How To Have Perfect Arms

I'm going to explain exactly how to have perfect arms�yes, including your upper arms and "chicken wings" that refuse to go away and lose arm fat while not building too much muscle - while addressing the most common problems such as "chicken skin" that are aesthetically displeasing and hard to get rid of.

For chicken wing arm fat, I'm going to describe both the workout routine to achieve the slender, delicious arms you dream of and then give you a low-down on how to get smooth upper arms especially if you are dealing with keratosis pillars aka chicken skin.

Scroll down to the keratosis pillars section or the work out section depending on your specific concern. If you're dealing with both, then you're in luck because this is a comprehensive guide to having perfect arms.

Chicken Arms: What Causes This?

Chicken arms don't turn men on, right?

The culprit behind "chicken skin" is keratosis pilaris. Yes, there is a name for it.

Web MD describes the condition as "harmless;" which is good news but doesn't take away how aesthetically harmful it can be. "It causes small, hard bumps that may make your skin feel like sandpaper.

The bumps are often light-colored. They usually appear on your upper arms, thighs, and buttocks, sometimes with redness or swelling. They can also show up on your face, but that's less common," according to Web MD.

How can you wear a tiny tank top that can be mistaken for a rash or dangerous disease?

The reality is keratosis pilaris is neither dangerous or contagious. The biggest obstacle is it is very hard to get rid of. Concealing and covering it up is possible, though. And there are ways to improve it tremendously.

Do's & Don'ts

First, let me explain what not to do. Most people try one of the following cures thinking it'll help but in reality hurts them in the long run:

Don'ts

Do's

OK, now that we have addressed the smooth-issue, how do you tone chicken wing arms?

I have a personal vendetta to destroy all chicken wings because of how unfairly jiggly they look, how annoying they are to get rid of and how dumbbells don't seem to help at all even though you'd logically assume they would.

The truth is… upper arm fat is very stubborn and hard to get rid of, especially when you get older. This is why I am outlining an effective approach that will get you the results you want.

First, realize… if you are trying and trying and seeing no results, it's not your fault… it's also not impossible to get results just because you haven't in the past.

Everyone approaches fitness from a different level. Some people are lucky enough to have a good background to help them out. Others are completely lost in a gym wandering around like a lost soul in a foreign land.

May you stick to lighter weights because you don't think you can lift anything heavier, even though deep down you know if you pushed yourself you might be able to. Maybe you jump on the elliptical because the treadmill seems too tiring. Then when you take a class, you stick with the easiest level because you don't want to embarrass yourself or fall down.

Get Back on the Horse

The truth is that the people falling down are the people trying the hardest and getting the best results. No one is judging you for failing; you are only judged when you don't even try.

Your body is capable of doing more than you realize. It's strong and it's resilient.

The best part about physical fitness is that your starting point doesn't matter. You can catch up. Once you do, no one will ever remember what you couldn't do or how you used to look. They will see you in the present as a powerful, beautiful, sexy and fit woman.

The pullup is the ultimate way to get toned, perfect arms.

This compound movement works your lats, delts, biceps and forearms. You even engage your core to aid in the exercise for a sleek six-pack while you're at it.

With this workout plan, you'll crush a set of pullups in no time. I consolidated all of the best pullup workout progressions to bring you the ultimate, bulletproof guide for all levels.

You will end up getting rid of belly fat and find that you also lose weight in the breasts and back as well

Step One for Beginners: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

This exercise focuses on lifting more to strengthen your pullup muscles. Select the heaviest dumbbell you can use for three sets of eight repetitions.

Put your left hand and left knee on a flat bench. You want your hand in line with your shoulder and your knee directly under your hip. Engage your abs to stabilize the body. Bring the dumbbell in to your ribcage. Your elbow should point up to the ceiling, not out to the side.

Keep your shoulder in line with the back�you're not starting a lawn mower. Imagine your muscles moving and contracting to lift the weight. If you need to shift your entire body to lift the weight, you need a lighter dumbbell.

Every other day, do three sets of eight repetitions on each side with a two-minute break between sets. The resting time lets your muscles come back to 100 percent.

You should be moving up in weight every time. If you're already lifting 25-pound dumbbells move to the next level, unless your weight is above average and you need greater strength for pull your body up.

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it's time to move up to a heavier dumbbell. As soon as you can do dumbbell rows with at least a 25-pound dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level. In that case, work your way up to 35-40 pound dumbbells.

