How Women Over 50 Can Firm Up Their Upper Arms

Excess, flabby skin on your upper arms can be frustrating to deal with any time of year, but especially when warmer weather calls for tank tops. You may have heard of the term “bat wings” before, and if you’d like to improve and tone up this problematic area, LivingBetter50 has got you. These workouts will help you get rid of bat wings, and it all starts with strength training on a consistent basis. Building muscle in your triceps is the name of the game here, and that’s exactly what these exercises will achieve.

When it comes to training your arms, particularly your triceps, you want to prioritize pressing movements and build strength each time you do them. Exercises such as bench presses, shoulder presses, and pushups are fantastic, but you also want to include isolation movements that directly target your triceps. Your triceps have three heads (long, lateral, and medial), and the part that has the most “hang” or “jiggle” is the long head. So, it’s crucial to select exercises that hone in on that part of the triceps and require your arms to be at an overhead position.

Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

For this exercise, grab a pair of dumbbells, and press them up and over your head. Keeping the dumbbells together, bend from your elbows, and lower the weight all the way down behind your head until your biceps touch your forearms. Get a good tricep stretch at the bottom, then extend your elbows back up, flexing them hard at the top before performing another rep. Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Single Arm Overhead Triceps Extensions

Grab a single dumbbell, and raise it above your head. Bend from your elbow, bringing it down across your body behind your head. Get a good triceps stretch at the bottom, then fully extend your arm back to the starting position, flexing your triceps to finish. Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each arm.

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Position yourself flat on your back on a bench, and press the dumbbells up so that your palms are facing each other. Keeping your shoulders completely straight, bend your elbows back so the dumbbells come down towards you. As soon as your forearms touch your biceps, reverse the motion, flexing your triceps to finish. Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Pushup Hold

Assume a plank position with your body in a completely straight line above the ground. Your feet should be together and your shoulders should be in line with your wrists. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed, and lower yourself until you’re about halfway down. Maintain tension in your triceps, and hold for 15 to 20 seconds. Perform 2 to 3 sets.

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