How to get rid of your bingo wings with 6 simple exercises – and you don’t have to go to the gym
Most of us will have flabby underarm skin at some point in our lives, but that doesn't mean that you can't do anything about it
THERE comes a point in all our lives where we look in the mirror and realise that, horrifyingly, we've grown bingo wings.
You know, that swathe of skin that flaps about unceremoniously under our arms - between our armpits and elbows.
It's enough to put you off wearing sleeveless tops and dresses for life.
A few months ago, Women's Health conducted a survey which found that ten per cent of women were most worried about their arm fat.
Women tend to be more prone to putting on fat on their arms because certain areas are more affected by hormones and stress - in our case, lower belly, thighs and arms.
"Bingo wings are caused by a combination of body fat and low muscle mass in the upper body," Melissa Weldon, head trainer at boutique fitness concept , told The Sun.
"Traditionally, women have been wary of training upper body due to the myth that it'll make them 'bulky'...when, in fact, upper body training would give them more tone and firmness."
The more muscle you have in your arms, the less flabby that area will be but to some degree, gravity and skin elasticity are going to do their things - whether you can bench press your own weight or not.
As we get older, our metabolism slows down and our production of hormones like growth hormone and testosterone starts to change, making it more likely women will pile on fat rather than build muscle.
While there's no immediate "cure" for bingo wings (is there one for anything?), there are things you can do to firm up your triceps (that's the muscle at the back of the upper arm), and reduce their appearance.
For a start, reducing your overall body fat will help.
Women of all sizes, ages and fitness levels can and do develop saggy upper arms but there's no doubt that making sure you're not carrying a load of excess fat will make it easier to reduce their appearance.
You don't have to work out continuously - twice a week should be enough to start seeing, and more importantly feeling a difference.
Always make sure that you give yourself at least a day in between arm workouts to allow time for your muscles to recover and repair.
If you're working out at home, swap weights for things around the house - litre bottles of water, bags of flour or rice...anything that weighs something, is easy to grip and move.
SIX EXERCISES TO TRY IN THE GYM OR AT HOME
1. Tricep kickbacks
Take a weight in one arm and hold onto a bench or seat with the other.
Lean over whatever you're holding onto.
Bend the arm with the weight and move the lower arm backwards before slowly bringing it back in line with your body.
Repeat 8-12x, rest for 30 secs and then repeat for three sets.
2. Front raise
Grab your two weights and let your arms hang at your sides - palms facing your body.
Then raise your arms in front of you until they're parallel to the floor and in a direct line from your torso.
Pause and then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Repeat 8-12x, rest for 30 secs and then repeat for three sets.
3. Plank
Lie on the ground before lifting yourself into a plank position with your forearms on the floor, elbows towards your torso (a bit like the sphinx).
Keep your bum down, legs out straight - the only thing touching the ground should be your toes and your forearms.
Stay in this position for 30 seconds initially, break for 30 seconds, and then go again for 40 seconds. Try to work your way up to a minute.
And once you've mastered those, then there are some more advanced bingo-busting exercises you could try which involve a little more strength and balance.
Melissa recommends three more specific - and advanced - exercises to work the arms and promote overall fat loss - which in turn, can help combat the dreaded bingo wings.
3. Bicep Burpees
Holding a set of dumbbells, perform a burpee; place dumbells down between feet, shoot feet back, jump in and perform 3 bicep curls.
If that's too much (and for many of us it probably is), just concentrate on nailing your burpee - begin by lying on the ground flat, then jump up in the air before landing in a squat and going back to your starting position.
Repeat 8-12x, rest for 30 secs and then repeat for three sets.
4. Banded Tricep Push Downs
Securing a power band to a pull-up bar or frame; with an overhand grip push band down towards your hips until your elbows are locked out.
And if you can't do that, simply grab your resistance band, hold it behind your back with one and pull up above your head with the other.
Repeat 8-12x, rest for 30 secs and then repeat for three sets.
5. Renegade Push-Up
Holding a set of heavy dumbells; hold a full plank.
Alternate pulling each dumbbell up towards rib cage and then perform a press up. Bring your right weight up to your waist and back down to the floor. Repeat on the left. Then do a press up. Row right, Row Left and One Press Up.
Repeat 8-12x, rest for 30 secs and then repeat for three sets.
MORE ON FITNESS & EXERCISE
Ultimately, however, it's totally normal and fine to not have the triceps of an Olympian - nobody really cares and it's not something worth worrying about.
For centuries, women have been made to feel awful about their arms while men's arms are seen as symbols of strength (even if they're not especially muscular).
But if you do want to get stronger and firmer arms (and research has shown that the key to living longer is to get stronger) then concentrating on exercising your upper body a couple of times a week should help.