Firm Up Flabby Arms

There are a few steps one must take to achieve tight and sexy arms. Some are obvious and some not so obvious.

• Calorie deficit -- For you to develop sexy arms, you have to reduce body fat. It is impossible to have excess body fat and sexy arms. The fat sitting on the arms will simply not allow one to see the beautiful muscles you've developed.
  The muscles will be painfully hidden under a layer of flab. The answer to this dilemma lies in a precise but realistic nutrition plan. Calories must be reduced just enough to get you losing fat, but not so low that your energy is depleted.
• Proper ratios of protein, carbs and fats - You need to have the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats in your diet.
  If I train two women of equal genetics and place each of them on 1,300 calories a day (with the same workout program), but one takes in 80 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 10 percent from protein and 10 percent from fats, while the other takes in approximately 50 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein and 20 percent from good fats - I guarantee the results of their arm programs will be very different.
  The woman taking in lots of carbohydrates and minimal protein and fats will appear softer and less firm. A balance of protein, carbs and fats is key. I'm not suggesting that you need to take in 50 percent of calories from carbs.
  In reality, it can be 40 percent or 45 percent. I'm simply trying to emphasize the point of nutritional balance.
• Frequency and variation of arm training - To get great arms, work them three alternate days a week and build to a point where you can perform five sets of biceps and five sets of triceps (two exercises, two to three sets each) in each workout. Vary the routine. If you perform five sets of biceps Monday, Wednesday and Friday, none of the exercises should be the same. This helps to create a new stimulus each time you work your arms.
• Vary the repetitions - For some unknown reason, everyone thinks eight to 12 repetitions per set is the magical number for every workout. I'm not suggesting this rep scheme doesn't work.
  However, for great results, you should vary the rep patterns during the week. For example, on Monday perform 8 reps per set. On Wednesday, perform 12 reps per set and on Friday perform 6 reps per set. The weight poundage will vary from workout to workout. Don't worry, your arms won't get huge!
• Antagonist Superset Workouts - Antagonist training refers to working opposing muscle groups in the same workout. There are many methods to manipulate a workout, but I've had great success performing a biceps exercise immediately followed by a triceps exercise. For example, if you're performing three sets of dumbbell curls and three sets of triceps dumbbell extensions, you perform the curl movement and after completing the goal reps, immediately go to the triceps exercise. Wait a bit and then continue the cycle (biceps exercise followed by triceps).
  This allows you to use more weight poundage because the opposing muscle group gets a bit of a rest as you work the other muscle. Plus, the antagonist superset training allows you to burn more calories.
• Time Between Sets - I've found that arms respond quite well with a 45 to 60 second rest between sets. Using our antagonist workout example in Step 5, after performing the biceps curl and triceps extension, one would wait no more than 45 seconds and then repeat the cycle.
  People tend to wait too long between sets or don't wait long enough. There has to be some time allotted for recovery, but not so much that you begin to get stale. My time parameters, combined with Step 5, allow you to do more work in less time and will make our arms feel tighter than a drum.
• Balanced Workouts - Contrary to popular belief, you don't simply work the arms (biceps and triceps) to get great arms. You have to work the entire body. Exercises for all the major muscle groups such as back, chest, shoulders, legs, etc., will make you more fit and lean.
  Plus, the upper body muscle groups, such as back, chest and shoulders, have a profound effect on the way your arms look. Let's face it, you need your arms to actually perform the exercises for those muscles.