Before I show you dumbbell exercises to lose weight in your arms, I will give you some extremely important information that you simply MUST know. By the way, I myself lost 37 kg. and led hundreds of his students along this path when he was still working as a trainer in the gym. Mostly they were women. And yes, 95% of this article is dedicated to women, since “losing weight in your hands” is 9 out of 10 a woman’s problem. And one more thing... Don’t let my arms in the pictures scare you, you won’t grow biceps like that, I GUARANTEE you that. In order for him to become like this, you need to be a man. And don’t look at pictures of muscular women; they inject themselves with male sex hormones on a regular basis, which explains many of the changes in the female body. But that’s not about that now.
The first thing we will start with is bringing clarity to the process of “adjusting” your hands and your figure as a whole. There are 2 main myths that I, as a trainer in a fitness club, encountered every day.
Myth 1. Only exercises for losing weight in your arms will help you “tighten, lose weight and correct” everything. Physical exercise itself has a rather indirect effect on losing arm weight. The volume of our arms is made up of bone, muscle and fat. As a rule, the basis is fat, and that is what we want to get rid of. The thing is that it is impossible to locally remove fat only on the arms or, say, only on the thighs. Fat is mainly oxidized in the mitochondria of the liver, and takes it from where it is convenient for it to take it, no matter what muscle group you train. Thus, the most effective exercises for losing arm weight will not be arm exercises, but more energy-intensive exercises: squats, planks and other exercises that should become the basis of your TRAINING PROGRAM . Hand exercises are just an addition to the complex, no matter how paradoxical it may sound.
Myth 2. Only exercise can shape your arms and all other parts of the body.
Frankly, if you want to reduce the volume of something, then you need to lose weight everywhere. The basis of weight loss is not exercise, but NUTRITION, although the former make a fairly significant contribution to the overall result. But, if you want to reduce the size of your arms, waist, hips, or anything else, the basis of this will be diet or CORRECT NUTRITION, which I describe in my training courses for women . If you want to lose weight in one place, you will have to lose weight everywhere. You will lose weight proportionally and gradually achieve the desired arm volume. Otherwise, unfortunately, no way. If someone tells you that he knows a technique on how to lose weight specifically in the arms or, say, only in the waist, he is either mistaken or is deliberately deceiving you, without other options.
Another very important point: our muscles are cells that contain nutrients. If you get hooked on “hard training” and at the same time eat more than your body needs in order to live, your muscles will respond to physical activity (that is, to the waste of the very nutrients that you will “burn” with exercise ) will respond with a supply of energy. In other words: “if you eat more than you need and at the same time train your arms, you have a unique chance to make them even bigger than they were.” The body has such a feature that after it has lost something, it tries to return it, even beyond the norm. This is what explains the sudden weight gain when leaving the diet incorrectly or after a “breakdown.” Therefore, we eat right, exercise and become the most beautiful.
And now, the exercises themselves with dumbbells for losing weight on your arms , which you need to perform in combination with exercises for other muscle groups if you want both beautiful arms and a beautiful body. Performing the right set of exercises combined with proper nutrition will help you radically correct your figure.
Features of losing weight in your hands
Before starting exercises aimed at losing weight on your arms and shoulders, you should take into account the peculiarities of their structure.
The main muscles include:
- biceps (biceps muscle in front);
- brachialis muscle (located under the biceps);
- triceps (triceps muscle at the back).
The arm joint itself is divided into the shoulder, girdle and forearm. The deltoid muscle, together with the trapezius, is of key importance in the shoulder girdle.
How to lose weight in your shoulders and arms: exercises and recommendations
Many girls choose aerobic training to get rid of subcutaneous fat on their arms and shoulders. But those who want to have a truly athletic figure need to combine cardio exercises with fitness. Special exercises will help work the muscles of the upper limbs and give them a toned shape. If your hands are your problem area, then this one is just for you.
How to start and prepare for training
The main factors in any type of fitness are regularity and a gradual increase in load. Do not forget about moderation of exercise so as not to harm your own health.
Choose a light dumbbell weight (2-4 kg). When performing exercises with equipment, muscle work should be felt, without excessive effort or painful overexertion. Monitor the correct execution of the training program. If current sports equipment does not allow you to complete the approach in full, it is worth reducing their weight.
With each week of training, an understanding of technique and confidence in movements will come. After training and feeling the “margin of safety”, move on to slightly weighting the dumbbells (for example: + 0.5 kg for each dumbbell).
