7 exercises to tone your upper arms

Sometimes, when you stop moving your arm, the bottom of your upper arm keeps moving. This phenomenon has a nickname you might recognize: Bingo wings. Let’s find out how you can tone your upper arms and which toning exercises will quickly get your triceps and biceps in top shape. Bye-bye bingo wings!

Why do you get bingo wings?

With age, the body not only loses muscle mass, but its connective tissue also weakens. From about your mid-twenties, your body’s collagen starts to break down, leading the skin to lose its firmness. In addition, the muscle cells that give the skin extra elasticity start to shrink. By thirty it naturally begins to sag here and there. Those who genetically suffer from weak connective tissue might face the “bingo wings” problem zone even earlier.

Wobbly upper arms or “bingo wings” are those flaps of skin that hang down and swing along with every arm movement. They can happen to anyone of any gender. However, since men have an average of 10 to 15 percent more muscle mass, bingo wings primarily affect women starting at a younger age.

Causes of bingo wings

Flabby arms occur when the ratio between muscle mass and skin is unbalanced, i.e. there is too little muscle for the amount of skin. The skin can also start to sag in cases of quick and extreme weight loss and loss of fat tissue – gravity does the rest.

Other factors that lead to sagging arms and cellulite in general are a predisposition to weak connective tissue, an unbalanced diet, a high body fat percentage, and a lack of muscle strength.

What helps to get rid of bingo wings?

Virtually no one is spared from flabby arms. But the good news is: strength training can counteract sagging. Effective and targeted arm exercises are a natural way to support and tighten your arm muscles. The greater your muscle volume and the lower your body fat percentage, the less visible those bingo wings will be.

To fight this problem zone, you need to regularly train your upper body, especially your upper arms. The important thing is to stick with it long-term. Only through continuity and gradual improvement will you be able to achieve visible results that can last – without any jiggling!

Besides training, nutrition is the decisive factor if you want to get rid of bingo wings. The most intense workout will do little good if you eat an unbalanced diet and feed your fat deposits in the process. A balanced, goal-oriented diet is important. In order for your muscles to grow, they need, above all, complete proteins. With our Whey Protein you get the optimal support for firm upper arms, without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

Tip: If you want to go all in, our Muscle Pack is just right for you. Whey protein, L-glutamine, and creatine for strength building and regeneration will quickly bring you closer to your goals.

Which muscles do you need to train?

To get rid of bingo wings or prevent sagging skin, you need to train your upper arms. You should primarily focus on the following muscles:

• Triceps / Musculus triceps brachii: The triceps are also known as the “three-headed arm muscle”. They run along the back of the upper arm. Their job is to pull the flexed forearm backward.
• Biceps / Musculus biceps brachii: The “two-headed arm muscle” is the counterpart to the triceps. The biceps are also called the arm flexor because they flex the forearm. In addition, they activate when you pull your arms toward your chest, such as when you’re doing push-ups or pull-ups.

First and foremost, strong triceps are your secret weapon against bingo wings. Your arm workouts, however, should be balanced. For a healthy musculoskeletal system, you should train agonist (here: triceps) and antagonist (here: biceps) muscles equally.

Strengthening the shoulder muscles is also worth doing in order to strengthen your upper body as a whole.

7 exercises to combat bingo wings

Say goodbye: These seven exercises are ideal for toning your arm muscles – you can even do them at home. Pay attention to a clean and controlled execution. It’s better to start with lighter weights and do more repetitions – as long as the technique is correct, of course.

Also make sure you have an adequate recovery time: you should give the same muscle group at least one or two days off before you start lifting weights again.

Dips

Support yourself with your hands on a weight bench or the edge of a chair and your back touching the pad. Keep your arms behind your body and fingertips pointing toward you. Slightly rotate your elbows inward. Keep your legs bent or stretched out – the further away your feet are, the more intense the exercise. Slowly lower the buttocks toward the floor while keeping your back straight. Do not sit down, but press straight back up without fully extending the elbows.

More advanced athletes can place their feet on an incline to increase the burn!

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Triceps Extensions

Grab a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms above your head. Keep your upper arms by your ears and your elbows pointing forward. Your torso should remain upright and your abs engaged. Keep your shoulder blades in place and tense your triceps. Bend both elbows, bringing the dumbbell toward your neck without moving your upper arms. Return to the starting position.

Alternatively, you can also perform the exercise with one arm. In that case, use a lighter weight.

Biceps Curl

Start in an upright position, feet hip-width apart, and knees slightly bent. Make sure your torso is upright, abs are tight, and arms are beside your body. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up. Lock your upper arms and bend your elbows. Move the weights toward your chest – without swinging them! – and then back down to your sides. At the lowest point, briefly tense your triceps before starting the next repetition.

Lateral Raises

Stand upright with knees slightly bent. Engage your abs. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang at your sides, palms facing you. Lock your shoulder blades, relax your neck, and start to raise your arms. Keep your elbows straight. Continue the movement, at a controlled speed, until your hands are about shoulder height and forming a “T” shape. Then lower them slowly.

Close Grip Push-ups

Start in a high push-up position with your palms below your shoulders and fingertips pointing forward. Keep your abs tight. Now bend your arms and slowly lower your body until you are nearly touching the floor. Your elbows should stay close to your body. When you reach the lowest point, push yourself back up.

For an easier variation, try this exercise on your knees instead of your toes. This will not make the exercise any less effective.

Military Plank

Start in a forearm plank: Keep your elbows below your shoulders, and your abs and glutes tight. Now raise your body by first placing one hand, then the other, where your elbows were before – until you are in a high plank position. From here, lower yourself onto your forearms, one side after the other. Important: Always keep your hips parallel to the floor. Work slowly and consciously tighten your abs and glutes to keep yourself stable.

Shoulder Press

To do a shoulder press, grab two dumbbells. For the starting position, place your hands by your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your core firm and your chest pushed out. Press the weights up over your head in a controlled straight motion and slowly lower them from there.

Summary

• Bingo wings are areas of skin on the upper arms that hang limply during movements due to gravity and a lack of muscle tone.
• Due to the natural reduction of muscle mass and weakening of connective tissue over time, the likelihood of bingo wings increases with age, starting as early as the mid-twenties.
• Targeted exercises and a healthy diet can counteract sagging arms.
• Exercises for the triceps, biceps, and shoulder muscles are particularly effective.

Sources for this article

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