Flabby Arms- Please Help!

[Anonymous]

I've been noticing lately that my arms have suddenly gotten "lumpy" looking, and I'm horrified. My gym where I lift weights closed about a month ago so I'm looking for a new one (not DMV). In the meantime I would like ideas on which exercises will give me the most bang for my buck that I can do at home until I find my new gym for weight lifting. I'm not looking to get ripped biceps/triceps but I would like them to be toned and not lumpy and flabby.

A bit about me:
-I work out 6 days a week. 3 days of barre where we do quite a bit of planking, we also do crawls and burpees, and we use weights albeit light weights
-I walk 10 miles a week, lots and lots of hills and stairs so it's a "workout" type of walk, but I know this does nothing for my arms
-I'm tall, and slim so it's not a weight issue
-I'm postmenopausal so I know some of this is just a natural part of aging

Thanks for any ideas!

[Anonymous]

Do you have moderately heavy dumbbells at home? When I can't make it to the gym, I'll often do some type of upper body strength training youtube video.

I've done various types of exercises, but weight lifting is the only thing that has actually strengthened my muscles.

I'm just over 40, and have toned arms for the first time in my life.

[Anonymous]

Do you lean toward apple shape? It might just be how your fat is distributed and/or exacerbated by the changes with menopause

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you lean toward apple shape? It might just be how your fat is distributed and/or exacerbated by the changes with menopause

No I have a slim shape with no belly fat. It's absolutely related to my lack of lifting weights for the last month, I'm just shocked at how quickly it happened. I'm going to start to doing daily pushups and tricep dips until I find a new gym. I live in a small town where large chains are not allowed to come in plant their flab - from fast food, to big box - which is great except that I'm forced to rely on small mom/pop gyms which have a hard time competing with increased rents etc., so they end up closing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you lean toward apple shape? It might just be how your fat is distributed and/or exacerbated by the changes with menopause

No I have a slim shape with no belly fat. It's absolutely related to my lack of lifting weights for the last month, I'm just shocked at how quickly it happened. I'm going to start to doing daily pushups and tricep dips until I find a new gym. I live in a small town where large chains are not allowed to come in plant their flab - from fast food, to big box - which is great except that I'm forced to rely on small mom/pop gyms which have a hard time competing with increased rents etc., so they end up closing.

This should say "Come in and plant their FLAG"....although flab could also be appropriate here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you lean toward apple shape? It might just be how your fat is distributed and/or exacerbated by the changes with menopause

No I have a slim shape with no belly fat. It's absolutely related to my lack of lifting weights for the last month, I'm just shocked at how quickly it happened. I'm going to start to doing daily pushups and tricep dips until I find a new gym. I live in a small town where large chains are not allowed to come in plant their flab - from fast food, to big box - which is great except that I'm forced to rely on small mom/pop gyms which have a hard time competing with increased rents etc., so they end up closing.

I think it is age and hormone changes. I didn’t lift weights or go to the gym at all for 8 years while I was pregnant or home with young kids. My arms didn’t get flabby at all. Not lifting weights for one month is not the culprit to you getting flabby arms and fat pockets

[Anonymous]

- Get 15-20 lb dumbbells and find some youtube videos - Caroline Girvan has a lot of different workouts - recommend

- More push ups, burpees and plank push ups, push up with back row, tricep dips etc.

[Anonymous]

I've been doing this video for years, and it seems to help keep my arms toned.

[Anonymous]

I see a trainer for strength training and asked her about the flabby arm thing. She has been a fitness professional for 20+ years, is in her 40s, works out 5-6x a week, appears not to have an ounce of fat, and even she has slightly flabby bat wings, even though the rest of her arms are rock hard. She said that it's not unusual for women to have somewhat flabby arms even when they lift weights regularly. She lifts heavy weights.

[Anonymous]

Postmenopausal is key; I never thought I would have lumpy batwinged arms, and here I am.

I'm looking for some exercises too!

[Anonymous]

Gotta get heavy dumbbells and start using them everyday. I would start with 10 lbs if you aren't used to free weights and work up to 20 lbs. Do a variety of exercises and be consistent - you will see results!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been doing this video for years, and it seems to help keep my arms toned.

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see a trainer for strength training and asked her about the flabby arm thing. She has been a fitness professional for 20+ years, is in her 40s, works out 5-6x a week, appears not to have an ounce of fat, and even she has slightly flabby bat wings, even though the rest of her arms are rock hard. She said that it's not unusual for women to have somewhat flabby arms even when they lift weights regularly. She lifts heavy weights.

This gives me some comfort. I'm at peace with the little bit of loose bat-wing action - A LITTLE. I know I won't be able to get rid of that completely without surgery, but the lumpy look is what bothers me so much. That cute postmenopausal lumpy lady look

[Anonymous]

Tricep kickbacks and dips. You have to get into the triple digits with weights to start getting bulky. Wait at least 2 days between sessions so the muscles have time to heal.

[Anonymous]

It is impossible to spot reduce. If you want to lose fat in your arms you just have to continue to be in a calorie deficit to reduce your overall body fat and eventually, based on your genetics, you'll begin to burn the fat in your arms.

There are no exercises that can help. Any suggesting types of arm workouts are complete clowns that should be ignored. Again, spot reducing fat is impossible. It is entirely based on genetics.