Have you noticed that pesky jiggle under the arm when you wave at people? If you need to tone your arms, you aren’t alone. It’s one of the areas of the body that women complain about the most and while it might not be so bad if those “wings” actually flew us to Bermuda, they don’t and instead, make us feel self-conscious.
What forms the underarm wings
There are three heads to your tricep muscle. The medial head is hidden, the lateral head is seen on the side of the arm when developed and the long head is underneath the arm, which is the area of focus in this article.
While the triceps come into play to assist many other exercises such as push-ups and overhead presses, there are moves that will target this particular part of the tricep (the long head), therefore building lean mass to help fill in some of the irritating loose skin and create a toned appearance.
Here are a couple of my favorite exercises to help you get those tone arms!
Front Pulldowns
One of the most useful exercises to tone the underarm wing is the front pulldown. This can be done using either cables or resistance bands, so as long as there is a door or something to attach the bands to, you can do this regardless of whether you are in a gym or anywhere else.
In addition to the long head of the tricep, front pulldowns also target the lats and back of the shoulders…making this exercise a good choice to develop a sexy back!
I would, however, recommend keeping both feet on the ground until you are more familiar with this movement and are ready to progress to something more advanced.
Let’s look at a couple of YouTube videos to help you get started at the gym or with your resistance bands at home.
Lying Dumbbell Pullovers
This is another great exercise to target the long head of the tricep. This can be done either lying on the ground or a bench or using a stability ball. The video demonstration shows the trainer doing this exercise on the bench.
If you decide to use one as well, then not only are you working your lats and the back of your shoulders like in the first exercise, but you will also strengthen your lower back, abs, glutes, and hamstrings while opening and stretching tight hip flexors.
My advice would be to begin gripping one light dumbbell (2-3 lbs) with both hands and extend both arms above your head as your level of shoulder joint flexibility allows.
Repetition will help create a higher range of motion in tight joints, so just keep at it, but use good judgment when deciding on weights. Always perfect form first, THEN add resistance.
If you do not have access to a bench, try this exercise out on a mat or a stability ball.
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Try These Exercises for Tone Arms and See for Yourself
Once you learn how to do certain exercises proficiently, then you can have some fun by combining them with other exercises to create a more efficient use of your time during your workout. An example would be to do a front pulldown using the bands and alternate with a tricep kickback using the same piece of equipment in the same position.
Do this consistently and watch your arms take on a toned and sexy shape.
Gain the confidence to go sleeveless again with our exercises to tone your arms.
Dana Gore is a Certified Personal Training Specialist (CPTS) through Fitness Institute International. She writes and publishes articles that teach people how to think their way slim and fit. Using a combination of logic, formal education in the health and fitness industry and spirituality, she inspires people to understand that we are all only as limited as we THINK we are. In order for her to give advice, she had to learn it, live it and become what she coaches.
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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