This full-body training guide targets armpit flab with proven workouts, posture resets, and nervous system tools. Do try these Best Underarm Fat Workouts, today!
You know that soft, squishy area between your armpit and your bra band? The one that shows up in tank tops and push-up bras and makes you want to delete every side-angle selfie? That’s underarm fat. And no, it’s not just you. Underarm fat isn’t a flaw—it’s a spot where your body stores energy. But if you’re looking to tone it, tighten it, and feel confident in sleeveless anything, you’re in the right place. Here are the The Best Underarm Fat Workouts!
Why Underarm Fat Accumulates?
Before you pick up a dumbbell, you need to know this:
Underarm fat is usually a combination of genetics, posture, and body fat distribution. It sits where the upper chest meets the armpit, wrapping toward the triceps. If your lats, pecs, and upper back muscles are under-trained, that area becomes a storage zone.
Hormonal shifts, stress, and poor posture make it worse. So does a sedentary lifestyle that ignores compound movement and upper-body engagement.
Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD, hormone expert and bestselling author, explains: “Fat stored in stubborn areas often reflects a chronic cortisol imbalance. When your nervous system stays in fight-or-flight, your body holds onto fat—especially in the arms, belly, and back.”
Translation? You need strength, consistency, and nervous system balance.
The 4-Part Formula That Works
To reduce underarm fat and build visible tone, you need four components:
- Strength Training (focused on chest, back, shoulders, and arms)
- Cardiovascular Conditioning
- Mobility and Postural Work
- Nervous System Regulation
The Best Underarm Fat Workouts
Phase 1: Strength Training for Targeted Tone
Your muscles don’t lie. They either fire or they don’t. You’re going to wake up the ones that support, lift, and pull around your upper torso.
1. Push-Up to Shoulder Tap (3 sets of 10–12)
Targets: Chest, triceps, shoulders, core
- Start in a push-up position (knees or toes).
- Lower into a push-up.
- At the top, tap your left shoulder with your right hand, then right shoulder with your left.
Why it works: You activate your chest while engaging stabilizer muscles across your underarm zone.
Real-life tip: If you struggle with wrist pain, elevate your hands on yoga blocks or a sturdy surface. One client replaced push-ups with incline taps and still saw definition in six weeks.
2. Dumbbell Chest Flys (3 sets of 12)
Targets: Pectorals (chest) and anterior deltoids
- Lie flat on a bench or mat.
- Hold light to moderate dumbbells above your chest, palms facing each other.
- Slowly lower arms out to your sides in a wide arc, then bring them back up.
Why it works: Chest flys target the exact muscle group beneath the underarm fold. Sculpting the pectorals pulls that area tighter.
3. Tricep Kickbacks (3 sets of 10 each side)
Targets: Triceps and posterior shoulder
- Bend forward at the hips.
- Hold dumbbells at 90° in each hand.
- Extend your arms straight back and squeeze.
Why it works: Fat often creeps around soft triceps. Kickbacks isolate and define that zone.
Expert backup: Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels says, “Triceps are crucial to shaping the entire back of the arm. You won’t get definition without resistance-based training.”
4. Dumbbell Rows (3 sets of 10 each arm)
Targets: Lats, upper back, underarm zone
- Place one knee and hand on a bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
- Pull toward your waist, squeezing your back muscles.
Why it works: Rows target the exact muscle group under your bra band—sculpting the shape around your armpit crease.
Phase 2: Add Cardio for Fat Burn
You need to train the inside, too. Fat loss comes from caloric expenditure paired with muscle activation.
15–20 Minutes of HIIT (3x/week)
Example:
- 30 sec jumping jacks
- 30 sec mountain climbers
- 30 sec squat punches
- 30 sec rest
- Repeat 4–5 rounds.
Why it works: High-intensity interval training spikes your heart rate, which torches calories while preserving lean muscle. It keeps your metabolism humming for hours post-workout.
Bonus: HIIT triggers brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which elevates mood and motivation. That’s science, not marketing.
Phase 3: Posture Fixes That Tighten Everything
Slouching exaggerates underarm fat. Rounded shoulders compress the area. You could be strong and still look soft if your posture is trash. Here’s how to fix it:
1. Wall Angels (2x daily, 10 reps)
- Stand with back against a wall.
- Raise arms like goalposts.
- Slide them up and down without arching your back.
This opens your chest, stretches tight lats, and corrects the rounded-forward position that makes underarm skin pool.
Dr. Kelly Starrett, physical therapist and author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, swears by posture resets for visual body composition shifts: “When you restore shoulder mechanics, your entire upper body lifts and tightens—instantly.”
2. Thread the Needle Stretch (Hold for 60 sec each side)
- Start on all fours.
- Slide one arm under the other and rotate until your shoulder touches the mat.
- Hold and breathe.
This opens your thoracic spine and underarm area, releasing fascia that restricts movement and appearance.
Reminder: The best arms come from bodies that move well, not just flex well.
Phase 4: Nervous System Reset
You’re not lazy. You’re likely overstimulated and burnt out. Underarm fat thrives when your cortisol spikes and your lymphatic system slows down. Here’s how to bring your nervous system back online so your efforts stick:
1. Box Breathing Post-Workout (2 min)
- Inhale 4 seconds
- Hold 4 seconds
- Exhale 4 seconds
- Hold 4 seconds
Repeat. This simple reset lowers cortisol and increases recovery.
Dr. Andrew Huberman, Stanford neuroscientist, explains: “Recovery and fat metabolism are accelerated when your nervous system returns to parasympathetic dominance. That’s the rest-and-digest state.”
2. Dry Brushing Before Showers
- Use a firm natural-bristle brush.
- Start at your hands and sweep upward toward your heart.
- Focus on your armpits, chest, and back.
Why it works: It stimulates lymphatic drainage and blood flow, improving your skin tone and body’s detox system.
Nutrition Check-In (You Need This)
Your arms reflect your food choices. No shame. Just strategy.
Eat protein with every meal. Prioritize hydration. Avoid inflammatory junk that triggers bloating and fatigue. Focus on high-fiber greens and stable blood sugar. Here’s a powerful combination:
- Breakfast: 2 eggs + sautéed spinach + berries
- Lunch: Grilled chicken salad + olive oil dressing
- Snack: Greek yogurt + cinnamon
- Dinner: Salmon + roasted broccoli + sweet potato
Do that for 10 days, paired with the above workout, and you’ll feel a difference.
This isn’t about chasing some fantasy of “perfect arms.” This is about building a body that feels strong, regulated, and awake. A body that holds you through parenting, working, surviving—and still feels damn good in a sleeveless dress.
Your arms are an extension of your nervous system, your strength, your story. Treat them with respect. Train them with precision with these Underarm Fat Workouts
And never underestimate what happens when you move with consistency—not punishment.
This plan works. Stay with it.
Do not miss these Workouts for a Flat Stomach!
