Ready to wave goodbye to stubborn underarm jiggle? With hard work, dedication, and a dash of sweat, you can sculpt the lean, toned arms you’ve always dreamed of. Gear up, because I have the perfect 14-day workout for underarm fat that’ll boost your overall strength and make cardio days more enjoyable.
This program mixes things up and keeps your muscles guessing. It features everything from heart-pumping cardio sessions to muscle-building strength workouts to restful yoga days. Each workout is carefully crafted to banish underarm fat and improve overall fitness and mobility.
This routine is also adaptable for all fitness levels, whether you’re a gym newbie or a seasoned pro. So, you can join in no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
The next best part? This workout targets all the appropriate muscles—triceps, chest, and shoulders—to lean and shape your underarms.
Grab your water bottle, lace up those sneakers, and get moving on this 14-day workout to get rid of underarm fat.
What’s to Come:
Over the next 14 days, you’ll tackle a variety of workouts aimed at strengthening, toning, and sculpting your arms. Expect a mix of strength training, hypertrophy-focused routines, and cardio sessions designed to burn fat and build muscle. We’ll also walk you through rest days dedicated to mobility, foam rolling, and yoga to ensure your muscles recover and stay flexible.
Week 1: Strength and Stamina
Day 1: Strength Workout
1. Pushups
Pushups are a fundamental exercise that primarily targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders. They also engage the core and lower body, making them a great compound movement that boosts upper-body strength and muscle endurance. By challenging multiple muscle groups, pushups help burn calories and build lean muscle, which is essential for reducing body fat, including the underarm area.
Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, back flat, and core engaged. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, keeping your elbows close to your body. Push back up to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
2. Tricep Dips
This exercise focuses on the triceps, which are crucial for eliminating underarm fat. Tricep dips effectively isolate and strengthen the triceps, promoting muscle definition and reducing flabbiness. The movement also engages the shoulders and chest to a lesser extent, providing additional upper-body toning.
Sit facing away from a chair or bench with your hands gripping the edge beside your hips. Move your hips forward to be off the seat, then lower your body by bending your elbows. Push back up until your arms are straight, and squeeze your triceps.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
3. Plank to Shoulder Tap
This dynamic exercise strengthens the core and targets the shoulders and triceps. You enhance muscle engagement and coordination by stabilizing the body and lifting one hand at a time. This move helps tone the upper arms and shoulders, improving core stability and balance.
Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, back flat, and core engaged. Keeping your hips steady, lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder—alternate sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 20 taps (10 per side)
Day 2: Cardio Blast
1. Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a high-intensity cardio workout that burns a significant amount of calories quickly. It engages the arms, shoulders, and legs, making it a full-body workout that helps reduce overall body fat, including underarm fat. The constant movement of the arms helps tone and define the muscles while improving cardiovascular fitness.
Choose a rope that reaches your armpits when you stand in its middle. Grip the handles firmly with elbows close to your body. Stand with feet together and knees slightly bent. Swing the rope over your head, jumping just high enough for it to pass under your feet, and land softly on the balls of your feet. Start with small, controlled jumps and gradually increase speed and duration as you get comfortable.
Time: 3 rounds of 2 minutes, with 1-minute rest between rounds
2. High Knees
High knees are a powerful cardio move that elevates your heart rate and engages the entire body. This exercise targets the lower abs and hip flexors while involving the arms and shoulders as you pump them in rhythm. High knees help burn calories and improve cardiovascular endurance, aiding overall fat loss.
To perform high knees, stand with your feet hip-width apart, maintaining a straight posture and engaged core. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees and pump your arms as if running. Lift your knees toward your chest, aiming for thighs parallel to the ground, and coordinate the movement with your arms—right arm forward with left knee, and vice versa. Gradually increase speed, keeping movements controlled and maintaining steady breathing.
Time: 3 rounds of 1 minute, with 30 seconds rest between rounds
3. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are an excellent full-body exercise that targets the arms, shoulders, core, and legs. This high-intensity move increases your heart rate, making it a great calorie burner. By continuously engaging the arms and core, mountain climbers help tone the upper body and improve overall muscular endurance.
Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body straight from your head to your heels. Engage your core and alternate, bringing your knees toward your chest in a running motion, switching legs quickly. Maintain a steady pace and control your breathing throughout the exercise.
Time: 3 rounds of 1 minute, with 30 seconds rest between rounds
Day 3: Rest Day (Mobility and Foam Rolling)
Focus on foam rolling your upper body, especially the arms, shoulders, and upper back. Follow up with some gentle stretches to improve mobility and reduce muscle soreness. This recovery day helps prevent injury and ensures your muscles are ready for the next workout.
