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Dear World’s Fittest Man,

I'm really enjoying your column and the tips I get from it. Here's my problem: I'm a woman, age 32. I do the stairmaster and a step class at least a couple of times a week. I just can't seem to tone up that jiggly part of the back of my upper arm. I'm really self- conscious about this, even watching the way I wave good bye and do the moves in my gym class! What can I do about this? Help!!

Up in Arms over Upper Arms

Dear Up in Arms over Upper Arms,

You’re not alone when it comes to the “jiggly” part in the back of your upper arm. Believe it or not, I’ve also heard it referred to as “bingo” arm. Not sure how that one got started. What I am sure about is that many women (and men too) are self-conscious about this body area, especially in the summer months when it’s time for short sleeves instead of long sleeves or sweaters.

Everyone remembers Madonna’s nicely toned, long, lean sexy arms. While this might be the ideal - something to strive for - not everyone’s arms will end up looking like hers. With that in mind, there are some very specific exercises you can do to help shape and tone the “jiggle.”

That “jiggle” is really a series of connected muscles called triceps found in your upper arm. Most people are familiar with the bicep, that’s the front or top part of the arm. What most people don’t realize, though, is that the triceps makes up almost 2/3 of the upper muscle, so if you want your upper arms to be toned and lean, you need to work these muscles too.

In order to train the triceps muscle correctly, you’ll first need to understand where exactly this muscle is and how it feels. Do this by fully extending your right arm with your palm facing down. Clench your fist to contract all the muscles in your arm. Now place your left hand on the outside of your upper right arm. That’s your triceps.

OK, now that you know which muscles you’ll be working, you’ll be able to feel the contraction better and get more bang for your buck. You’re going to need to hit the triceps from three different angles, with three different weight training exercises. I call this the “Triple Triceps Routine.” You don’t need to use a lot of weight, just enough to feel a little pump in triceps. And make sure you feel the contraction each time. (The contraction is the portion of the exercise when your muscle is fully extended.) Start with 1 or 2 sets of 10 and then work you way up to 3 sets of 10.

Triceps Kickback:
Bend over and grip a dumbbell with your right hand. Bend your right elbow so that your upper arm is parallel and your forearm perpendicular to the floor. Extend your right arm back for a count of 2 until your entire upper arm is completely straight and parallel to the floor. Lower your arm back to the starting position for a count of 4.

Triceps Pushdown:
Position yourself in front of the cable machine. Grip the bar with your palms facing down. Then, bring the bar down until your hands are level with your shoulders and your elbows are at your side. Extend your arms fully straight for 2 counts, keeping your elbows close to your body. Pause, then return slowly for 4 counts to the starting position.

Overhead Triceps Extension:
Sit at the edge of a bench or chair and grip the dumbbells in both hands so that your palms are facing in and elbows bent 90 degrees. Bending your arms from your elbows, raise the dumbbells slowly for 2 counts straight up over your head. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position for 4 counts.

A few weeks of my “Triple Triceps Routine” and you can say goodbye to that “jiggle” once and for all.

© Joe Decker 2003

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