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Many tighter-fitting bras and tops can make you look like you have armpit fat.
As a personal trainer, I have worked with countless women who get frustrated over this part of their bodies.
Many women even say their “armpit fat” isn’t going away as they lose weight.
This is a common occurrence with many people!
The underarms can be a very annoying place to hold onto excess fat. However, you can lose it if you stick with a regular routine of healthy habits and practical exercises.
You must remember that you cannot target which areas of your body you will lose fat on first. Your genetics have predetermined how the weight falls off, so patience is vital!
Appreciate what your body can do for you as you embark on the journey to achieve your goals.
The following list of easy toning armpit exercises consists of movements that will help you build and shape the muscles around your armpit area.
They are practical and straightforward, and the list contains exercises you can do at home or the gym!
Keep reading to finally understand how you can get rid of that bothersome armpit fat!
What causes armpit fat in females and men?
Related: 13 Best Fat Burners for Women
The causes of fat anywhere on the body for both men and women can depend on many factors.
You have likely accumulated some fat around the armpit area if you have a higher body fat percentage. It is up to your genetics to determine where you gain fat and in what proportions.
Also, if you gained a good amount of weight but then lost it again, your skin may sag in certain areas.
This can quickly happen around the armpit.
Whether or not your weight has fluctuated dramatically during your lifetime, the skin loses some elasticity as you age.
If you spend a reasonable amount of time in the sun, you will likely experience changes in your skin’s connective tissue. Sun exposure and aging affect the skin’s strength and elasticity reduction – a change known as elastosis.
How to Get Rid of armpit Fat in 8 Simple Steps
Related: Female Body Toning Meal Plan With PDF
You cannot choose an area of your body to lose fat first, but you can lower your overall body fat percentage.
If you see someone else lose fat on their underarms rather quickly, be patient with yourself and remember that everyone is made differently.
Whether your body determines the fat should fall off first, you can do a few things to help the process happen more efficiently.
Implement the following habits to drop your body fat percentage and lose that stubborn armpit fat.
1. Eat In a Caloric Deficit
Related: Eating 600 Calories A Day For Fat Loss: Should You Do It?
While many factors play a part, losing weight comes down to calories in and calories out.
When you eat in a caloric deficit, the body has to burn body fat for fuel after using up all the calories you have provided for the day.
Essentially, the fewer calories you eat, the more fat your body will use.
Now, you may think you should just eat nothing if that’s the case, right? You have to be careful with just how much of a caloric deficit you are in because you can risk slowing down your metabolism.
Your metabolism adjusts to accommodate how many calories you eat to maintain weight. So, if you drop your calories too drastically, the metabolism won’t have time to catch up properly, and it can bottom out.
This means that you will have to eat less and less to maintain your goal weight. You must drop your calories slowly and steadily to lose fat at a healthy rate.
For example, let’s say that to maintain the weight you are at now, you need to eat 2,000 calories every day. This number is your maintenance calories.
One pound of fat is 3,500 calories. So, if you eat 500 calories less every day, you will lose one pound per week. This is a healthy goal to aim for that will support you in keeping the weight off long-term.
Let’s do the math!
(maintenance calories) – (calories to be burned) = (daily calorie limit)
2,000 – 500 = 1,500
2. Consume Nutrient-Dense Foods
While the number of calories you eat is very important, what foods you eat also play a role. There is a vast difference between 500 calories of veggies and 500 calories of cookies.
The veggies are far more likely to keep you full and prevent overeating because you can eat larger volumes of them that contain very few calories.
They also have various nutrients that help your body function optimally and burn fat more efficiently. If your body is not receiving the right kind of fuel, it is more difficult for the fat-burning process to occur.
Add the following nutrient-dense foods to your grocery list:
- Fruits and smoothies with no sugars added
- Veggies
- Lean protein sources – chicken, ground turkey, salmon, tuna, etc.
- Whole grains
- Low-sugar, high-protein dairy products
- Nuts and seeds
3. Drink Enough Water
What you drink is just as important as what you eat! The average person does not consume enough water daily, whether because they do not think to drink enough or they are too busy drinking other beverages.
A great goal is to aim for 128 ounces (one gallon) every day. At first, this will seem like a lot, and you will find yourself running to the bathroom quite often.
However, your body will adjust after a week or two, and soon drinking a gallon a day will become a habit. Try buying a gallon jug that you can carry around with you so you have a constant reminder of how much water you have left to drink for the day.
Drinking enough water helps you lose weight by boosting your metabolism, keeping your stomach full, helping the body remove waste, and more.
