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If you feel self-conscious about your underarm fat when you roll up your arms or wear sleeveless dresses, we sympathize with your discomfort. Don’t feel terrible about it, though—people of all ages, genders, shapes, and sizes frequently have underarm fat. Now, you would assume that hitting the gym and doing a ton of arm workouts would help you shed those turkey wings.
If these activities are ineffective, however, underarm fat will not disappear immediately. You will only waste time and be more frustrated than before. The good news is that there is a permanent solution to getting rid of pesky underarm fat. By identifying and avoiding the least beneficial workouts for underarm fat (instead of doing beneficial exercises), you can target underarm fat and sculpt and tone your arms like never before.
We chatted with TJ Mentus, CPT, a certified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews, to learn more, and she shared the seven least productive workouts for fat underarms. He also gives professional advice on what you should achieve in his place. Keep reading to learn what workouts to avoid and what to replace them with to get rid of flabby arms.
check out these 7 powerful exercises to lose underarm fat.
1. Banded Tricep Extensions
Banded tricep extensions work your triceps a certain amount, but you won’t build as much muscle due to the resistance of the band. Instead, focus on complex workouts that work numerous muscle groups and increase overall arm definition, such as bench dips or close-grip pushups.
“Banded exercises can be great for injury rehabilitation and joint health but are not the best choice for building muscle with resistance training,” Mentus writes. “Even now, you can warm up your muscles with banded tricep extensions to increase blood flow before doing complex exercises like bench or shoulder presses. It’s been proven that using methods other than banded exercises increases the amount of hypertrophy by emphasizing the eccentric. Movement component.”
2. Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
While dumbbell tricep kickbacks target the triceps, their limited range of motion and small weight can make them less effective at burning underarm fat. Opt for diamond pushups or tricep dips instead, as they work more muscle and burn more fat.
“Tricep kickbacks with dumbbells aren’t ideal because when you extend your arms to lift the dumbbells, more stress is placed on the shoulders than the triceps,” Mentus says. “You won’t be able to target your triceps as much because of the strain on your shoulders. Using a cable machine can be a good choice to put consistent stress on the triceps at a higher angle.”
RELATED: 7 Exercise Habits That Are Destroying Your Arms After 50
3. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
A 2022 study claims that the best exercise for burning underarm fat may not be overhead dumbbell tricep extensions, which primarily target the long head of the triceps. Instead, incorporate workouts that target all three tricep heads and promote muscle growth, such as tricep pushdowns or close-grip bench presses.
“This exercise can be hard on the shoulder joint and requires mobility that some people don’t have,” Mentus says. “Although they target the triceps and underarms, other exercises put the body in a better position to stimulate.”
4. Half-Rep Pushups
If you want to target underarm fat, you shouldn’t do half-rep pushups or pushups with improper or limited range of motion. Instead, focus on doing full-range pushups with perfect technique to work multiple muscles and arm toning and fat loss.
“Pushups are a great physical exercise for building arm strength and muscle,” says Mentus. “During pushups, if your elbows are barely bent, the upper arm isn’t being hit as efficiently as you’d like. When lowering yourself to at least 90 degrees, make sure you bend your elbows before pushing back up. The ideal position is to bend until your chest touches the floor. .
RELATED: 5 Best Daily Arm Exercises for Women After 50
5. Half-Rep Shoulder Presses
Shoulder presses with half-reps restrict muscle activation and are as ineffective at burning underarm fat as half-rep pushups.
Just like pushups, the shoulder press is an exercise that is often performed incorrectly. Elbows should be fully extended. If they fail to do so, the triceps will not be adequately targeted and will not be able to complete their task. Make sure the weight is pressed up until the arms are fully locked, advises Mentus.
6. Sets of More Than 15 Reps
High-rep sets in the 15- to 25-rep range can increase muscular endurance, but they often lack the intensity necessary for significant increases in muscle mass and fat loss.
“If you can do more than 15 reps, the resistance won’t be effective enough to produce the muscle growth you want to tone the upper arms,” says Mentus. “If you can do more than 15 reps comfortably, [increase] the weight or resistance in time.”
7. Excessive Steady-State Cardio
While steady-state aerobic activities like cycling or jogging help burn calories overall, they won’t directly target underarm fat.
“Doing steady-state cardio for hours a week can be ineffective at getting rid of underarm fat because it eats away at your muscles and makes them harder to maintain,” Mentus explains. “Muscle helps prevent looking flabby, so even though you’re burning calories during cardio, the arms will also lose the muscle that shapes them.”
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