Beyond Basics: Body Weight Rows

Body weight rows are the best. You can work the pullup muscles just from a different angle.

You can use a smith machine for this one or a kitchen table. Essentially you need an adjustable bar where you have room to pull yourself up. You could also use a TRX or rings, depending on what's available to you.

Grab the bar with your palms shoulder-width distance, facing away from the body like you would for a pullup. If you are just beginning put the bar high so you only have to lean back slightly.

When you lean back, clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight from head to feet. Your shoulder elbow and wrist should all be in line.

As you pull your body weight up, picture your muscles driving the movement�your biceps, lats, delts and forearms.

Make sure the bar is set to a challenging height where you can complete three sets of eight reps with two minutes of rest between sets.

As soon as progress, lower the bar. Here's an example of what you would do after you've mastered the bent over row. On Monday do three sets of eight reps with an overhand grip. Wednesday do three sets of eight reps with the underhand grip. Then keep switching back and forth every other day.

Once your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you're ready to move on to the next level.

You're almost there. Assisted Pullups!

These can be done a few different ways. The good news is that assisted pullups give you that victorious feeling because you're pulling yourself up and down.

You can try a few different options for your assisted pullups.

First, use a chair for support. Place either one foot or both on your chair but still use your upper body as much as possible. As soon as you can do multiple pull ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.

Two, grab an exercise band. I personally like this option the best because you get the support and you feel like the real pullup is just around the corner. There are bands in many gyms that look like a giant elastic band.

You can put that around your pullup bar, hold onto the bar and put your knees in it. From there you'll be able to pull yourself up. If you need assistance a personal trainer in your gym will help you out. Decrease the band resistance as you get stronger.

Third option involves employing a buddy for assistance. Ask a friend or spotter to hold your feet behind you. Tell your assistant to use the least amount of help possible and only step in when you really can't lift.

For the assisted pullup, be sure to clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise. You should be going up and down not swinging all around.

Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on pulling the bar down with your arms.

With all of the assisted options, make sure you progress every time you can complete three sets of eight repetitions.

When you get to this level, a good workout system would be doing assisted pullups on Monday with three sets of eight reps, then going to your body weight rows on Wednesday and finishing the week with assisted chinups on Friday.

The Assisted Alternative

In case you don't have access to the assisted option, you can do negatives.

If you're overweight, I wouldn't suggest moving to these without working through the steps above. You know your body. Listen to what you feel comfortable trying.

Once your back is strong, negatives is an amazing way to build arm strength and increate back strength.

When doing a negative, you get above the bar then lower yourself slowly with control until you're at the bottom of the movement.

Getting Above the Bar

You can either jump above the pull up bar or you can hop up on a chair to get above the bar. From there begin to lower yourself back down without swinging or letting gravity drop you down. There's not need to take 10 seconds. Counting to three during a controlled negative is a good speed.

Here's a sample workout using everything up to this point. Remember to take a two-minute break in between each set.

Start the week with three sets of eight repetitions of the assisted chinups. Take a day to rest, then the next day to three sets of body weight rows at eight reps. The day after next, do three sets until failure of your negative pullups up to five.

If you're doing three sets of five repetitions on your negative pullups, along with your assisted chinups and body weight rows, then it's time.

Finally, the Pullup

You might be able to start with more than one pullup depending on your weight, training and progress up until this point.

If you've already worked on your biceps, a chinup might be easier to start with. This is where you grip the bar with your palms facing you instead of away from you.

When doing your pullups (or chin-ups) remember to focus on the muscles you are using to activate the power in your mind.

Fitness is about strength but it's also about summoning the strength of each muscle to reach its full potential.

Pull your shoulder blades back as you're going through the movement, and focus on pulling the bar down. Engage your glute muscles and tighten your abs throughout the movement.

Your goal is to get your chin above the bar, as the name suggests. If you can one do one rep, that's okay. Do three sets of one rep with two minutes of rest in between then add some negative pullups to exhaust the muscles.

You have arrived. Congratulations. I knew you had it in you.

Now one last thing… since you are going to be putting in this effort to tone your arms (and the rest of your body) you will want to go on a 1200 calorie diet if you're a woman… and 1800 if you're a man. But generally, focus on what you eat. Put clean, good food into your body. Don't be too hard on yourself but do give yourself the best chance.