4. Utilize Our Toning Armpit Exercises
While the main goal is to burn fat, building muscle on your chest, triceps, and shoulders can be helpful, as these three muscle groups support the armpit area.
Going through a workout once or twice a week that contains our suggested exercises that target these muscles can help speed up getting rid of stubborn fat.
Being intentional with what exercises you include in any workout can help you ensure that each training session has a purpose. It should help create the physique you want and allow you to become stronger.
Related:
5. Make Sure Progressive Overload is Part of Your Program
What exercises you perform and how often are both important for getting results. However, those are not the only components that matter.
As time goes on, your body adjusts to the consistent strain. You need to make your workouts just a bit harder every week to stay one step ahead.
You can include progressive overload in your program by implementing the following:
- Increasing the weight
- Increasing the reps
- Increasing the sets
- Decreasing the rest time
- Switching up the exercises
- Doing supersets
- Going to failure with specific exercises
6. Get Some Cardio In
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Strength training allows you to simultaneously build muscle, burn fat, and increase your metabolism, so you should never skip it.
Many people do not enjoy cardio, but it also has many benefits. The primary ones are that it can help you burn fat and improve your cardiovascular health.
Try to include ten to 20 minutes of cardio after every lifting session to burn extra calories, which will make you lose the armpit fat that much quicker.
7. Get Plenty of Sleep
The body needs to work to burn fat, but it also needs to rest! It seems like the benefits of sufficient sleep are endless.
Everyone’s needs are different, but it is generally recommended that you get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.
While you sleep, your body is able to repair torn muscle fibers from your workout that day so the muscles can grow back bigger and stronger than before. Quality sleep also builds enough energy to put into your strength training exercises and cardio the next day.
8. Don’t Skip Stretching
You may think stretching is boring, but it certainly serves a purpose! Participate in dynamic stretching before every workout and static stretching after.
Find a few moves that stretch the chest, shoulders, and triceps since those are the muscles that you will be working with our recommended exercises.
10 Easy Armpit Fat Exercises for Fast Results
Related: Does Cardio Burn Muscle?
We have ten exercises below that will help you build muscle in the area where your stubborn armpit fat lies. We understand that some people exercise in the gym, while others prefer to stay at home.
To ensure that you will be able to create an effective workout for yourself, we have included exercises that utilize bodyweight, bands, or weights – you can choose!
1. Bench Press
The bench press is one of the most effective exercises because it is a functional compound movement that targets multiple muscle groups.
If you are ever short on time and need to get in a quick workout, make sure the bench press is still on your list because of its efficiency!
What You Need
- Bench
- Barbell
- Plates
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Triceps
How-To Perform Bench Press
- Lay flat on a bench with a barbell situated above you.
- Grab the bar evenly with both hands and position it above your chest with straight arms.
- Breathe in and slowly lower the bar to the center of your chest.
- Once the bar taps your chest, breathe out as you push up through your upper back and arms until your arms are straight again.
Pro Tips
- Keeping your elbows tucked in toward your sides will make the movement target your triceps even more.
- Wear wrist straps if you start to feel any discomfort from the heaviness of the bar, so you are still able to lift a good amount of weight.
2. Tricep Pushdowns
Related: Dumbbell Tricep Exercises
The tricep pushdown is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps and can give your upper arms a nice, toned look.
If you do not have access to free weights, this is a great exercise to do on the cable machine. You can also do it with almost anything that attaches to the cable, so it can be a great movement to perform when certain handles are not available.
What You Need
- Cable machine
- Tricep rope (can use just the cable if necessary)
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Triceps
How-To Perform Tricep Pushdowns
- Set the cable at its highest point and attach a rope to it.
- Keep your legs and back straight and grab each handle.
- Keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, lean forward slightly as you push your hands down toward the ground until your arms are fully extended.
- Slowly bend your arms and bring the handles up until your arms form a 90-degree angle.
- Repeat the movement within those bottom 90 degrees for reps.
Pro Tips
- To feel the burn, even more, bring your hands out to the side when they get to the bottom, so the rope forms an upside-down V.
- You can do this movement with only the cable by grabbing it at the end with one hand and performing the same motion.
3. Straight Arm Pullovers
If bending your elbows causes any pain, the straight arm pullover is an effective exercise you can still utilize. It is a simple and low-impact movement that will still make your arms burn.
What You Need
- Bench
- Two dumbbells
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
- Shoulders
How-To Perform Straight Arm Pullovers
- Lay down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with your arms extended straight above your chest.
