I’m a fitness coach – here are 3 exercises that are pointless if you want to get rid of bingo wings – & 3 that WILL work
There is nothing more frustrating than working out and then not getting results.
But if your goal is to strengthen your arms, it’s easy to end up doing just that.
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I am Cecilia Harrisa personal trainer and one of the main reasons clients come to me and my fitness app RWL That’s because they’ve been doing exercises for hours at the gym that they think would strengthen their arms, only nothing has changed.
I firmly believe that everyone should feel comfortable in their body, regardless of their shape or size. However, if someone wants to work hard to bring about physical change, they should have the right support and guidance to help them do it.
And there is no part of the body I hear more from my customers than the “bingo wing”.
If you’re lucky enough not to have heard of the “bingo wing,” that’s the area of the upper arm that can “sag down” during lateral lifts.
In fact, the term “bingo wings” got its name because women wave their arms in the air when shouting at bingo.
Okay, it’s not exactly the most affectionate term, but for many women, that annoying flabby arm is a problem area that causes them to feel uncomfortable, especially when wearing sleeveless clothing.
So why is it so hard to change?
The first reason is that the upper arms are an area where stubborn love handles tend to form and settle as you gain weight.
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Second, our muscle mass decreases with age at a rate of three to eight percent per decade after the age of 30.
The triceps muscles in our upper arms, which were nice and strong when we were young, naturally lose momentum as we age – unless we do something to stop it.
And this is where the right exercises come into play.
Exercise the muscles with regular movements designed to challenge them, and not only can you prevent bingo wings, you can get rid of them as well.
Before you begin your new arm workout, it’s important to realize that being overweight is a major factor in not seeing results.
In addition to starting to train your arms, you should also take care of your diet, making sure to eat balanced, healthy meals and reducing your consumption of processed foods.
You should also try to move more and sit less still to improve your chances of a healthy BMI.
3 exercises that are a waste of time when trying to fight bingo wings
The reason some of these common arm exercises don’t work is that they are demanding and therefore result in poor form.
And if you can’t do an exercise properly, it’s not worth the effort you put into it.
1. Tricep Extensions
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One of the worst tricep exercises is the tricep extension.
99 percent of people have a really hard time doing this exercise correctly, so they don’t do anything at all for their triceps.
This move involves holding a dumbbell over your head, then lowering it on your back and raising it back up over your head.
Yes, it works your triceps, but it’s extremely hard and cumbersome that most people strain their shoulders and neck, and some even drop the weight because it’s too challenging. skip it
2. One-arm tricep push-up
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You may have seen these exercises on TikTok and Instagram, but there’s really no point in them other than trying to appear in front of your followers as if you’re doing a fancy exercise.
They’re awkward and really don’t require much effort from your arms, so the results aren’t noticeable.
3. Push-ups
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Okay, a push-up can be a fantastic exercise if you’re a very fit and strong person who already has a lot of upper body and core strength.
However, this is not the case for most people, making a full push-up very difficult to perform.
I see it all the time at the gym when people try to do push-ups, only to find them dropping their head to the floor, arching their lower back, and straining their neck on the way up – all of which strains muscles everywhere else in the body , but not the arms you’re dying to strengthen.
The 3 steps you never knew you needed to get rid of bingo wings
1. Push up the wall
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You’ve heard my reasons for not doing push-ups, but the best alternative for beginners or those with weak upper body strength is the wall push-up.
You’re still working your triceps and anterior deltoids (those nice muscles at the top of your arms), but you can do it in a controlled manner.
Not only does this mean you’re performing the exercise with perfect form, but you’ll be able to do more reps, which really burns muscle to tone up and burn fat.
Stand in front of a wall and raise your arms to shoulder height. Place your palms against the wall slightly wider than your shoulders and point your fingers up.
Move your feet a few feet away from the wall and keep your arms straight.
From here, start bending your elbows and while keeping your body in a straight line without arching your back, bring your chest as close to the wall as possible without touching it.
When you reach the closest point, clasp into your hands and push away from the wall until your arms are straight and your body has returned to the starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.
2. Lying down tricep extension
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A fantastic exercise for bingo wings is the lying triceps extension.
Leaning back forces you to use the triceps muscles in a more controlled manner, and there is less opportunity to perform this movement with improper form.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on the end of a flat bench.
Lie back with your feet on the floor and raise the dumbbells overhead, palms facing each other.
Slowly bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells until they are level with your ears while holding the tops of your arms.
From here, raise the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.
3. Speed boxing
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As we mentioned earlier, losing weight can help you get rid of the love handles that sit in your arms and give you bingo wings.
Boxing is a great way to work the triceps while getting your heart rate up to create a calorie deficit and burn fat.
Grab two really light weights (or two cans of baked beans) and stand with your left foot forward and your right foot back.
With your elbows bent, bring your weights to your chin and press firmly.
From here, straighten your left arm and slam the weight in front of you.
Immediately bring your left hand back to your chin while straightening your right arm.
Alternate these quick hits with weights for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat. Do this for ten minutes.