Biceps, triceps, thighs and butt

[winniechan1604]

I've been training with a personal trainer for six months now. I've been able to lose weight and inches, and now have a defined waistline. I managed to lose inches at hips too. However, I am not losing inches at arms and thighs.

I do notice that arms are more firm now, but kind of look bulky though. I hope to make arms slimmer but not bulky with muscles.

I used to wear jeans with 30/31 inches waistline. But now i'm able to fit in 27 inches ones. However, the jeans is very loose at the waist portion but fitting at the thighs. I hope to smaller thighs, so then I can fit better in smaller size jeans.

trainer say that I have a mix body type, small upper body, but large lower body.

[SarahPT]

While it's pretty darned hard for women to build muscle, your body may have an easier time building muscle in the arms than anywhere else. Also, if your arms are an easy place for your body to store fat it may seem like the last place tolose it. If you are still hanging on to some fat there, be patient. We all have those tough spots that seem like the last to lose the fat.

If you don't want to gain any more muscle in your arms, you can stop doing isolation exercises for them. Biceps get hit on some back exercises, and triceps get hit on some chest and shoulder exercises. So in reality you don't NEED to do isolation for them. That might make a difference.

For legs you also may just have to wait for a bit more fat to drop off of them. Personally, even at leanest I still held fat on legs. Women are prone to it. Just don't give up on resistance training. It's very beneficial in many ways.

Let me know if I can help more.

Sarah

[DianaB]

It sounds like you are making good progress with your training. Thighs can be difficult. Since you find it easier to built your upper body, have you considered focusing more on your shoulders and back? You may always be "bigger" on the bottom, but with well a well defined back and shoulders, it will even out the top and bottom some.
Don't work your inner thighs in isolation, and maybe ask your trainer about single leg deadlifts, variations on lunges and glute bridges. Just from own experience these 3 exercises (and/or variations) have made a great improvement for upper thigh area and butt.
And congrats on the progress so far!
diana

[winniechan1604]

Dear Diana,

Thanks for the advice. shoulder are quite defined too. The are quite broad as I used to swim. I do find that arms are really huge.

So, at times, I think I do look pretty funny with huge arms but a trim waist.

Maybe I'll post a picture here. But how do I do that?

[DianaB]

Not sure about the picture, but like Sarah mentioned, hang in there with your resistance program. Muscle takes up much less room than fat, and your sure to lose that fat in time, making you less bulky looking. How's your push-up count? Keep in mind your swimmers build is a benefit to you. Once the arm fat starts to drop (and it will if you keep it up) you'll see a good strong althletic build on the top. Paired with a small waist, you're on your way to an hourglass shape.
Hang in there!
Diana

[winniechan1604]

Diana,

Thank ou very much for the motivation. trainer tested me once, I can do 43 push-ups in a minutes' time. I see biceps are alright, cause I'm starting to see a bulge. But triceps are still flabby.

I wonder would swimming make arms smaller? Any good arm exercise to trim the triceps?

[DianaB]

If you are doing 43 in 1 min, on your toes good form, that's great.
Have you tried using a narrower placement of your hands? Keep your elbows to at your side by the ribs, that will work your triceps more. You can also do this on dumb bells, with your knuckles facing each other while gripping the dumb bell and keeping close to the ribs. You'll feel it more in the back as well as tri's. Of course, if it's really fat on your tri's, your not going to spot reduce.
Are you circuit training (with resistance, not cardio)?
I'm not a swimmer, but since you are, you're body may be very adept to the movement and therefore more efficient. I'm not saying don't swim, just be sure to change it up with other forms of cardio activity.
You have been training consistantly, hitting a wall at some point is inevitable. Do you keep a progress log? It's a great help to analyse what is working and what is not working.

[winniechan1604]

The 43 push ups are modified ones.....
trainer does keep a log on trainer..... there were two weeks, where i was training 3 times a week with trainer, intense reistance training.... trainer said it was to shock body.... and i dropped 2 kilograms....

Yes, I do circuit training..... program with trainer is ending soon, i don't wish to extend contract with the trainer, as i hope to train on own..... and not to depend on the trainer..... i hope i'll be able to maintain it..... and hope to drop to bout 50 kilograms.... am currently weighing 54.6 kilograms....

Do you know the formula to calculate body fat? without using measurements of the wrist, hips, etc? coz the weighing machine in the gym with body fat measurement is not working properly.....

[DianaB]

Without measuring, you cannot determine BF. Scales will measure with an electric current, but this method is never spot on, due to water fluctuations, what you ate that day, etc. The most practical method is using calipers. However, it's pretty hard to do that yourself and be accurate. I just use the measuring tape and mirror, and the occasional full body snapshot for comparison. I do get a caliper test done every 3 months or so, but that's cause I'm a numbers freak.
It's been 6 months, you need to get on your toes with the PUs.
Keep it up, remember combustion is not spontaneous, you've got to light yourself on fire girl!
Diana