New to exercise HELP!!

[Patch]

I'm really new to any form of exercise other than the odd walk, but I really need to firm up my arms so I can wear short sleeves in the summer ( we are in our winter at the moment) I have bat wings and would never be seen with these uncovered but I got so hot last summer and really want to firm them up and get a bit of muscle going on. I have some weights and a elastic band, so have started doing some arm exercises how often and how many should I start with. I've heard of people spending months and months doing exercises and you can't tell so I really want to get it right. Any help would be really appreciated.

[Colorawdo girl]

I have "bat wings" too. Advice....hmmm love them. Well a lil exercise be good for them. Exercise them, Love them and they will be just perfect.

[iwuvmydoggy]

well, it sounds like you have what you need! :) i would do exercises that really help with building up your triceps. you can't really target train specific areas of your body. you sorta need to be working out in general all over your body.. but.. some good arm exercises for bat wings would be :

bench dips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ZfAM9eHWQ

dumbell side extensions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4sKET_Swak (don't touch your arm to your head, by the way.. that sorta defeats the purpose of the exercise)

dumbell tricep extension: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf_UATtNspc

you can use your bands in place of dumbells also! just modify it so it works for you :) just remember that it's called STRENGTH training and the bands are RESISTANCE bands for a reason.. lol there must be some kind of resistance going on, so you can build some nice toned muscles, which helps fill in the flabby area. :D

i would start out doing something simple.. like maybe 2 or 3 sets of 10, slow, controlled reps. by sets.. i mean.. you do your 10 repetitions, then take a 30-45 second rest, drink some water (if you need to) and then continue on to your next set of 10 reps & repeat. :)

hope that helped!

[spicyfull]

Don't mean to Brag but I don't have that problem, I have always been active and stayed reasonably in the same weight areana. Although I think Herridity plays a roll in it also. That seems like one of the hardest parts of the Body to see results. The Queen of day time has the same problem and said surgery was the answer but she would not do it.

So as ColoRAWdo says......Just Love them. Pick up a Video and work out with it..

[Johnny B]

If you're brand-spankin'-new to exercise then pretty much any routine will bring you some form of result. Never underestimate the effectiveness of body weight movements: push ups, dips, lunges, squats, pulling (if you can manage).

Whatever the routine, you're going to have to make it progressive. Either add repetitions, weight or sets every/every-other session or decrease rest between sets every session. Do two strength training sessions a week to start. Fill in the gaps with your low intensity walks/leisure activities. Write a plan of action and chart your progress.

Here's an example routine to build work capacity:

Push Ups x5
Lunges x 10
Dips x5
Squats x10

Perform back to back with no rest, at your own pace. Completion of the cycle equals one round. Try to complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. The idea is to take your time initially; don't overwork. Establish a base line, then in each subsequent session try to add another rep (or round).

If in the first session you completed two rounds in twenty minutes, shoot for two rounds and 1 push up in the second session. If you end up getting three rounds great! Bottom line is continual progress.

If you find that you can't perform the movements back to back, rest in between each one and strive to shorten your rest each session while maintaining the number of reps.

[iwuvmydoggy]

i wouldn't recommend lunges for anyone, though, because you can blow out your knees... my old personal trainer's girlfriend (who was also a personal trainer) was demonstrating to one of her clients how to do lunges properly & she ended up blowing out her knee & had to have surgery... she wasn't even using weights... and was in shape... that's the only disagreement i have with johnny b's routine... and also squats have to be done properly to avoid injury, but there's less likely to be an injury with properly done squats than there is for lunges, IMO.. squats are the bomb! they work your butt, your thighs, calves, everything!

[Johnny B]

Any exercise done incorrectly can cause trauma. Any exercise done correctly on top of layers of disfunction/trauma can cause injury. Respectfully, lunges in and of themselves are not dangerous.

The example routine above is just that: an example. It's meant for frame of reference, not as prescription.

[Patch]

Hey thanks everyone really appreciate the advice. I can head in the right direction now, I'm going to take some photo's now and then again in 6 months and let you see the difference.