What to do about bat wings?

[ncl]

OK, so I now have some bat wing arms. Sigh. Anything to do about them? My triceps are easy to build and I always have some definition there. I am not overweight, but probably at the upper end of the normal weight range for my height. Is this a losing fat thing or a toning up thing or both? If you did something to tighten up the bat wings that worked, please do share! Is it just an age thing (turning 48 this week). EEK!

[bfit]

I think part of it is that skin just sags or loosens as we get older. When the skin is on the underside of your arm gravity just causes it to hang there. Toning up the muscles and/or losing fat helps, but there's not much you can do about the skin except for cosmetic surgery.

[Karen Beckwith]

I'm almost 67 and my triceps look pretty good. I love to work my triceps though, and I think that's what works for me.

[yogapam]

I am 59 and my arms look pretty good too. I swim a lot and I think that helps keep my arms & shoulders toned.

[Jeanne Marie]

I'm 60 and mine are good, but I work my triceps really hard to have definition and size.

I think when you do have the bat wings, it is sagging skin. I have a good friend I work out with who has lost a lot of weight and her arms are very defined and muscular, but she has the skin sagging which causes her bat wings. She has talked about getting skin surgery, but hers is very extreme.

The only other thing besides good muscles would be to really moisturize your skin in that area. That's more of a preventive though, instead of a remedy after the fact. I still do it however.

[mandie123]

At least for me exercise doesn't help.Although I don't lift heavy,have toned triceps and biceps but still have.I have noticed even some of the oldest fitness instructors have them too.

[killoffsonny]

Originally Posted by mandie123

At least for me exercise doesn't help.Although I don't lift heavy,have toned triceps and biceps but still have.I have noticed even some of the oldest fitness instructors have them too.

I've noticed that too. Even men in their 50's have a bit of a jiggle. Its loose skin as other posters have said.

[Lori_Michigan]

Mid-40s for me; I have found that only plank and push-ups help my bat wings, no amount of weights (either heavy or light) do anything for them. Horizontal Conditioning and other bodyweight workouts are it for me. I've done CS/Essentrics for a few years now, and it somewhat tones them up, but nothing like planks/push-ups. Sigh.

[ncl]

Originally Posted by Lori_Michigan

Mid-40s for me; I have found that only plank and push-ups help my bat wings, no amount of weights (either heavy or light) do anything for them. Horizontal Conditioning and other bodyweight workouts are it for me. I've done CS/Essentrics for a few years now, and it somewhat tones them up, but nothing like planks/push-ups. Sigh.

Hmmm, interesting. I read an article (Huffingont post, I think) from a woman in her 50s who went to a trainer and was concerned about her bat wings and he said 2 exercises: planks and pushups. Good to know. I will give a try!

[Lori_Michigan]

Originally Posted by ncl

Hmmm, interesting. I read an article (Huffingont post, I think) from a woman in her 50s who went to a trainer and was concerned about her bat wings and he said 2 exercises: planks and pushups. Good to know. I will give a try!

I pretty much only do upper body to try to deal with my bat wings actually; this past summer I decided to try Horizontal Conditioning even though I've never actually thought I could even attempt it. Turns out she has a great modifier, and sometimes I have to modify the modifier, but after a few weeks, I noticed the areas around my armpits and triceps were noticeably not as jiggly, and I almost wore a tank top (almost). I try to fit in her workouts about 2-3 times a week now.