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After a certain age, your arms may look fat and flabby. To recover their shape, triceps exercises promise excellent results. 

We call this condition “shaker” arms because of the uncomfortable situation that shows up every time someone at the table asks us for the salt shaker, and this area of the arms is probably one of the most difficult to tone up. The fat stored in the arms, like belly fat, is the last to burn when following a low-calorie plan.

This condition shows up especially after age 40, when the skin begins to lose elasticity, and becomes much worse if there’s a genetic predisposition to have “fat” arms or if there is physical inactivity. Even worse, the “shaker” or back of the arm is formed by a muscle that is hardly used, the triceps. It occupies about 60% of the arm and is an extension muscle that doesn’t develop as much as the others.

Raise Your Arms and Start Today!

The secret to tone up your triceps lies in a regular endurance routine. To prevent contractures or spine disorders, it’s important to take good care of your posture and to contract the abs while doing the exercises, so the force is done by the arms and not by the neck.

• Get a couple of 1 or 2-pound dumbbells. Sit on a bench or at the edge of the bed and lift an arm above your head. Flex the other arm behind your head and hold your elbow. Then, begin to flex the arm that was stretched, bring the forearm to your back, as low as possible. To make it more effective, perform movements slowly. Begin with three series of 15 repetitions, and increase progressively until you reach a total of 60 repetitions.

• Sitting or standing, do arm extension exercises. Movements should be slow and involve taking your arm backwards, flexing and stretching the forearm. To prevent injuries, hide your head, resting the cheek on your chest. You can do this with or without weights. Begin with three sets of 15 repetitions and increase to a total of 60.

• There are other floor exercises you can do to tone up your arms. Military-style push-ups, both front and back, are excellent exercises. Facing the floor, support your palms on the floor and slowly lift your torso until your arms are outstretched. Then, perform the push-ups facing up. Instead of sitting back, begin the exercise from a seated position. Locate the palms of your hands on the floor, near your waist, as close as possible to your body. Then, bend your arms until your elbows can almost touch the floor. Begin with 3 sets of 10 repetitions. To make it more effective, stick your arms to the chest, so the triceps remain contracted.

You can repeat this routine three times a week, keeping the same number of repetitions or gradually increasing. After each session, don’t forget to stretch your arms.

Finally, to burn fat, add more fruits, vegetables and protein to your diet. And remember that to tone up your triceps, you need to be persistent. If you follow these recommendations, you’ll begin to notice results in less than three months. And now, when eating out with friends, it will be you who asks: “Can someone pass the shaker?”