How to Get Slimmer Arms

Toning arm muscles and employing a healthy diet will make for the best results.

Whether you're looking to thin or tone your arms, the best way to accomplish this is to first begin a regimen of weight reduction and weight training. Weight reduction is a crucial aspect in toning, as the effects of weight training will not be apparent without it. When you begin your exercise program, keep in mind that it is impossible to spot-reduce when losing weight. This means that wanting to reduce your arm size will be impossible without overall weight loss. It is a good idea, however, to work muscles to tone and streamline them.

Instructions

1. 

   Dumbbells with removable weights are versatile, as you can add weights to provide additional resistance.

   Find dumbbell weights that feel heavy but do not painfully strain your muscles. Do a few reps with the weights. Do dumbbell curls to work biceps and triceps extensions and wrist curls for forearms (a good starting place is seven reps). Doing few reps with heavy weights is the best way to build muscle, thereby toning muscles. However, to avoid bulking the muscles up, take a break after your first set of reps to do some aerobic exercise. Repeating the reps too often will bulk your muscles; two to three times per routine should be enough.

2. 

   Kung fu's striking precision assists the practitioner in muscle strength and control.

   Learn a martial art such as karate or kung fu, as both of these arts focus heavily on strikes and arm muscle development. Because martial art training focuses on speed and precision rather than on adding to the muscle you already have, the end result is that practitioners attain streamlined muscles rather than pumped-up muscles. Additionally, practicing martial arts ensures that you perform aerobic exercise during the workout, which will speed metabolism and assist in weight loss goals.

3. 

   A dancer's body is toned and sculpted.

   Participate in a ballet class. Ballet dancers train to control their arm movements precisely as well as to hold their arms aloft for minutes at a time, resulting in muscular arms. However, because ballet itself focuses on lengthening and stretching muscles rather than contracting them, bulk is unable to settle on dancers' arms, thus leaving them streamlined, yet toned and strong.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not be discouraged if the exercise you have chosen fails to deliver the results you desire immediately; sometimes, bodies can take time to adjust to new exercise regimens. Reevaluate your exercise goals and try to tailor a plan if you are truly unhappy with the exercise path you chose.

References

• Real Women's Fitness: Beginner's Arm Toning