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Published January 17, 2009 Question of the week: How do I get rid of my flabby arms?Back when I was a newbie to personal training and was still in the learning process, I had a client who came to me one day with a sad and frustrated tone to her voice. I asked what was the matter, and she proceeded to go into a a semi-venting explanation that she was upset because she just heard on the news that many women who have flab on the back of their arms will have a very hard time ever getting rid of it, no matter what they do. This really got to her because even though she was is very good shape, and extremely motivated, she still felt that her arms needed some work. So what do you think we did? You guessed it; we worked on her arms. We did all kinds of different triceps exercises, and what do you think happened? That's right ... nothing. Unfortunately, a lot of men and women have this same misunderstanding. They feel that if they exercise a certain area, they will get rid of the flab. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it just doesn't work that way. The news report that my client heard hit the nail on the head. You've heard me say it before, but spot reduction doesn't work. Just because you do lifting exercises for your triceps doesn't mean the fat is going to melt off in that area. Studies have proven that there's no formula to "target" fat loss. Fat goes on and comes off wherever it wants to. You can't eat a pizza and tell the fat to store itself in your arms instead of your hips. Well, with the same idea in mind, you can't exercise in a way to make fat come off in a certain area over another. The best way to cause fat to melt away is to go for the knockout punch. Your big muscles like your legs, chest, and back burn the most calories off and release the most hormones that can alter body composition. By choosing to work these muscles, instead of your arms, you'll be able to burn off more total calories and release more hormones to help alter your entire body. There are certain areas that are very difficult to stimulate fat loss ... the back of the arms is one of them, so in order to get favorable results in an area such as this, a lot of times it takes impeccable nutrition and a dedication to high-intensity total body exercise ... not triceps extensions or crunches for the stomach. The next time you see a program or an article featuring "5 exercises to smaller arms", please beware. I'm sure you'll still want to look at it, but remember these type of programs will bring a lot of frustration because they simply don't work. It's science, and it's a fact. Note: If you want me to answer your question, just ask. Dan Falkenberg, BA, ACE-CPT, NASM-PES Dan Falkenberg is the cofounder of Your Live Trainers. He can be reached at DanFalkenberg.com. If you want some extra help this New Year, I just released my first-ever downloadable training program called the Fat Dissolver Program; it features over 50 of the exercises I use with my own clients. You can download them to your computer, watch them on your iPod/iPhone, or turn them into two DVDs of your own. Make sure you check them out today, and don't miss my 20% off special!
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Dan, just wanted you to know that as a beginning exerciser at middle age, I've just started to read your articles and I can't believe how informative and helpful (and hopeful) they are! Everything you write about seems to confirm or clarify what I've read elsewhere from reputable publications, and of course corrects what I read when the warning lights are going off from less trustworthy sources.
Please keep up the great articles!
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words. It makes me excited to know that what I publish is appreciated. Thanks again, and remember, if you ever have a question you want me to answer in an article, just ask.
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