Angular arms: 5 effective exercises that help against them

Many women find bent arms annoying and want to actively do something about them. We'll show you 5 effective exercises that can help.

Frau Oberarm © iStock/AndreyPopov
What can you do to combat angular arms? A lot! We reveal the 4 best fitness exercises.

Angular arms: why do you get them?

With increasing age, the connective tissue becomes weaker and weaker and at the same time the body loses muscle mass. The skin loses its elasticity with increasing age and this can lead to sagging skin on the underside of the upper arms. Heredity also plays a role, with some people tending to have weaker connective tissue than others. Women are most frequently affected by angular arms. This is due to the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which cause weaker connective tissue. Female skin also has a higher fat content and less muscle mass, which are further factors for weak connective tissue and the associated side effects.

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The 4 most effective exercises against angular arms

1. swimming defines the arms

Go to the swimming pool regularly and crawl a few laps through the pool. Swimming is a great workout for the whole body. But it also effectively strengthens the muscles in your arms and thus prevents love handles. It also helps to get rid of fat deposits on the upper arms.

2. dumbbell training against angular arms

Dumbbell training is best for beautifully defined upper arms. To counteract love handles, we need to train the biceps and triceps in particular. If you don't have dumbbells at home, simply grab a water bottle. But please use plastic, as glass bottles can break and cause injuries. Try the exercise "biceps curls", it works against flabby upper arms:

1. stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees very slightly. Tense your upper body.

2. grab two bottles of water or your dumbbells, let your arms hang down and hold your upper arms against your body without moving them. The weights on the right and left should point inwards towards your body.

3. now bend your elbows and pull your hands with the weights towards your shoulders. Then move your arms back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise: Two to four sets of five to ten repetitions are perfect!

3. do push-ups

Another way to strengthen your upper arms is to do push-ups. The effort pays off because the muscles are strengthened, the skin is firmer and elbow arms are prevented.

4. training with dips

Dips are a great way to get rid of your elbows. Here's how it works: Support yourself with your hands on the edge of a chair and slowly walk your bottom towards the floor - then push yourself back up using the strength of your arms. If you go to the gym, you can also do this exercise on dip machines.

5. do pull-ups

Like push-ups, pull-ups are not one of the most popular workouts. But we simply have to mention them here because they are incredibly effective. Approach them slowly and build up. Make sure you warm up your arms and shoulders beforehand so that you don't pull a muscle.