How to Lose Arm Fat, According to a Personal Trainer

We'd all like our arms to be taut, toned and jiggle-free, but the reality tends to veer to flabby, flaccid, and jiggly. So learn how to lose arm fat from a pro.

00-bicep curls-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Embrace muscle

Don’t be afraid of weights. After all, muscle burns more calories than fat. If you want to know how to lose arm fat start with dumbbells, says Dede Lagree, owner and head trainer at Lagree Fitness Studio. For Lagree’s arm-toning workout, choose a pair of dumbbells that you can safely lift at least 20 times with some effort: Your arms should feel that 20th rep! Don’t have dumbbells? Substitute soup cans or water bottles, Lagree says.

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01-bicep curls-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Bicep curl

Here’s one of the best tips for how to lose arm fat: Stand holding the dumbbells at your side, palms facing forward. Your posture and form is important, so keep your back straight and chest up. Lift your arms straight up until they’re at a 90-degree angle to your trunk. Now curl the weights to your shoulder as you count to three, then straighten to a count of three. Lagree recommends doing three sets of 20 repetitions.

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04-shoulder press-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Shoulder press

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights at your shoulders, palms facing the ceiling. Press weights straight overhead, keeping shoulders down. Lower weights back to shoulders. Lagree recommends doing 20 reps.

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05-triceps pushbacks-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Triceps push-back

With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hinge forward at the hips. Keep your arms parallel with your trunk, palms facing behind you. Lift your arms straight back as you slowly count to three; pause, then count to three as you return your arms to your side. Lagree recommends doing 20 reps.

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03-plank-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Plank-ups

Start in a high plank position—palms flat on the floor beneath your shoulders, arms straight. Carefully place your left forearm on the ground. Then, carefully place your right forearm on the ground. You should hit a forearm plank. Now push up with your right hand and then your left to return to a high plank. Repeat, alternating which side you lower first with each rep. Lagree recommends doing two sets of ten reps.

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02-lateral arm raises-How to Lose Arm Fat-Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio
Courtesy Lagree Fitness Studio

Lateral arm raises

One final exercise in a workout that shows you how to lose arm fat: Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in toward your body. With a slow and controlled motion, raise your arms out from your sides until they’re parallel with the floor. Then, slowly lower your hands back to your sides. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision, says Lagree—your arm isn’t directly out to the side, but slightly forward. Lagree recommends doing two sets of 10 to 12 reps on each side.

Sources

Sharon Feiereisen
Sharon Feiereisen is a freelance lifestyle writer based in New York City and Tel Aviv. Her work has been published in Time Out, Newsday, The Knot, Teen Vogue, Hamptons magazine, and Business Insider, and among many other print and online outlets.