A properly selected rug will be an important factor. An accessory made from natural materials will prevent slipping. Compared to synthetic models, it has increased thermal insulation properties. Although synthetic products provide good shock absorption, they are lighter and easier to carry.
To create the appropriate atmosphere, choose fast rhythmic music. Many coaches prefer to compose musical compositions themselves. Favorite tracks affect your heart rate and breathing rate, and also provide additional motivation during exercise.
Review of real weight loss reviews
It’s easy to find reviews and tips online on how to quickly lose weight in your shoulders and arms. Women confirm that this requires effort and sports training.
Marina wrote on her social network page:
“After 30 years, I gained weight in my shoulders and could not lose weight in my arms above the elbows. Diets did not help, the skin began to hang in folds and look ugly. I dealt with the problem with a set of exercises with dumbbells. Thanks to them:
- Flabbiness has disappeared;
- Muscles have become stronger;
- The folds have tightened;
- The fat has disappeared.
I trained for a month and a half and now I can wear open T-shirts and sundresses again.”
Elena shared her successes on the weight loss forum:
“It was very frustrating that my hands were full. I had to hide them under long sleeves and make them complex in every possible way. I’m very glad that my friend dragged me to the fitness center. I started working out and realized that my body was transforming before my eyes:
- The shoulders became elastic and smooth;
- The wrinkles under the arms smoothed out;
- A beautiful relief has formed.
In addition, my tummy and buttocks stretched and a sea of energy appeared.”
Natasha spoke about her experience in a Facebook group:
“I approached weight loss comprehensively. I did exercises and went on a diet. To be honest, losing weight was hard. After a while I began to feel:
- constant fatigue;
- drowsiness;
- irritability.
The skin on my hands looked flabby and ugly. I realized that I was doing the exercises wrong and signed up for a sports club. Things got better there. The coach selected a good complex and taught how to distribute the load correctly.”
What other methods exist for tightening sagging skin, watch the video:
Warm up before training
Exercises for losing weight on arms and shoulders require a mandatory warm-up, which refers to the basic elements: for both beginners and professionals.
- Light cardio exercises help warm up the body overall:
- running at a moderate pace for an average distance (200-400 m);
- jumping using a rope (1 approach for 2-3 minutes);
- two or three ascents and descents, along a flight of stairs.
Choose one of the options or combine two. The purpose of these loads is to saturate the body with oxygen and prepare it for more intense work.
- Warm up all joints (at least 3 minutes):
- bending forward and to the sides;
- squats;
- circular swings of arms;
- alternately raising the knees to the stomach while standing, etc.
As you age, devote more time to this stage. To lose weight on your arms and shoulders, pay more attention to exercises with rotational movements. On average, this should be at least 15 repetitions per arm (clockwise and counterclockwise).
- Stretching warm-up (duration, at the initial stage, no more than 5 minutes).
These are various smooth movements aimed at stretching muscles and tendons. Consistency is less important here than pain. Stretches evenly until slight pain appears in all joints.
Exercises at home without dumbbells
During knee push-ups, the following muscle groups will be used:
- pectoralis major muscles;
- muscles of the shoulder girdle and upper back;
- upper press
To change the position of your hands during push-ups, it is advisable to use sports supports. They allow you to maintain your grip and fix the position of the joints. The use of supports will allow you to engage the triceps of your arms more deeply.
Several ways to perform push-ups:
- Hands are shoulder-width apart, and we try to press our elbows to the body. The load is transferred to the triceps, shoulders and back. The upper part of the pectoral muscles is worked;
- The maximum width of the arms, while the elbows extend to the sides. The latissimus muscles and trapezius are mainly involved;
- The hands are slightly wider than the shoulders, at the same level as the solar plexus. The lower group of pectoral muscles, the anterior bundle of the shoulders and the deltoid region are worked out.
Reverse push-ups
Reverse push-ups are performed while leaning on a chair or bench. For a detailed study of the triceps muscles of the arms without weights, it is worth resorting to this type of exercise.
- Starting position : palms are placed on the edge of the chair behind you, sleep is straight, legs are extended and your heels touch the floor;
- Lowering the pelvis: during the inhalation phase, lower the body down. The forearms of the hands remain perpendicular to the floor, without moving to the sides. Arms are bent to an angle of 90 ̊;
- Raising the body: during the exhalation phase, forcefully push the body back up to the starting position.
