

How to perform

• Get on your knees and place your hands not directly beneath your shoulders but further away.
• Bring your forearms to the ground and your feet a few inches off the ground as shown in the video.
• Now engage your core, press your hands into the ground, and extend your elbows to return to the top position.
• Push back down until your forearms are back on the ground.
• Repeat for reps.

6. Plank rotation

This exercise to reduce arm fat also helps to enhance your core strength, balance, and endurance.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, lats, glutes, abs, obliques.

How to perform

• Begin in a plank position with your wrists beneath your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your toes.
• Engaging your core and glutes, move your body into a side plank position with your right hand reaching up toward the ceiling and your left hand pressing into the ground.
• Hold for a few seconds, return to the plank position, and then repeat the movement on the other side.
• Keep alternating between both sides for the desired number of reps.

7. Reverse plank with leg lift

This exercise to reduce arm fat not only tones your arms but also your abs, lower back, and legs.

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, abs, glutes, hamstrings, lower back.

How to perform

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Plant your hands on the floor behind your glutes with your fingers pointing towards you.
• Now raise your hips by pressing your hands into the ground until your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
• Engaging your core and glutes, lift one leg, hold for 2 seconds, and bring it back down.
• Repeat the movement on the other leg.
• Keep alternating between legs for the desired number of reps.

8. Hug a tree

One of the best workouts for arm fat as it hits your biceps differently and also sculpts your shoulders and the sides of your chest.

Muscles worked: Biceps, chest, shoulders.

How to perform

• Grab one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards.
• Begin by raising your arms to your sides at shoulder height parallel to the floor.
• Now slowly bring the arms towards each other as if hugging a tree, without letting your elbows drop down.
• Pause for a second and then return to the initial position.
• Repeat for reps.

9. Dumbbell punches

One of the top arm fat exercises that not just tones your arms and upper body, but also builds your speed, agility, and arm endurance.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, lats.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
• Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and hold them by the sides of your face.
• Extend one arm forward in a punching motion while turning your palm down.
• Quickly bring the arm back and repeat the motion with your other arm.
• Alternate between both arms for the desired amount of time or reps.

Buy Burnlab’s adjustable dumbbell kit here.

10. Resistance band shoulder press

This exercise to reduce arm fat gives you those sexy arms and shoulders you’ve always wanted!

Muscles worked: Shoulders, abs.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Loop a resistance band under your feet and grab one handle in each hand with an underhand grip.
• Bring your hands up to shoulder height so that your arms are bent at 90 degrees.
• Engage your core and slowly raise your hands straight up over your shoulders, keeping your wrists above your elbows the entire time.
• Pause for a second and then slowly lower the band back to the starting position.
• Repeat for reps.

Buy Burnlab’s resistance band set here.

Tips to lose arm fat

1. Resistance training is key

While bodyweight exercises are great for reducing arm fat, it is important to ramp up the intensity with weights. Resistance training helps to increase your lean body mass which in turn boosts your metabolism resulting in more calories burned.

So, try doing exercises with dumbbells and/or resistance bands that target your biceps, triceps, and shoulders to get rid of those flabby arms.

2. Pay attention to form

Whether you’re doing arm fat exercises using your body weight or free weights, take time to perfect your form. Also, concentrate on the muscles that you’re trying to target to get the best results.

3. Focus on overall weight loss

Spot reduction is a myth (research shows this!). So, instead of solely focusing on your arms, practice compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups such as squats, deadlifts, etc. that burn more calories and thus support overall fat loss.

4. Maintain a calorie deficit

One of the top arm slimming tips is to consume fewer calories than you burn. Follow a balanced diet that is rich in fiber and proteins and low in calories.

5. Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support your arm fat loss and overall weight loss goals.

You might like: Master Arm Wrestling With These 10 Effective Exercises

Frequently asked questions

1. How to reduce arm fat without exercise?

When it comes to overall weight loss including arm fat reduction, diet and exercise are equally important.

Here are a few ways in which diet and other factors can help reduce arm fat (without exercise).

a. Increase your protein and fiber intake

Since both protein and fiber curb your cravings and make you feel full for longer, adding them to your diet is a no-brainer.

Incorporate high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds and protein-rich foods including meat, eggs, dairy, etc. to promote arm fat loss.

b. Ditch the refined carbs

We’re talking white bread, pasta, pizza, pastries, and even your favorite box of cereal. So cut back on all refined carbs to amp up the arm fat burn!

c. Eat fat-burning foods

• Salmon, sardines, and other fatty fish are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that have proven to be good at burning fat.
• Green tea is rich in EGCG – a catechin that boosts your metabolism and burns fat.
• Olive oil is a rich source of MUFAs that amp up your metabolic rate resulting in fat loss.
• Chillies and chilli peppers contain capsaicin which is known to promote weight loss.

d. Sleep tight

Get enough sleep (6-8 hours) to keep your hunger hormones in check and avoid unnecessary weight gain in your arms and the rest of your body.

2. Do pushups reduce arm fat?

While there aren’t any targeted arm exercises to reduce arm fat, pushups are an excellent exercise for toning your arms and giving them a slimmer and well-defined appearance.

Incorporating pushups into a well-rounded exercise routine that includes cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and a healthy diet can help you achieve your goals of reducing overall body fat including arm fat, and improving muscle tone.

3. Can you reduce arm fat without weights?

Yes, you can reduce arm fat without weights. Push-ups, planks, pull-ups, handstands, tricep dips, etc. are all fantastic bodyweight exercises to reduce arm fat without weights.

Doing cardio exercises is another way to reduce arm fat without weights. Jump rope, HIIT, jogging, Zumba, etc. are some of the best workouts for arm fat.

Conclusion

If you’ve been trying to get toned arms for a while now and haven’t had success, do give these exercises for flabby arms a try (along with a balanced nutritious diet, of course).

Check out Burnlab’s cool collection of fitness gear and get started today!

Which of these exercises to reduce arm fat is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!