Wave Goodbye to Arm Flab

Firm up jiggly arms by targeting the biceps and triceps.

By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness

Do you avoid sleeveless tops? Have you toned down your goodbyes so that you don't wave with too much enthusiasm? For many women, the upper arm is high on their list of flab-prone body parts.

But the upper arms are easy to improve, and you can firm up with a few easy moves.

The main muscles that give arms their shape are the biceps and triceps. Doing resistance exercises to target these muscles can help build more muscle, which will give the arms tone and definition.

Although weak muscles contribute to flab, so does excess fat. Some women are more prone to storing fat in their upper arms. And that means that, even if you strengthen your arms, they may still appear mushy if you don't trim down the fat as well. So, in addition to strengthening your muscles, a key plan of attack is to decrease body fat. And the recipe for reducing fat all over—including in your arms—is to include more cardio into your workouts and to cut back on overeating, as well.

This workout is designed to blast your biceps and triceps in a variety of ways. Get ready to carve some curves and start wearing whatever tops you want.

How to do it:

• Choose a weight that is heavy enough to challenge your target muscles, but not so heavy that your elbows feel strained. Start with dumbbells that are at least 5 to 8 pounds and gradually work up to using 6 to 20 pounds, depending on the exercise.

• Start by performing one set of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and work up to doing 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Do this workout two to three times a week with a rest day in between.

• If you want to reduce fat, add cardio intervals. March, jog in place or dance for two to three minutes in between each move.

• Modify this workout to match your fitness level. Follow the recommended moves or adapt them as needed. You can make a move easier by doing fewer repetitions or dropping to an easier weight. You can make a move more challenging by increasing the weight slightly.

• What you need: Hand weights, a step and a stability ball.