We would all obviously love to be toned.
For a lot of women, a huge problem area is the arms, so what causes and how long does it take to tone arms?
In this guide, we’ll show you what causes your arms to look toned and from there you’ll be able to see how long it may take.
What Causes Toned Arms
Before we can answer how long does it take to tone arms, we first want to know what actually causes us to look toned.
To get toned, you really need to have two things. That is:
- Be At Your Ideal Weight
- Get Fit (On The Right Exercises)
Both are extremely important to be toned. As we’ll explain, just having one of these is a huge reason so many women struggle with their fitness.
The main reason is, is because you cannot tone a muscle as such (1). This is a misunderstanding of what makes you toned.
You have two parts. The first is your total body fat levels. The Second part is your muscle tone itself and then your nervous system and how firmly your muscles are actually held.
The first part with your total body fat levels is really important for how toned you look. Above a certain body fat percentage, your body will store excess body fat throughout the body.
It’s very normal that much of this will also go onto your arms. The problem here is that you cannot spot train this body fat as such (2). In other words, in the same way, that training your stomach doesn’t make your stomach slimmer, you cannot just train your arms to get them toned.
The second part is your muscle tone and then how firmly they are held. Most women only really want to add enough tone to look slightly fit. From here, you can then focus on training the muscles to be held in a firmer state when relaxed.
The problem with just working out is that yes you may get toned, but because you’re not lean enough, you’re not able to see it. This is extremely common for a lot of women working out.
How Do I Get Toned Arms
To get toned arms, for most women you need to focus on actual weight loss first and foremost.
By focusing on weight loss, your arms will begin to get slimmer.
Ultimately, to lose weight you have to make a calorie deficit. Weight loss works by making a calorie deficit and eating below what your body is burning (3).
Most women can expect to burn between 1400 and 2000 calories each day. It takes 3500 calories (roughly) to actually burn one pound (4).
As you make a calorie deficit, your body will begin to tap into its energy stores, and you will lose weight. As you do this, you absolutely can expect to see more tone automatically in your arms (although, depending on shape and genetics it may come from other areas first).
This is the first and most important part of getting toned arms.
The second part is having enough muscle tone and training them to be held in a firmer state when relaxed.
You can do this via:
- Workouts that see you progress on arm exercises
- Boxing and other related workouts
We tend to recommend most women focus on general fitness first. The reality is, by progressing and building up to for example ten full push ups, your arms will be quite toned, providing that you’re at your ideal weight.
The final point is important. You can have really toned arms underneath, but if you’re not at your ideal weight, you’re not able to see them. You want to keep this in mind.
Can I Tone Flabby Arms
Can flabby arms really be toned? This is a great question and real concern.
All women can make great progress. It is true that as you age, your skin does become less elastic (5).
This is normal, however by focusing on general weight loss your arms will begin to reduce excess body fat around them, and with the right workouts, you can train your muscles to be held firmer.
How Long Does It Take To Tone Arms
So, with all this said, how long does it take to tone arms?
This depends on how long it will take you to get to your ideal weight and how long it takes you to get fit.
This depends obviously on where you start. To give you an idea, if you’re relatively fit it may take a few weeks or months. For others it may take longer.
From our experience, it’s typically longer than you imagine, but the most important thing is to focus on general progress.