- Keeping your arms straight, slowly bring the dumbbells back toward and then past your head until your biceps are next to your ears and your body forms a straight line.
- Slowly bring your arms back up until they are above your chest before forming the 90-degree arc with your dumbbells again.
Pro Tips
- If you don’t have access to a bench, you can just lay on the floor. When bringing the dumbbells back, just briefly tap them on the floor before bringing them above your chest.
- Use a lighter weight for this exercise to help prevent any injuries since this is an unusual movement.
4. Around the Worlds
If you only have access to lighter dumbbells and want to try a different kind of exercise, get ready for around the worlds! This is a fun little movement that can cause a real burn at higher reps, and it looks how it sounds.
What You Need
- Bench
- Two dumbbells
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Triceps
How-To Perform Around the Worlds
- Lay down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Start with your palms facing up down your sides, so your arms are straight.
- Keeping your arms straight with only a slight bend in the elbows, bring your arms up and around until the dumbbells tap against each other above your head. You should have just drawn a circle while your arms were at the same level the entire time.
- Repeat the same motion backward until your dumbbells are down by your hips again.
Pro Tips
- The exercise just described primarily targets your chest. If you would instead mainly target your shoulders, perform the same movement while standing up.
- Use a lighter weight for this exercise to prevent any injuries to the shoulders or elbows.
5. Chest Flys
Related: Cable Chest Workout
This is a great exercise to try if you have access to dumbbells, a cable machine, the chest fly machine, or bands.
Also, if you are trying to lift heavier weights with your bench press, this exercise can help you build the power and strength needed to add a few more plates to the bar.
What You Need
- Band with handles
- Anchor
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
How-To Perform Chest Flys
- Anchor your band so the handles are fairly far apart.
- Facing away from the anchor, grab each handle with your palms facing forward.
- Keep the elbows bent, lean forward a bit, and bring your hands together in an arcing motion, like drawing a half-circle.
- Tap your hands together before slowly bringing your hands back to the starting position.
Pro Tips
- Exactly where you bring your hands together in front of your chest determines whether you target your upper, middle, or lower chest.
- Try to go very slowly throughout this movement to increase the resistance.
6. Overhead Tricep Extensions
If you need an exercise that targets only your triceps that you can do in the gym or at home, try the overhead tricep extension.
It is very effective for working the back of your arms and toning up that underarm area!
What You Need
- Band with handles
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Triceps
How-To Perform Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Place your foot in the middle of a band and grab each of the handles.
- Stretch the band to fully extend your arms above your head with your palms facing each other.
- Keeping the upper part of your arms steady, bend your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle.
- Slowly extend your arms again until they are completely straight before repeating.
Pro Tips
- When you fully extend your arms, try turning your palms to face forward to add a little extra work for the triceps before turning them back to face each other.
- If you need more resistance, choose a thicker band.
7. Single-Arm Reverse Flys
In addition to burning fat around your armpit, do you also have trouble building your rear delts (back of your shoulders)?
This exercise is a great solution and can be carried out with great control and purpose to ensure that you effectively tone up that area.
What You Need
- Band
- Anchor
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Shoulders
- Upper back
How-To Perform Single Arm Reverse Flys
- Attach a band to an anchor at chest height.
- Grab the end of the band with one hand extended in front of your chest, and place your other hand on your hip.
- Keeping your chest up and back straight allows for a slight bend in your elbow.
- Slowly bring your hand out and back as you pull the band from in front of your chest to your side. This should look like a rounded motion.
- Hold the band for a moment with your arm extended by your side before bringing it back in front of your chest.
Pro Tips
- If you have difficulty maintaining balance with this exercise, allow for a slight bend in the knees.
- If you have two separate bands of the same resistance, feel free to attach both to the same anchor and work both arms simultaneously.
8. Push-Ups
This one is a classic, and there are many reasons why push-ups are included in almost everyone’s workout routine.
This exercise also has many variations so that anyone can do them, no matter their current ability level.
What You Need
- No equipment necessary
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Triceps
- Abdominals
How-To Perform Push-Ups
- Start on your hands and knees on the ground. Make sure that your shoulders are directly above your wrists.
- Get off your knees and fully extend your legs, so your body forms a straight line.
- Keeping your elbows tucked in against your sides, bend at the elbows and drop your body down until your nose touches the floor.
- Push back up through your arms until you return to the original position. Make sure to keep your body straight throughout the entire movement.
Pro Tips
- If you want to make this exercise easier, feel free to stay on your knees. Just make sure that your body forms a straight line from your head down to your knees!
