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Firming Underarm Flab
by Chris Akard
I asked a client what she thought a good topic would be for my next segment.
Mary Jo West, respected community leader and friend of mine, had a great one.
Her advice: Help women get rid of underarm flab! I've heard this request many
times before.
So what is flab? You hear the word a lot -- at least I do. Let me give you my
definition of flab: An area of the body that is undesirable. Having a soft and
non-toned appearance, usually larger in size. Sound about right?
Like most of the body, the underarm, or back of the arm, has two major
aspects when dealing with the shape and tone.
The first is fat. The more fat you have, the more flab you'll see. You can
attack the fat with low-fat nutrition and monitoring a calorie level that will
maintain a weight that you're satisfied with. Another arsenal of fat defense is
aerobic activity. For beginners, get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes
twice a week. If you have been consistent for a month, you should proceed to
three times per week for 30 minutes. Once you've shown consistency at this
workload, you have earned your way to doing even more. The more cardio you can
do, the more fat you'll burn. Without consistency you won't see results.
Now for the second aspect of the underarm: the underarm muscle. This muscle
is known as the tricep. It has three parts, hence the word "tri." The
more you tone this muscle, the less flab you'll have.
I have a couple of exercises that you can do at home. For gym exercises, read
The
Football Player's Workout for Triceps. It's an excellent tricep exercise you
can do at the gym.
Please view the video clip to better understand the following exercises.
Consult a physician before starting this or any exercise program.
Grab an Iron -- Tricep Toner
That's right, the kind of iron you use to iron your clothes. Be sure it's not
hot, not plugged in and the cord is wrapped safely. You also may want to dump
out any water in the iron. But, hey, this is Arizona and I'll leave that up to
you. (A 10-lb. to 12-lb. dumbbell would also do fine.)
Sitting in a chair, put your back into a tall position. Hold the iron in one
hand. This will act as your resistance. Take the opposite hand and brace it down
on the seat cushion or seat bottom. This will protect your back.
Now, extend the iron over the top of your head. Keep your arm straight up
over your head with the arm next to your ear. Holding that position, bend your
arm allowing the dumbbell "iron" to go behind your head and not on top
of it. Once you've achieved this position, extend the arm back up again. Now you
have achieved your first rep. Do this for 10 to 20 repetitions. Rest 30 seconds
and then do another set. You can do up to four sets per arm.
Fabric Softener -- Tricep Kickback
Wow, these household items make for some great exercise equipment! Obviously,
the larger the fabric softener bottle, the more intensity you'll have in your
workout. You will also need a bench or chair to use.
Start by placing the bottle in one hand. Bend over with a flat back and not
slouching. You can brace yourself with the opposite hand on the bench or chair.
You will achieve greater support if you use a bench or couch to also put one
knee on. In short, your foundation is one knee and one hand on the supporting
bench. Now, with the fabric softener bottle, hold your upper arm so that it's
parallel to your back and floor. At this point, you can begin to hinge and
straighten your arm. This will isolate the tricep. Do this for 10 to 25
repetitions and anywhere from two to four sets. Remember to keep the solid
foundation as you execute this movement.
I hope you will utilize these techniques to reduce any flab you might have.
Burn the fat, tone the muscle and show 'em off!
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