flab under arms- make it go away!

C

ChicagoJen

Cathlete
Hi educated crowd,

I'm sure that this question has been asked before, but... what exercises are best for getting rid of that little fatty deposit under the arms?

I'm pretty lean, and my chest muscles are quite defined;yet this is still one of those stubborn areas that I can't seem to tone up. Should I go heavier with my chest work? More push-ups, maybe?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jen
 
Hi Jen.

Well, I'm not a pro -- but I know a little bit about that annoying under arm flab that only looks good on squirrels......

You're on the right track with the chest work. Its the "pushing" exercises that you want to concentrate on -- especially the triceps. Try some close grip barbell presses, lying barbell tricep extensions, and tricep dips to build up those muscles. Cathe's PS Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps is a good tape for the "pushing" (as opposed to the "pulling") muscle exercises.

If you're already doing pushups, just place your hands narrower -- line them up directly under your armpits instead of out past your shoulders -- you'll be using your tri's instead of your chest.

Ann
 
Hi Anne,

Thanks for the tips! : ) I have a feeling that I wasn't clear enough with my question, though. (Sorry!) I'm talking about the little flab on the outer pec portion of the chest from a frontal view, if that makes sense. I'm thinking that triceps work really won't target this area. I should take a physiology course or something because that description just sounds funny. LOL! Your thoughts? : )

Thanks so much,
Jen
 
Hi Jen,

Ah, you mean the fatty pockets that pop out whenyour arms are close to the side, so that they are visible when wearing strappy tops, etc.

Well, I am not very good when it comes to strength terms, but my fatty deposits were terrible before I started combining Power Hour with cardio, and they have improved greatly. I no longer grimace when I look in the mirror. I don't whether it is the faster repetitions in PH that helped, but it hits the spot, shall I say !

Before Christmas, a post was put on Video Questions, and Donna aka Gettinfit@38 (as was then), and Gettinfit@39, posted about brilliant results on her own fat pockets.

Donna, if you are reading this, can you remember what it was you were doing to improve them ???????? :-hmmm ?

Anna :)
 
i think I posted this question a few weeks ago.. and Cathe replied!
It's the little nasty front of armpit fat thingy right? My arms are in pretty nice shape, but that little "wedge" of fat in the front is in fact disturbing to see after all the cardio, weight loss, strength training, etc.
Anyway, if I remember correctly, Cathe replied that overhead extentions and pushups and alot of dumbell flys might help. (check archives, I think it might be there so you can see her reply to me verbatum) I am still working on it, but its been only about 2 weeks consistent, so results are still a ways off. --
any other ideas are greatly appreciaited!
 
Hi all,

Thanks so much for your responses. Below is the response from Cathe that Samanthaeve10 mentioned regarding the dreaded fat wedge. I guess that I better get to work on that extra upper body work and cardio.
Take care and keep up the hard work,
Jen

Cathe Friedrich Dec-10-02, 05:13 PM (Est)
1. "RE: nasty place for fat"
Hi Samanthaeve10! Yes, unless you have been lax with your diet or your fitness program, this soft tissue is generally a combination of genetics and aging but it doesn't mean it can't be firmed up. It just means that you have to work harder at keeping it firmed up. At around 35 years of age and older, this area along with the tricep area and also the area around the bra strap really tend to get to get soft due to the natural aging process in which there is a gradual loss of lean muscle mass. You can really slow this process down by kicking your workouts up a notch. I suggest gaining that muscle back by doing some intense weight training for those areas. You definitely still want to do overall weight training but one or two days a week do an additional upper body workout that includes slow push ups, fly's, and bench press work. Also clean eating and including at least on to two very intense cardio workouts along with your more moderate ones will help keep your muscles strong
 
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