7 Simple Exercises for Underarm Fat and Bra Bulge

Are you dealing with excess armpit fat or, the bra bulge as some of us call it? Are you desperately searching for exercises for underarm fat that will get your arms in the shape that you want them to be in? As a woman over 40, I personally despise if I have arm jiggle or excess fat in my armpits.

There are exercises to tone arms and get rid of excess fat under arms. It is a combination of exercises and nutrition…and we are here to help.

Real fat loss means that you will lose fat throughout your body, underarm fat included. Once you begin losing fat throughout your body, you’ll be happy to see it disappear from those spots as well.

Another thing that you can do is build body part specific muscles. We get into both of these things here.

Is a Healthy Diet Better Than Strength Training Exercises for Underarm Fat?

Diet and exercises for underarm fat are both very important factors when it comes to toning and targeting your underarm areas along with the rest of your body. Eighty percent of reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. A healthy diet, which includes eating more fresh vegetables, lean meats and whole grains and focusing on calorie reduction is a majority of the life changes that you need to make in order to change your body composition.  

Will Cardiovascular Exercises Help With Underarm Fat and Saggy Arms?

Later we will discuss weight lifting and resistance training exercises, but it is also important to note that doing a sufficient amount of cardio is important as well. Cardiovascular exercises tend to be great whole body workouts that are an effective way to target overall body weight.

Exercises for Underarm Fat

So, what are the best exercises for underarm fat that likes to hover right in our underarms? Well, the following exercises (combined with proper nutrition and lifestyle) can help tremendously when it comes to making your upper arms, underarms and even your chest look fantastic. 

Push Ups

Push ups are a great exercise, they are often compared to a plank. Not only are they great for strengthening and toning your underarms, arms and chest, but they also don’t require any equipment at all. You can literally do push ups anywhere. Push ups are an ideal exercise for underarm fat, plus, it burns belly fat too! 

Push ups are also great because you can easily modify them to work with your fitness level. If you are new to push ups, here is how to do them: 

• Get down on the floor on hands and knees for a modified push-up or in a plank position for a full push-up. Place your hands on the floor, wider than your shoulders. 
• Push yourself up, straightening your arms and legs with your hands and toes on the floor.. 
• Lower your body until your chest comes close to the floor.
• Pause momentarily, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
• Repeat.

Need to modify your pushups? Follow the same steps as above, except place your knees on the floor instead of your toes. This modification lessens the resistance on your body and allows you to handle more repetitions.

Bicep Curls

Bicep curls are one of the best simple exercises that will help you take care of the excess fat in your underarm area. This exercise is great for isolating and strengthening the bicep muscle, which helps to define your underarms. For this exercise you need to have a pair of dumbbells or a resistance band. 

Here is how to do a bicep curl:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your abdominal muscles engaged. 
• Holding the dumbbells or resistance band in each hand, relaxing your arms at your sides with palms facing forward. 
• Keep your arms strong and stable, yet relaxed, bending at the elbow while you lift the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. Be sure to keep your elbows close to your ribcage, making sure to exhale while you lift. 
• Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
• Repeat. 

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press

This dual exercise can be done with dumbbells or a resistance band and strengthens your biceps and shoulders, while also activating your chest muscles. 

Here is how to accomplish this exercise:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your abdominal muscles engaged. 
• Holding the dumbbells or resistance band in each hand, relaxing your arms at your sides with palms facing forward. 
• Keep your arms strong and stable, yet relaxed, bending at the elbow while you lift the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. Be sure to keep your elbows close to your ribcage, making sure to exhale while you lift. 
• Rotate the dumbbells straight so that your palms face forward.
• Press your hands overhead, locking your elbows. 
• Reverse the movement back down to your shoulders and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
• Repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbell chest press is one of the most effective exercises for upper body strength and getting rid of your underarm fat. Women, especially as we age, tend to need help with building upper body strength. The stronger our upper bodies are, the healthier and more independent we can be. This exercise does require a set of dumbbells. 

How to do a dumbbell chest press:

• Lying on a flat bench (or the floor), press your feet into the floor. 
• Bring your shoulders down, pressing them into the bench.
• Hold your arms up with a dumbbell in each hand, face your palms forward.
• Lower the dumbbells slowly just wider than mid chest.
• Gently touch the dumbbells to your chest.
• Raise the dumbbells back up, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
• Repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Dumbbell Pullover

A dumbbell pullover is one of the simplest exercises on this list, but still does wonders toward targeting underarm fat. This exercise strengthens muscles in the chest, lats and arms. This exercise requires a single dumbbell and a bench (or something to prop under your back to get you lifted off the floor). 

Here is how to do a dumbbell pullover: 

• Grab your dumbbell, holding it in your fist by your chest, with elbows bent.
• Lie down on the bench
• Lift the dumbbell over your chest toward the ceiling, elbows locked out
• Keeping your elbows locked out, slowly lower the dumbbell back over your head
• Keeping the movements slow, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position above your chest.
• Repeat.

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

Tricep Dips

One awesome exercise that will surely target your tricep muscles as well as your chest and shoulders. Working on these muscles help to sculpt your entire underarm area. If you are doing your workout at the gym, you can use a bench for this exercise, otherwise you can use two strong chairs. 

Here is how to do a tricep dip:

• Begin by warming up your muscles. To do this, roll your shoulders together, open up your chest and do several squeezing motions with your shoulder. 
• Place your hands firmly on the seat of a chair, directly underneath your shoulders, just outside of hip width. 
• Extend your legs in front of you.
• Bend your elbows, lowering your hips toward the floor.
• Push yourself up, straighten your arms, coming back to the starting position.
• Repeat. 

Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. 

Cardio for Fat Burning

Cardio is one of the best ways to burn more calories overall, because as we know we can’t specifically target spot reduction even with the best exercises. With consistent cardio, fat cells can be reduced and thus create an overall weight loss and lean muscle mass throughout your entire body.

There are many types of cardio that can be beneficial. Any form of rigorous exercises that gets your heart rate out of fat burn and into a true cardiovascular rate will have a significant effect on reducing overall fat as well as underarm flab.

Choose one of these Cardio Activities:

• Walking (Briskly)
• Running
• Spin bike
• Biking
• Jump rope
• Elliptical
• Swimming

Do your cardio activity 5-7 days per week, switching it up often.

Summary

The important thing to remember is that while there is no one way to target specifically your underarm fat, the right kind of exercises and proper nutrition is the effective approach to reduce the appearance of underarm flab while reducing overall body fat.

Each of these particular exercises for underarm fat will go far toward helping you reach your desired weight and fitness goals. These particular exercises target the primary muscle groups that affect the appearance of your armpit area. These areas include the upper back, lower back, core muscles, arms, etc. 

Once you start to lose your overall body fat and you begin to see a difference in your armpit bra area, you’ll find yourself not stressed out about wearing those cute sleeveless tops this summer!