So... I actually skipped to the end, as i've had some success with this.
Bear in mind, I work out like a beast - I'm crazy that way. (Probably from being bullied and some abuse as a child. Makes strength a big deal - which works for fat loss. Just not fast enough, though YMMV.)
1 - as I did see someone say, work out the problem area.
Also, per article on t-Nation.com, you CAN spot reduce, actually! It's MINIMAL, but REAL. (Sorry, can't find the atrticle now. :-( )
However, the "test" subject found that by doing ab exercises and cardio in sets or complexes, he burned more fat off the belly.
Applying this to your target area, probably some triceps kickbacks and cardio, in sequence. (And for extra fun....
http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/3-compl...e-fat-loss and
http://www.t-nation.com/training/women-s...n-like-men.) Bear in mind the source, it'll be a bit "musclehedz", but the information has proven good so far.
2 - Two things that'll help from personal experience as well: Parsley Tea (Dr. Oz recipe) somehow slims the arms. As my triceps were a problem area (Ok, ALL of me is a problem area right now!
), I noticed significant "gains" (Meaning, losses!) in the flab there.
Second in the same vein, maybe an issue in some ways - and can "hurt" - is a niacin flush. We're talking up to 4 GRAMS per day, to sweep the system clean. (B.N.: I ain't trying 4 grams - I made it to 2, and I turned red as a tomato, and it feels like you're itching EVERYWHERE!) The skin irritation can be irritating, it's itchy as HELL, might even feel like bugs walking under your skin. It'll turn you bright pink or even red, depending on how much you take. HOWEVER, being a vasodilator like that (and clearing out cholesterol issues at the 4G levels! Whoo, good cholesterol and sweep out the bad!) - you'll pull more from the fat stores, especially subcutaneous, than without the dilation. Need to get blood to the area to draw down the fat (lipolysis.) Niacin does that well. Use nicotinic acid - the "slow-release" or "flush-free" version does almost nothing WRT clearing the blood vessels - there's no flush, so no therapeutic use.
As the B-vitamins are water-soluble, it's rather hard to OD on them. At 4 grams, though - don't continue more than about a month.
Start low, build up. 500 mg, see what the effect is, if it's tolerable. Be careful! The girlfriend is allergic to B-vitamins. PABA, B6, B-12, etc - ALL of them. As in, blotchy red complexion, upset stomach, like she's been poisoned.
Me, I just deal with it.... Badly, sometimes!
I haven't gotten to trying the Niacin idea as a paste, yet - it's on my to-do list.
BTW, use lots of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) to make the most of fat burning work. Suggestions would be, do burpees, interspersed with kickbacks or french curls. Strict form! 3 sets of each, 10 reps on the burpees, maybe 5 on the kickbacks/curls - or, use tiny weight, and do a LOT of reps, say up to 50! the low reps / high weight will get into the tendons and Fast-Twitch muscles, but shouldn't cause a lot of hypertrophy. (Size growth). The low-weight/high-reps appraoch will get into the Type 1 fibers, IIRC - think more like a Shaolin monk. The objective is to increase blood flow without getting a "pump" (that'd be a sign of hypertophy via the muscle adding glycogen stores, IIRC. Larger cells = more energy stored for high-output tasks.) Using the 5, you'll get strength without the mass (See
http://www.trans-health.com/2003/weight-...-for-mtfs/).
Lastly, this will be a JOURNEY no matter what - figure out the most effective route, plan for the long-term, and correct as needed! Estrogens will block a lot of "mass building," but you might be prone to building size, like me. Then you get into a cycle of eating for the workout, which works fine until you're not working out.... And the body cannibalizes the muscle (catabolism) and stores the fat (low-energy body cells = good stored energy, while "extra" muscle = high-cost metabolic cells, which means starvation to the body... So, only keep the muscle you NEED, and store lots of fat. And our high-carb diets work all too well at keeping blood sugar up, increasing fat creation via glucose issues. All carbs = sugars. Bread, rice, pasta = Insulin/glucose issues = fat retention. Paleo or South Beach or Mediterranean diet reverse these effects, and are better for muscle building/retention. Also, make sure you're eating enough calories, and cut out processed foods - most have sugar in them! I mean things like CORN CHIPS that have High Fructose Corn syrup.... Ketchup, Mustard, chips, salsa, maybe even Mayo! GD Corn subsidies! But anyway - we're not meant for eating grains, save in "processed" (animal) form: PROTEIN.
BTW, try also to be "arm conscious" and keep arms moving through the day. No load, just mobile. E.G., I sit in front of a computer all day; it's no wonder I'm "fat" if I'm not in the gym for hours a day... just not enough blood flow and oxygenation of tissues!
But run a flight of stairs every hour, or two.... The weight will come off. Go until out of breath, then go back to the desk to rest. Look up Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, informally called afterburn) for mroe info. ;-)
And use both tape measure and body fat % meters to keep an eye on improvements. ;-)