We do 3 sets of this exercise 15-20 times, with interval rest of 1-2 minutes.
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Incline push-ups from walls and other surfaces
These exercises are suitable for losing weight on your arms and shoulders, as basic exercises. Increasing the angle of inclination between the body line and the surface on which the emphasis is placed reduces the overall level of load, and the easier the exercise becomes. Reduce the angle of inclination relative to the floor as your muscles strengthen.
If you start doing push-ups from the steps, this will increase the working weight.
Alternating planks with push-ups
Take a horizontal position, resting your elbows on the floor. Keep your body balanced without arching your lower back or slouching. The head is parallel to the line of the body. Maintain this pose for some time. Next, change the position to a classic push-up.
A detailed diagram of the complex is as follows:
- 2 push-ups - 20 sec. Plank; 3 spin – 20 sec.; 4 spin. – 20 sec.; 5 spin. – 20 sec.
As your training progresses, continue the ladder exercise in the reverse order (from more push-ups to fewer).
Exercises for home with dumbbells
- Bending your arms in a standing position. Dumbbell weight up to 5 kg. The pace of execution is moderate. The back should be straight. We bend our arms in turn or simultaneously, from the lower position to the chest, 8-12 repetitions in each approach. The number of approaches is from 3 to 5. Inhale slowly, at the relaxation stage (arms go down). Exhale sharply at the contraction stage (we lift our arms up). Under no circumstances should we rock the body. The weight will not be lifted by muscles, but by inertia. If this error cannot be avoided, reduce the weight of the dumbbells.
- Raising dumbbells to the sides, in a standing position. Use dumbbell weights up to 3 kg. In the initial position, the arms are slightly bent at the elbows and lowered along the body. Palms facing the body. Simultaneously raise your arms to the sides with dumbbells until a right angle appears relative to the body line. The end point of the lift will be the parallel position of the arms in relation to the floor. Try to hold the projectiles in this position for 2 seconds. Then, slowly return your hands to the starting position. A gradual inhalation is carried out when lowering the arms, and a sharp exhalation when raising them. Repeat 2-3 approaches 10-15 times. This exercise allows you to pump up the muscle fibers of the lateral deltoids.
- Standing dumbbell press. This exercise has its benefits when, in addition to the main muscles of the shoulder, additional ones are involved: to maintain control and balance. The technique is to lift the dumbbells up at the elbow joint. The initial position of the projectiles is at chin level. Each arm forms a right angle. You can lift dumbbells either simultaneously or alternately. Start lifting as you exhale, lower as you inhale. The weight of the dumbbells is arbitrary (without strain). 3 approaches; 12-15 times.
Description of the body drying workout
- Before dinner, you should only consume 1/3 of your daily calorie intake. For most people, this is similar to fasting.
- The workouts will be grueling and fast-paced, as they are aimed at burning calories.
The training program for cutting and pan nutrition is designed for 21 days. You can go through 1 cycle if you want to quickly lose 2-7 kg of fat, or several cycles if your goals are more ambitious.
The cycle is aimed at burning fat while maintaining muscle mass, which will allow you to look sculpted.
During the first week of a low-calorie, low-carb diet, you will lose a lot of water from your body and lose weight rapidly. However, don't expect to lose pounds as quickly over the next two weeks. Typically, at the end of 3 weeks, men will lose about 3.5-5.5 kg, and women - 2-4.5 kg.
If you continue to follow the program, the rate of weight loss will decrease during the second and third cycles. You will remove remaining water, and weight loss will occur due to fat burning. During the second cycle, men can expect to lose 2-4.5 kg, and women - 1.4-2.7 kg.
This program is ideal for people who have gained excess weight over the past 6 months and now need to lose fat in order to return to a more or less normal weight. I don't recommend repeating the cycle more than twice.
So, if you're ready to work on your body so you can look great on the beach this coming summer, then let's get started!
Here are the main elements of a 21-day cycle:
- Cutting back on your pre-workout diet. You should eat less during the day and consume most of your calories within 4 hours in the evening.
- Power training. You should train 4 times a week, minimizing rest time between sets.
- Cardio. Strength training should be followed by intense 15-minute cardio sessions. It is not necessary to do additional cardio, but such examples will be discussed below.
This program is not intended for beginners. If you do not have the slightest idea about the technique of performing the given cutting exercises, then be sure to master it before starting the program. Also note that the program has 2 meal plans: 2,100 calories per day for men and 1,500 for women.