- If you want to make this exercise more challenging, elevate your feet to put more weight on your upper body.
9. Downward Dog to Plank
If you are searching for an exercise that gives you a good stretch in addition to helping you build muscle and burn fat, try this downward dog to plank transition. It works your upper body while giving your back, hamstrings, and calves a great stretch.
What You Need
- No equipment necessary
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Chest
- Shoulders
- Triceps
- Abdominals
- Lower back
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
How-To Perform Downward Dog to Plank
- Start in a plank position with your arms fully extended and your body forming a straight line.
- Push your hips up and back until your body forms an upside-down V. Stay there for a moment while you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Tense up your abdominals as you slowly bring your hips back down and come back into the plank position. Hold for a moment before repeating the exercise.
Pro Tips
- Take this exercise to the next level by adding a push-up every time you transition back to the plank position.
- If you want to add a push-up, but want to really target your shoulders, you can do a pike push-up when you are in the downward dog position!
10. Cobra Press-Ups
Make this yoga move more than a stretch by utilizing it to tone your underarms! This movement is amazing for stretching your abdominals and needs to be included in your routine!
What You Need
- No equipment necessary
Benefits
- Builds and strengthens the following muscles:
- Shoulders
- Triceps
How-To Perform Cobra Press Ups
- Start by laying on your stomach with your palms flat on the floor on either side of your chest.
- Keep your elbows tucked against your sides as you press up through your hands until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause at the top of the movement before slowly bending your elbows and letting your chest come back to the ground.
Pro Tips
- Try counting to three on the way up and then down to make your triceps burn.
- If you feel any pain or discomfort in your lower back when you arrive at the top position, feel free not to extend your arms all the way. Half reps can still deliver great results!
Armpit Workout Sculpting Program.
Related: Does Running Burn Belly Fat?
Here we have designed a beginner and advanced workout program so you can effectively burn that armpit fat.
Try the beginner workout program if you only have access to bands and have a little less time to dedicate to exercising.
If you have access to bands and gym equipment and can spare some time, you should give our advanced program a go!
How quickly you will see results is very dependent on your body.
However, you should expect the fat to start to disappear within a month or so of doing these workouts, along with the other tips listed above.
Be sure to take pictures every week to better help you see any changes. It can be difficult to notice if you have nothing to compare to!
Beginner Workout
Perform the following workout twice a week with at least one day of rest in between each session for maximum results. Do not forget to warm up and cool down!
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | REST TIME |
| Overhead Tricep Extensions | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
| Single-Arm Reverse Flys | 3 | 10-12 | 60 seconds |
| Push-Ups | 2 | 8-10 | 60 seconds |
| Downward Dog to Plank | 2 | 10-12 | 30 seconds |
| Cobra Press Ups | 2 | 12-15 | 30 seconds |
Advanced Workout
Perform the following workout twice a week with at least one day of rest in between each session for maximum results. Do not forget to warm up and cool down!
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS | REST TIME |
| Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | 1 minute 30 seconds |
| Tricep Pushdowns | 3 | 10-12 | 30 seconds |
| Straight-Arm Pullovers | 3 | 12-15 | 30 seconds |
| Around the Worlds | 2 | 12-15 | 30 seconds |
| Chest Flys | 2 | 10-12 | 30 seconds |
Frequently Asked Questions
See Also: Underbutt Exercises
Is it normal to have armpit fat?
It is very normal to carry fat in almost all body areas, so do not worry if you have some fat around your armpits! Genetics plays a significant factor in where your body holds the most fat.
Will my armpit fat go away on its own?
If your body is not in the position to be burning its fat, then your armpit fat will not go away on its own.
Luckily, you can refer back to our steps telling you how you can get rid of armpit fat!
Can skipping reduce armpit fat?
Skipping is a great way to help get rid of that stubborn armpit fat! Skipping burns a higher amount of calories, which can help you get into a caloric deficit, so the body starts burning fat for fuel.
Why do I have armpit fat if I’m skinny?
Your genetics have likely predetermined that your excess body fat will be stored around your armpits rather than your abdominals, thighs, and elsewhere.
Final Tips
We hope that you found this guide for losing armpit fat useful. There is so much information out there, but we wanted to provide something actionable that will help you get actual results!
Overall, the most important thing you can do is lower your body fat percentage for that underarm fat to fall off.
To do this, follow the steps we listed out and choose either the beginner or advanced workout to start doing twice a week.
Please let us know what you think of our guide in the comments below. Also, share any suggestions you think other readers would find helpful.
Don’t forget also to share this article if you liked it!
