A set of toned shapely arms is one of my biggest beauty goals for 2012. Michelle Obama looks beautiful wearing bright little cardigans over sleeveless dresses, but when I do that, I just look like I’m cold. Its time to feel good about my” guns” And there is certainly no shortage of tools and experts on the subject. Handweights, exercise bands, push-ups, pilates, yoga and the list of solutions just seems to go on and on. So before going out and buying that Groupon coupon for a class on Kettlebell Kickboxing ( I’m not making that up) I decided to go fundamental and find out why my arms are crinkly and wrinkly. Just like getting to the causes of facial aging to choose the most effective solution, I needed to explore the anatomy of the arm.
Aging of the arms is actually a much simpler process than the aging of the face. Basically the upper arm the strength and beauty of the upper arms is dependant on two muscles — the biceps on top and the triceps on the bottom. Smooth shapely contours depend on three factors– the amount of muscle, the amount of fat and the basic elasticity of the skin. As we get older we naturally lose muscle mass and this decline means the skin becomes looser– like a pillow that loses its stuffing. However excess fat creates a squishy filling that creates a limp shape on the arm. Elasticity of the skin can be affected by weight gain and loss, leading to stretched out crinkly skin. And don’t forget that sunexposure destroys the connective fibers in the skin, and if you’re spent a lot of time on a beach without a sunblock, your arms are going to be extra flabby.
The solution seems remarkably simple. You need to build up muscle mass in both the triceps and biceps to create a better filling for the skin on your arm. Spot exercise cannot reduce fat, but it can change the underlying contours to create a smoother and firmer appearance. Most women worry that building up arms muscles will lead to a Popeye effect, but we just don’t have the hormones for that.
Next step will be to take a before shot of the problem and then find a plan that sounds reasonable and would work for me. I’d love to hear about what you’ve tried out for arm beauty. It would be amazing to know what has actually worked for you. If it didn’t work, it will save me wasting time on something that just does not deliver.
[…] Deb of No-Nonsense Beauty Blog looks into exercise for firm upper arms. […]