Here is a sample training schedule. You can change the days depending on your personal schedule, as long as you have 2 rest days between lower and upper body workouts.
Rest between sets should be exactly 30 seconds. Maintain the same weight throughout all sets.
Select the exact weight that will allow you to complete the prescribed number of sets and repetitions. If you can't complete all the reps in a set, lower the weight next time. On the other hand, if the weight doesn't feel heavy enough, increase it the next time you perform the exercise.
At your discretion, you can add cardio training to dry your body faster:
- In the morning
- On the weekend
- At least 4 hours before or 3 hours after strength training
These workouts don't have to be boring. Go for a walk, go mountain hiking, swim, run, etc.
Exercises with an expander
- Resistance press up strengthens the biceps muscles and upper forearms. Starting position: standing, passing the tourniquet expander under the soles of your feet. Straighten your lower back and fix the projectile with your feet in the middle. Raise your arms to shoulder level, either simultaneously or separately. We press our elbows to the body, not allowing them to deviate to the sides. By changing the grip to the reverse, the main load will go to the upper surface of the biceps and the front delta. Increasing the forward angle of the body will allow you to work your arm muscles more effectively.
- The French press with an expander pumps up all parts of the triceps. Take the starting position, as in the previous exercise. However, in this case, the arms bent at the elbows are placed behind the head. Gradually stretching the expander, we lift it up. As you exhale, the arms straighten at the elbows, which leads to peak contraction of the triceps muscles.
- Press the expander with both hands downwards. The expander is fixed in the upper position. With your back to the projectile, grab it with an overhand grip. Take a small step with one foot for greater stability and tension on the bands. Raise your arms up so that the joint shoulder is at an angle of 45 relative to the central axis of the body. At the elbow, the arm is bent at an angle of 90. Move down and back up, using only your forearms, which will allow you to pump your triceps in isolation. The shoulder girdle and upper arm remain in a fixed position.
Workout in the gym
With dumbbells of different weights, a suitable mat and bench, you can perform a wide range of exercises at home. But it’s fair to say that there are obvious benefits to going to the gym. The main criteria in which a fitness gym definitely wins are the absence of distractions, sufficient space and a variety of exercise equipment for different muscle groups.
The motivation of a beginner improves when he sees the results of other, more mature athletes. The responsibility for performing regular workouts increases due to the purchase of a subscription. As a rule, the hall is visited three times a week. There is always the opportunity to seek help, advice and consultation from professionals working in the training center.
Classes in the gym will allow you to maximize your body's potential. Hand training takes place at a higher quality level, thanks to the availability of equipment. Biceps and triceps, forearms and shoulders are fully worked out.
Complex for girls who dry themselves at home
Exercises for girls during the drying period do not contain loads with heavy weights. Preference is given to aerobic exercise and short but intense training. Exercises for drying the body at home are simple; a jump rope, dumbbells and weights will suffice. Afterwards there should be a day of rest, so the body will rest and relax. The programs are more loyal for women than for the opposite sex.
1 day
- Stretching and exercises to warm up the muscles – 10 minutes.
- Warm-up run – 8 minutes.
- Push-ups – 15 times, 4 sets.
- Squats with narrow legs – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Crunches – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Reverse crunches – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Leg swings with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope - 5 minutes.
- Plank – 60 seconds.
Day 2
- Stretching and exercises to warm up the muscles – 10 minutes.
- Warm-up run – 8 minutes.
- Plie squats – 25 times, 4 sets.
- Lunges with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Leg swings with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Burpees – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Side bends with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
Day 3
- Stretching and exercises to warm up the muscles – 10 minutes.
- Warm-up run – 8 minutes.
- Push-ups – 15 times, 4 sets.
- Lifting dumbbells for biceps – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Dumbbell bench press – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Raising dumbbells to the sides - 15 times, 4 sets.
- Plank – 1 minute.
4 day
- Stretching and exercises to warm up the muscles – 10 minutes.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Lateral lunges with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Lifting dumbbells to the chest – 15 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Lifting onto a bench with weights – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
5 day
- Stretching and exercises to warm up the muscles – 10 minutes.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Crunches – 20 times, 4 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Reverse crunches – 30 times, 3 sets.
- Jump rope – 3 minutes.
- Burpees – 10 times, 3 sets.
- Plank – 1 minute.
