Can’t slim arms (they get bulkier) 😫

[kwellham]

I’m 5’3”, just got down 7 pounds thanks to very recently (three weeks ago) getting on birth control and metformin (PCOS… even after working out consistently w good eating habits since January).

I understand that you cannot target weight loss, but for some reason, my arms are always so bulky w/water retention in the “bat wing” area. I grew up dancing and playing tennis, and now I occupy my time rotating between Pilates, yoga, barre and boxing. I also run but am currently conditioning my knees and sticking to the 12-3-30 method.

Any advice? People say weight training but I notice that tends to make my arms bulkier. I have noticed INTENSE cardio in the past has worked but it’s also not sustainable. I’ve heard taking lots of fiber - how much is recommended?

Any advice is welcomed!!

 

[marieflore]

@kwellham i’ve been told that sometimes we get what we get with fat distribution. my arms are also my problem spot (insulin resistance, don’t qualify for PCOS as i don’t have enough symptoms for doctors to think i have the syndrome). some of us seem to have a belly even when we’re at a low weight, some of us have a big butt, some of us have stubborn back fat, etc. the only way for us, i think, is to just keep losing fat. eventually, the arms are going to have to lose fat. i’ve been incorporating rows like another commenter said as well as some tricep rope pull downs, reverse flys, and overhead presses and seen a little results (finally!) but tbh i think what made the most difference for me is just weight loss.

 

[christianflies]

@marieflore Somewhat unrelated but I’m on a tear encouraging women to seek doctors that believe them, test for them, listen, etc. If you have the means (and if US based I know that it’s tough even when you do have health insurance/ copay $, PTO, etc.!), remember you’re your own advocate and the numbers for women’s health concerns not being taken seriously are unfortunately staggering. I’ll get off my feminist/ health care pushing soap box now

 

[marieflore]

@christianflies yes!!! i’m blessed in that i have very good insurance. basically, my cycle is regular, and i have no cysts, (normal androgen levels) but i’m extremely hairy and struggled with cystic acne in the past. my diagnosis was just… “that’s unfortunate, but you’re fine” lol

 

[june2013]

@marieflore This sounds like me! Same symptoms but I had my hormones tested and I am not overweight so they told me I'm "fine" however, put me on birth control and spironolactone, which seems to have helped. I keep wonder if it's possible to have "PCOS-light" like a similar hormone issue that doesn't rise to that level of severity. It makes no sense to respond to hormone messages but my hormones are "fine". Did they put you on anything.

 

[marieflore]

@june2013 nope, they didn’t put me on anything. i think i do have “PCOS-lite” in that my body is overly sensitive to the normal amount of androgens that are in my body.

 

[bianca22]

@christianflies Definitely a concern. That's why (NOT a sales pitch) I'm starting a medical second opinion service. Believability, in my opinion, doesn't present as much of an issue as physicians thinking outside parameters and understanding that the body is a dynamic, and fluid (literally, haha!) entity, that integrates more factors than just laboratory results and studies. Anyway, getting off my own soapbox now. Sending positive vibes to all!

 

[cesar07]

@kwellham Try using the row machine, I found significant results doing it every day (2k) for 4 months. It wasn't what I was trying to do, but ended up with thinner arms in general. I'm 5ft tall, and was about 125 at the time that I started.

I was trying to finish up my 2k around 9 minutes each time, or as close as possible to it.

 

[gracenationminiss]

@cesar07 Do you have any tips for using the rowing machine? When I used it I felt like I wasn’t doing much

 

[anonymoussingleguy]

@gracenationminiss It’s hard to master the technique I would suggest watching some videos - my husband is a world level rower and he showed me and he said basically your are trying to imagine working through the water so, like swimming there are little micro muscles you need to use that isn’t just “pull in, push out” I’m sorry I’m doing a terrible job of explaining but I am sure there are a few videos out there with drawings that explain it!

 

[ghtan]

@kwellham I box!! it has toned my arms up immensely, that’s my problem area too.

 

[anonymoussingleguy]

@ghtan OP already said she does boxing

 

[kwellham]

@ghtan How frequently? Maybe I should primarily commit to that?

 

[ghtan]

@kwellham Once a week- I found the biggest change when I locked down good form and focused mostly on speed/endurance rather than power- but with proper form! Upping the speed made my arms (and me overall aha) reaaal sweaty which helps me with the water retention and the proper form means safe but constant resistance training for the arms.

 

[ds2002]

@kwellham Arms are also the last place for me and why I started my fitness journey in first place. I lost only 1.7 inches off my arms with a ~25 lb weight loss, so you can imagine how little it can change.

I would focus on getting strong, eating 1g:1lb for protein, being in a deficit, and doing lighter arm workouts via barre or Pilates.

Your body has an upper limit on the fat storage there— and there is only so much you can do with genetics!

 

[ds2002]

(as a note I also did boxing, high intensity training, and it did not really help)

 

[cph]

@kwellham It sounds like you are doing all the right things, you just have more weight to lose. I also struggle with bulkier arms (ex gymnast) and I still strength train, but I pick and choose what arm moves I do. My arms look cut at a lower weight, but once I gain weight they just look big. I had a coworker who in shock said out loud in the office “My gosh, your arms are massive!” When I took a sweater off.

 

[matthew01]

@cph Ex-swimmer and same. When I flex, I have great muscles! But otherwise just normally look big. People constantly comment on how small I am but then when I’m in a group photo, my arms are somehow double the size of theirs — and this is without the body dysmorphia lens. There’s a lot of muscle that’s only visible if I was at a very low weight.

 

[vnjack03]

@kwellham No advice but following as I have the same problem

 

[loveyhwh]

@kwellham Arms are the last place to go for some women.