The reality, there’s nothing you can do about about your hormones or your DNA, and spot-reduction just flat-out doesn't work.
“Arm fat” is such an ugly phrase for something so common: that little bit of flab that hangs from our arms or sticks out of our sports bras. But such a small part of our bodies can be a major sore spot for so many women.
In fact, so many women hate their upper arms that they’re actually seeking surgery to get rid of it. Nearly 25,000 women received upper arm lifts—a cosmetic surgery procedure that reduces drooping skin and tightens the underlying tissue to give the arm more definition—in 2016. That number is up 4,959 percent since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
But here’s the most important thing to remember about arm fat: It’s totally normal. So many women have it because, thanks to our higher estrogen levels, we store more fat than men. On average, women carry 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men do, according to Australian research. After all, women need a certain amount of fat to be healthy—a minimum of 12 percent of their total weight, to be exact, should come from essential fat, which is found in your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, muscles, and tissues of the central nervous system, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
“Body fat is structurally important,” explains Stefanie Mendez, R.D., co-founder of Matriarch, a women's fitness and nutrition service. “It cushions our organs and insulates our body for temperature control and also is our body’s source of energy reserves. Beyond that, fat is needed for the production of hormones and reproduction functions.” And that fat can show up in your thighs, your belly, and, yes, your upper arms. Where it goes is partly due to genetics; if your mom has arm fat, science says you have a 62 percent chance of inheriting that trait.
The reality, there’s nothing you can do about about your hormones or your DNA, and spot-reduction just flat-out doesn't work, Mendez says. For example, in one study of tennis players, researchers found that there were no significant differences in the amount of fat on their dominant and non-dominant arms.
Instead, focus on living the healthy, well-fueled and physically active lifestyle that you know you need to lead anyway. By doing that, you'll see far greater results in the arm department, anyway, Mendez says. Through a combination of balanced eating (hit all three macros at every meal!) and performing a combination of high-intensity interval cardio and strength training, you'll naturally shed fat all over, including around your arms, explains Lauren Williams, C.P.T., a trainer at PROJECT Equinox.
You'll also build muscle to fill out your arms and firm them up. “Generally, when people are complaining about underarm jiggle, they’re usually referring to the area that is governed by the tricep,” says Williams. “If the jiggle or looseness in that part of your arm is due to a lack of muscle, then strengthening and building muscle in your tricep will also create some change in the aesthetic of that area.” She recommends performing triceps push-ups, extensions, and dips to hone in on that area and add some muscular definition to your arms.
But, no, they aren't going to zap your arm fat. At least now you know the truth of what you're dealing with!