On other days you need to do cardio training. This could be running for 30-40 minutes. Interval running with gradual accelerations is best. Exercises on an exercise bike are also suitable - 1 hour. Swimming (preferably breaststroke) – from an hour to two.
Another effective fat burning method is the use of supersets - continuous performance of several loads for different parts of the body in one approach. Girls are recommended to do no more than 4 exercises at a time. This technique is effective because it increases the intensity of the load and the speed of the exercises.
A standard workout includes 2 exercises, but if endurance and health allow, you can increase the number of exercises. If you do such supersets twice a week, it will speed up the fat burning process and make your body lean faster.
Completing your workout correctly
An integral component after a busy workout is a cool-down. A set of exercises aimed at stretching and relaxation will keep your muscles and joints healthy, and your body flexible and beautiful.
- To unload the spine, just hang on the horizontal bar for a few minutes. Hanging on the horizontal bar will help relieve stress on the spine after exercises for losing weight on the arms and shoulders.
- To relax the neck muscles, tilting and circular movements of the head will be useful.
- Any vertical surface is suitable for stretching your arms. You need to stand sideways and lean on one of your hands. As you rotate your body, feel the stretch in the fibers of your biceps and shoulder. Do the same stretching for the other side.
- To break down lactic acid in the triceps, perform the following exercise. We place both hands behind our heads. We bend the left arm at the joint. With our right hand we grab the elbow of our left limb and gently pull it to the right side, to the point of highest tension. In the same way, we stretch the triceps of the right arm.
- Use parallel bars to stretch your pectoral muscles. Take the lowest position in dips: elbows raised up relative to the body, legs bent, body slowly lowered. Exercise until you feel slight pain. It is necessary to stretch carefully so as not to damage the ligaments.
- Elements of longitudinal and transverse splits will be excellent exercises for relaxing your legs.
Organization of nutrition before and after training for weight loss
Significant dietary restrictions will lead to the opposite reaction: the body responds to a stressful situation and stores lipids. For comfortable weight loss, in addition to strength and cardio exercises, you need an individual calculation of the daily intake of energy, or rather calories. The timing of the classes also plays a role.
Morning workout promotes maximum fat burning. If, due to the risk of dizziness, it is impossible to exercise on an empty stomach, eat light food (30-40 minutes before training). These can be: cereals, tea, bread, vegetables and fruits.
Before an evening workout, it is better to eat foods that contain complex carbohydrates.
It is optimal to eat whole grains and dairy products an hour and a half before class. If for some reason this was not possible, resort to foods containing fast carbohydrates (for example, dried fruits or bananas).
Features and basic principles of body drying
Drying is not only a special menu containing a lot of proteins and few carbohydrates, but also constant physical activity. The emphasis should be on both strength training to dry the body for girls, and on cardio training.
The drying program lasts 1-2 months. You cannot follow it for longer than the permitted period, since it is very strict and is fraught with adverse reactions due to a lack of carbohydrates. If you follow all the rules, you can lose up to 12 kilograms during the entire program and at the same time make your body beautiful, sculpted and toned.
The basic principles of drying will be as follows:
- You need to burn more calories than you consume. This is achieved through restrictions in diet and physical activity.
- Monitor your weight loss by taking measurements and weighing yourself regularly.
- You need to eat often and in small portions. This will help speed up metabolic processes.
- Fats should remain in the diet in small quantities, and they should only be of plant origin.
- Carbohydrates are limited and consumed in the first half of the day.
The diet during drying is based mainly on protein foods with a low fat content. These are lean types of fish and meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, dairy products, again with a low degree of fat content. Carbohydrates are limited to a certain amount and are mainly represented by cereals, fruits and vegetables. The source of fat is vegetable oil.
There are a number of products that are completely prohibited when dried. This includes soda, alcohol, sweets, baked goods, fast food, pickles, smoked foods and other not so healthy foods. It is important to adhere to the required caloric intake without exceeding it, and to maintain the correct combination of proteins/fats and carbohydrates.
Drinking regime
The process of active burning of fat deposits occurs within two hours, after training, inclusive. To achieve more effective results in losing weight on your arms and shoulders, delay eating after exercise until later. There is no need to limit yourself in water consumption.
The daily amount of water you drink is about 2 liters. You should not drink excessively directly during training. This affects the general condition: heaviness in the stomach and discomfort will appear during exercises. The amount of fluid consumed depends on the intensity and duration of training, the individual characteristics of the athlete and his weight.