Day 4: Hypertrophy Workout
1. Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Bicep curls specifically target the upper arm’s biceps and key muscles. Strengthening the biceps helps create a balanced, toned look and can indirectly reduce fat by building muscle mass that increases metabolic rate.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Curl the weights up toward your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your body. Lower the weights slowly with control, feeling your biceps lengthen.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
2. Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
This exercise isolates the triceps, helping to tone and strengthen the muscles on the back of the upper arms. By targeting and tightening the tricep muscles, tricep kickbacks can reduce underarm fat.
Begin by bending forward at the waist while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your upper arms stationary as you extend your elbows, lifting the weights behind you until your arms are fully extended. Focus on squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement. Lower the weights back down in a controlled manner to complete one repetition.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
3. Lateral Raises
Lateral raises primarily target the shoulders, particularly the lateral deltoids. Strong, defined shoulders contribute to an overall toned appearance of the upper arms and help create a balanced upper body.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing your body. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, lift your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, ensuring your palms are facing downward. Hold briefly at the top to engage your shoulder muscles. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Day 5: Active Rest (Yoga)
Engage in a yoga session focusing on upper-body stretches and strengthening poses like downward dog, plank, and side plank to maintain flexibility and muscle tone. Yoga helps improve muscle recovery and prevent injuries by enhancing flexibility and promoting relaxation.
Day 6: Strength Workout
1. Chest Press
The chest press is a compound exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Building strength in these areas helps create a balanced upper body and can reduce overall fat by increasing muscle mass and metabolic rate.
Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, positioned at chest level with your palms facing away. Press the weights upward until your arms fully extend above you, exhaling as you push. Lower the dumbbells back down to chest level in a controlled manner while inhaling.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
2. Overhead Tricep Extension
This exercise effectively isolates the triceps, helping tone the arms’ back and decrease underarm fat. Overhead extensions engage the entire tricep muscle, promoting strength and definition.
Stand with a dumbbell held firmly in both hands above your head, arms fully extended. Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbows until your forearms parallel the floor, keeping your upper arms stationary. Extend your arms back up to the starting position by straightening your elbows. Maintain control throughout the movement to maximize effectiveness and prevent strain.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
3. Arnold Press
The Arnold press is a shoulder press variation that engages the shoulders and triceps. This exercise promotes shoulder strength and stability while working the triceps, contributing to overall upper-body toning.
Start by sitting or standing with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing your body. Press the weights overhead while simultaneously rotating your palms to face forward at the top of the movement. Lower the dumbbells to shoulder height while reversing the palm rotation.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Day 7: Rest Day
Take a well-deserved rest day to recover and prepare for the week ahead. Rest days are crucial for muscle recovery and growth, ensuring you can perform at your best.
Week 2: Building Strength and Shedding Fat
Day 8: Strength Workout
1. Pull-ups (Assisted if necessary)
The pull-up is excellent for building upper-body strength, particularly in the biceps, back, and shoulders. This compound movement helps in muscle growth and fat loss by engaging multiple muscle groups and increasing calorie expenditure.
Grip a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you, hands shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms fully extended. Pull your body upward until your chin clears the bar, keeping your core engaged and avoiding swinging. Lower yourself back down with control until your arms are fully extended again.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps (use assistance if needed)
2. Tricep Dips
Reinforces the previous week’s tricep work, further toning and strengthening the muscles. Consistent tricep dips help maintain and build on the progress made in the first week.
Sit on a stable chair or bench with your hands next to your hips, gripping the edge. Slide your hips off the edge while keeping your legs extended in front of you or bent at the knees. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up by straightening your arms. Keep your back close to the chair to focus the effort on your triceps.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
3. Plank with Arm Lift
This exercise engages the core and shoulders, promoting overall upper-body stability and strength. It helps tone the arms and shoulders while improving balance and coordination.
Begin in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core and keep your hips level as you lift one arm straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Hold briefly, then lower the arm back down and repeat with the opposite arm. Continue alternating arms while maintaining a stable plank position throughout.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10 lifts per side
Day 9: Cardio Burn
1. Burpees
Burpees are a full-body exercise that boosts cardiovascular fitness and tones arms. They engage the entire body, increasing heart rate and calorie burn, which aids in fat loss and muscle toning.
Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Jump your feet back into a plank position, keeping your body straight from head to heels. Perform a pushup by bending your elbows until your chest nearly touches the floor. Push back up to the plank position, then move your feet toward your hands. Explode upward into a jump, reaching your arms overhead. Land softly and immediately lower back into the next repetition.
