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Old 05-14-2008, 01:41 PM   #1  
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Default I want my arms to be smaller!!

I do some weight training at the gym, and feel like I'm pretty strong. It's hard to say exactly which muscles I'm working cause I don't know em, but I do 3 or 4 difft machines about 30 times each at 35 lbs. My arms are still huge. Anyone have any advice on how to tone em up and make em smaller?
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:04 PM   #2  
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If you find that answer, let me know. My upper arms are 13.5 inches around. 94 pounds ago, they were 15 inches around. That is the one spot on my body where I haven't lost a lot, plus the batwings don't help.

I do a lot of upper body stuff, and have awesome biceps and triceps - but the flab, ugh!!
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:17 PM   #3  
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I have the same problem. I can tell my arms are getting smaller because I take my measurements once a month, but it's slow going. I carry a lot of extra fat there and I'm afraid I will have to deal with the dreaded 'bat wings' eventually.

Anyway, the answer to your question is that we can't spot reduce, of course. You just have to keep up with the strength training and cardio and eventually your arms will catch up.
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:23 PM   #4  
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I have heard you can't spot reduce, too, But then I wonder... if that is true, why are my legs and butt shrinking at a phenomenal rate (I ride a bike daily) but my arms are at a standstill?

My upper arms are nearly 17" around. I have considered one of those "arm bike" things that you cycle with your hands. So I have no advice for you but the maybe try that or swimming... something aerobic that uses your arms.
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:28 PM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyn2007 View Post
I have heard you can't spot reduce, too, But then I wonder... if that is true, why are my legs and butt shrinking at a phenomenal rate (I ride a bike daily) but my arms are at a standstill?
It's true that you can't pick where the fat comes off first, but absolutely if you're using muscles they're going to tighten up and show the tone more than the muscles that you're not using. Since you're biking so much, your lower body is building muscle, but your upper body's mostly just along for the ride. Adding even some light weights and things like push-ups will help tone your upper body to catch up.
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Old 05-14-2008, 02:43 PM   #6  
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Well - your lower body muscles are the largest in the body, so a larger area will show results quickly.
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Old 05-14-2008, 03:42 PM   #7  
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I do the arm weights, that's the thing. 3x a week I do a bunch of arm exercises with weights. I do some core stuff too like crunches, and I am doing wall pushups. I can't do stuff like lunges or squats or anything involving knees so I just bike... but still I cannot believe how fast my bottom half is shaping up! I am guessing that strength training and aerobic strengthening somehow work differently on the body part they are working...

I am new at this stuff. I just wish the arms would slim down! I do feel some very nice muscle under the fat though, especially at the shoulders! So when it does finally come off I will have something nice to reveal.
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Old 05-14-2008, 04:16 PM   #8  
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I would suggest you get a good book on weight training - I personally recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women.

Your program is not going to do you a darned bit of good, based on what you describe.

If you're doing 30 reps on each machine, then you're not lifting heavy enough. And if you're using the same weight on each machine, then you're probably massively undertraining many of your muscles. It's not a "one size fits all" type of thing.

I would recommend, as I said above, reading up on weight training as well as moving away from the machines and working on free-weights, body resistance (pushups are fantastic for building muscle in arms and shoulders and upper back), and functional fitness.

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Old 05-15-2008, 10:08 AM   #9  
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I would suggest you get a good book on weight training - I personally recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women.

Your program is not going to do you a darned bit of good, based on what you describe.

If you're doing 30 reps on each machine, then you're not lifting heavy enough. And if you're using the same weight on each machine, then you're probably massively undertraining many of your muscles. It's not a "one size fits all" type of thing.

I would recommend, as I said above, reading up on weight training as well as moving away from the machines and working on free-weights, body resistance (pushups are fantastic for building muscle in arms and shoulders and upper back), and functional fitness.

.

thanks, I will check out the book. How many reps do you think I should be able to do. How heavy?
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Old 05-15-2008, 11:23 AM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyn2007 View Post
I do the arm weights, that's the thing. 3x a week I do a bunch of arm exercises with weights. I do some core stuff too like crunches, and I am doing wall pushups. I can't do stuff like lunges or squats or anything involving knees so I just bike... but still I cannot believe how fast my bottom half is shaping up! I am guessing that strength training and aerobic strengthening somehow work differently on the body part they are working...

I am new at this stuff. I just wish the arms would slim down! I do feel some very nice muscle under the fat though, especially at the shoulders! So when it does finally come off I will have something nice to reveal.
If you're already doing light weights, I'd take Photochick's advice and check out a good weight training book. The local library should have a decent selection, or they can order titles through interlibrary loan. Your arms are probably ready for heavier weights. I started on the machines at the gym, but now I'm doing mostly free weights as part of my circuit training routine. I'm up to lifting 15 and 20 lbs at this point and I can definitely see the difference in my arms, but it's almost time to go up in weight again.
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Old 05-15-2008, 11:36 AM   #11  
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Born, a good place to start is 12 - 15 reps per set. That means you want to pick a weight that gets pretty hard somewhere between 12 and 15 reps -- like you really have to push yourself to get that last one out. If you get to 15 reps and still could keep going, you want to pick a heavier weight for the next set. But if you can't make it to 12, go lighter on the next set.

Start out with 2 sets of each exercise, 12 - 15 reps, and then you can progress to adding a third set.

The weight is going to be individual for each of us and, as Photochick said, it will vary from exercise to exercise. Keep the 12 - 15 reps in mind and experiment until you find the right weight for you.

It's a good idea to keep a training journal so you can track the exercises you do, reps and weight, so you know what you did the last time and you can watch your progress (which will be fast!)

If you keep a training journal, you can write your exercises like this:

DB curls: 2 x 10/15

Which means dumbbell curls, 2 sets, using 10# dumbbells, 15 reps. If you did the same exercise and did 15 reps on the first set and only 13 on the second, you'd write it like this:

DB curls: 10/15, 10/13

I agree that the New Rules Of Lifting For Women would be an excellent program for you and anyone else starting out with weights. You are going to love your results!
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