Okay, I'm pretty good with what weights work which body part but I have this dreaded ampit loose flab - it bunches up when I wear a bra and looks hideous - it's not just at the front, but around the side too. I'm ready to lift heavy to get rid of it, just not sure what works that area...

I'm not sure if this is a latissimus dorsi and chest issue - I see all these body builders with wide chests and backs and have been thinking that that's what I should be aiming for to fill out the loose flab.

Mel - I saw a post a while ago where you said that you wanted to define your waist more, so you had to widen your upper body to do it - would that work for me?

Bea, how long have you been at your current weight? How old are you and do you smoke or tan?

After I had maintained for a while, skin in some parts of my body did tighten up. My stomach, no.... That had been shredded by big pregnancies. But the skin on my arms and legs really did. Muscle helps too

I'm a huge fan of big, compound lifts and movements for everything. I really see no point in do isolated tricep work, and would do medicine ball push ups instead. You work your chest, triceps and abs rather than just one muscle. Try decline push ups with your feet on a balance ball and your hands on the floor- vary your hand position.

Do pull ups (probably assisted) with lots of different grips. You will use your lats, biceps, and forearms, as well as your abs.

I'm also a big fan of Olympic lifts, but only if you have someone to teach you proper form.

Mel

You rock, Mel! I'd bookmarked this thread waiting for you to chime in, because I wanted to know too, lol!

Hey Mel - thanks for replying.

I've been at my current weight for about 8 months but only because I thought that if I kept doing what I was doing the weight would eventually go. I only just realized the reason I wasn't losing more was because I was doing nothing but extensive cardio and not eating clean at all - very protein and nutrient deficient. So my weight basically stalled even though I know I have more to lose. I'm 29, don't tan, drink, smoke or anything like that. I am now eating clean, doing BFL and I have stopped cardio, except for HIIT, 3 times a week.

I literally have no muscle definition anywhere, so I'm pretty confident that eating clean and building muscle will sort out the flabby problem for me...

So, pull ups, push-ups would do good? Can I build sufficient muscle in the armpit flab area doing those? Will they widen my chest/back? What about lat pull downs? Any good?

Ah- I knew I asked those questions before, but forgot the answers

Bea- as a newbie lifter, if yo are eating clean and doing the bfl workouts and NOT burning up muscle with excesive (hour plus) cardio, you should be able to build muscle for a few months just by looking at a dumbbell!

And yes- push ups and pull ups build muscle! So do lat pull downs, but you don't use as many muscles to stabilize your body (you are sitting). Go wide overhand grip if you want to widen your lats. Don't wrap your thumbs.

Mel

medicine ball pushups? How are those done? Inquiring minds want to know!

For tricep work, put both hands on a medicine ball and do push ups.

For stability, more chest and ab work, either use 2 medicine balls, one for each hand and do push ups, or use one medicine ball and roll it from hand to hand while doing the push up.

If you can't do full push ups, you get a lot of the same upper body advantages to these even doing modified on your keesn. Just make sure you are doing a FULL, deep push up.

Mel

I was just about to ask about how to do a medicine ball pushup. Now I have to ask - how do you use one medicine ball and roll it from from hand to hand while doing the push up? One hand on the ball and one on the floor, then switch?

This should help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIu8LKTVq9I

Med ball pushups are one of my favorites. Although just be sure you are using the same size med ball if using one under each hand. Be cautious if you have any shoulder issues.

The med balls allow you to go deeper into the pushup. Helpful for those who have a fuller chest. A looong way to go down if your less endowed like me.

In my program we do T-pushups which are done with DBs under your hands.
T-push ups This kills my wrists - I'm thinking that medicine balls may be better though of course I'd still need to grab DBs for the rotational part. Wonder if I can find 2 the same size in my gym.....