Time: 3 rounds of 1 minute, with 1 minute rest between rounds
2. Shadow Boxing
Shadow boxing works the arms and shoulders while providing a cardio workout. This exercise improves coordination, agility, and cardiovascular fitness, helping to tone the upper body.
Stand in a balanced stance with your knees slightly bent and your fists raised to chin level. Throw punches into the air with controlled movements, focusing on technique and speed. Engage your core muscles throughout to stabilize your body and increase the intensity of the workout. Incorporate various punches such as jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts, alternating between arms. Move around and pivot on your feet to simulate boxing footwork and enhance agility.
Time: 3 rounds of 2 minutes, with 1 minute rest between rounds
3. Jumping Jacks
This classic cardio move engages the entire body. Jumping jacks increase heart rate and burn calories, aiding overall fat reduction and muscle toning.
Start standing with your feet together and arms at your sides. Jump into the air while simultaneously spreading your legs wide and raising your arms overhead, clapping your hands together. Land softly on the balls of your feet as you return to the starting position with your feet together and arms at your sides. Repeat this motion in a continuous, rhythmic manner.
Time: 3 rounds of 2 minutes, with 1 minute rest between rounds
Day 10: Rest Day (Mobility and Foam Rolling)
Repeat the previous week’s mobility and foam rolling session to keep your muscles loose and ready. Focused mobility and foam rolling help with muscle recovery and prepare you for the upcoming workouts.
Day 11: Hypertrophy Workout
1. Hammer Curls
This exercise focuses on the brachialis, an upper arm muscle. Hammer curls help build the brachialis, adding thickness and strength to the upper arm and enhancing overall arm definition.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso. Keep your elbows close to your body as you curl the weights upward, maintaining a neutral grip (palms facing each other) throughout the movement. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the curl, then slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
2. Skull Crushers
This exercise effectively targets the triceps, promoting muscle growth and strength. The skull crusher engages the entire tricep muscle, helping to reduce underarm fat and improve arm definition.
Lie on a bench with a barbell or dumbbells in your hand(s), arms extended directly above your chest. Bend your elbows to lower the weights toward your forehead, keeping them pointed upward and close together. Extend your arms back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement to effectively engage the triceps.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
3. Front Raises
The front raise engages the shoulders and helps define the upper arms. This exercise targets the anterior deltoids, promoting shoulder strength and stability, contributing to a balanced and toned upper body.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and lift your arms directly before you until they are parallel to the floor. Pause briefly at the top to engage your shoulder muscles, then lower the dumbbells back down in a controlled manner to the starting position. Focus on maintaining stability and avoiding swinging motions.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Day 12: Active Rest (Yoga)
Another yoga day to stretch and strengthen the body, focusing on upper-body flexibility and recovery. Yoga helps in muscle recovery, flexibility, and mental relaxation, which are all crucial for overall fitness and well-being.
Day 13: Strength Workout
1. Bench Press
This exercise builds chest, shoulders, and triceps strength. It is a fundamental compound movement that promotes upper-body strength and muscle growth, aiding in overall fat reduction and muscle definition.
Lie on a bench with a barbell or dumbbells gripped firmly above your chest. Lower the weight to your chest level, keeping your elbows slightly bent and wrists aligned. Push the weight upward until your arms are fully extended, exhaling as you exert. Lower the weight back down in a controlled manner, inhaling as you do so.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
2. Tricep Pushdowns
This is a stellar isolation exercise for the triceps, promoting strength and definition. Tricep pushdowns effectively target the triceps, helping tone the arms’ back and reduce underarm fat.
Stand in front of a cable machine with a straight bar attached to the high pulley. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and elbows tucked close to your body. Push the bar downward by straightening your arms until fully extended, squeezing your triceps at the bottom of the movement. Slowly return to the starting position by bending your elbows controlled.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
3. Face Pulls
Face pulls target the rear delts and upper back, promoting shoulder health and upper-body strength. This exercise also helps balance the shoulder muscles, improving posture and reducing the risk of shoulder injuries.
Attach a rope handle to a cable machine at about chest height. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, grasp the rope with both hands using a neutral grip (palms facing each other), and step back to create tension. Keep your elbows high and pull the rope toward your face, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement. Pause briefly, then slowly return to the starting position with control.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Day 14: Rest Day
Finish your 14-day journey with a rest day to allow your muscles to recover and grow stronger. Celebrate your progress and prepare to integrate these exercises into your regular fitness routine!
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