Wondering How to Get Rid of Flabby Arms? Here are 5 Proven Exercises For Saggy Arms That Will Have You Toned Without A Gym!

Photo by Dmitriy Frantsev on Unsplash

Saggy arms (or bat wings) not only steal your confidence, but they can limit what you wear too. But you are not alone as plenty of people struggle with flabby arms, especially if it is the only part of the body with stubborn fat to lose.

Fortunately, there are exercises for saggy arms that will tone your arm muscles and tighten your underarm skin. 

The first step in getting rid of flabby arms is understanding the main muscles that control arm movement.

The front arm muscles are the biceps, while the back arm muscles are the triceps. Of the two, the triceps take the biggest hit because they accumulate the most fat.

The biceps are responsible for flexing and outward rotation of the whole hand. On the other hand, the triceps are responsible for elbow and shoulder extension.

Triceps consists of three distinct muscles (medial muscles,  lateral muscles, and long head muscles), which is why they can be harder to tone compared to biceps.

Nonetheless, there are home workouts that target both biceps and triceps to help you get rid of bat wing arms. Before starting these exercises for saggy arms, we recommend having a doctor evaluate your health first.

As with all exercises, always start slow then gradually pick up the pace as you monitor how your body responds. With determination and dedication, you should start seeing those flabby arms go away giving room for a new you!

These exercises for saggy arms will help you accomplish two things;

• Build and tone arm-muscles
• Reduce your body fat

Without further ado, wear your best training gear, and let's get working!

1)   Planks

Planks are one of those exercises for saggy arms that do more than just tone your arm muscles. Done correctly, planks will also improve your back and core muscles. They also work your glutes and hamstrings which is a plus.

Planks are simple to do and do not require workout equipment. Only your body and the determination to see things through.

How to do planks

1. Start by kneeling on all fours
2. Lower your body until the elbows touch the floor
3. Now move your legs back and raise the knees from the floor
4. You should be suspended on your elbows and toes
5. Always keep the back straight for a proper plank

The intensity of planks is determined by how long you can hold that position. Start with 30 seconds planks and increase the time as your muscles become stronger.

2)   Normal Push-Ups

Push-ups are great for toning your arms any day. You can do them at home using your body weight for resistance training. Besides putting your biceps and tricep muscles to work, push-ups also help tone your abs.

If you have not worked out in a long time, it is best to start with knee push-ups.

Knee push-ups for saggy arms

1. Kneel on a yoga mat
2. Criss-cross your legs and raise the toes
3. Have both palms on the floor and at shoulder-width
4. Tighten the stomach muscles
5. Lower your torso and push it back up in slow steady movements
6. Start with 3 sets with 10 reps each daily

As you get the hang of it, gradually increase the reps to vary the intensity of the push-ups. Alternatively, you can graduate to regular push-ups where your body is suspended by the hands and toes.

3)   Bicep Curls

Bicep curls take advantage of the flexion motion to tone muscles. You only need dumbbells to perform this exercise at home.

How to do Bicep curls

1. Start with arms pressed to your sides holding dumbbells in each hand
2. Now raise dumbbells towards your shoulders
3. Ensure your elbows are tucked next to the ribs at all times
4. Your arms should not swing when raising the dumbbells. If they do, use lighter weights
5. Starts with 3 sets with 10 reps each

4)   Tricep extensions (side-lying)

It is also called the tricep side push-up and requires your upper body as weights. Tricep extensions isolate your back arm muscles which help in tightening and toning those areas. It can feel hard to do at first, but once you get used to them, you can vary the intensity by increasing the reps.

How to do tricep extensions

1. Lie on your side with the feet stacked
2. Wrap one hand across your torso
3. Place the other hand with the palm on the floor near your chest
4. Lift your body up and down with the arm that is touching the floor
5. Always squeeze the tricep muscle as you move up then down
6. Do this for both hands

We won't lie, you will be sweating by the 10th rep, but keep pushing. Always ensure the other arm is firmly hugging the torso to maintain resistance and momentum.

5)   Lying tricep extensions

Again we target the tricep muscle where all the stubborn fat likes to hide. The lying tricep extension involves lying on your back and lifting dumbbells above your head in succeeding reps. It sounds easy but it's not, so start with lighter weights then move to heavy ones as your muscles get toned.

Lying tricep extensions with dumbbells

1. With the back to the floor, bend your knees with the feet touching the floor
2. Hold two dumbbells above your head toward the ceiling
3. Without raising the back, bend the elbows as the dumbbells move above your head towards the floor
4. Always contract the triceps as you move the dumbbells up and down

There are two ways to vary the intensity. The first one is moving the dumbbells up and down with the palms facing each other. The other option is performing the dumbbell tricep extensions with the back of your hands facing you.

Conclusion

While many people wish they could get rid of bat wings arms, few know where to start. Luckily, these five exercises for saggy arms should start you in the right direction. They are easy to do at home without expensive equipment or a gym membership. Increase the intensity of the workouts, keep yourself focused, and those bat wings will slowly disappear!