By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training
Sandra was 52 when she came to me with a frustration I hear almost daily. “I hate my arms,” she said, gesturing to the back of her upper arms. “Every time I wave, everything jiggles. I haven’t worn a sleeveless top in years.”
Bingo wings. The term itself comes from bingo halls, where players raise their cards to claim a win, exposing the underside of their arms. It is an unflattering name for a common concern, one that affects millions of women, particularly as they get older.
The good news is that bingo wings are not inevitable, and they are not permanent. With the right approach, you can firm up the back of your arms and regain the confidence to wear whatever you want.
After helping hundreds of women address this exact concern over the past decade, I have learned what actually works. This guide explains the science behind bingo wings and shares the most effective exercises and programme for getting rid of them.
What Actually Causes Bingo Wings
Understanding why bingo wings develop helps you address them effectively. Several factors contribute to the loose, soft appearance at the back of the upper arms.
Low Muscle Tone in the Triceps
The triceps muscle runs along the back of your upper arm. It is responsible for straightening your elbow and makes up approximately two thirds of your upper arm mass. When this muscle is underdeveloped, the back of your arm looks soft and lacks definition.
Most daily activities involve pulling and lifting, which use the biceps at the front of your arm. The triceps, by contrast, rarely get challenged in everyday life. Without specific training, they remain weak and underdeveloped.
Body Fat Accumulation
The back of the upper arm is a common area for fat storage, particularly in women. Hormones direct fat distribution in the body, and for many women, the upper arms are one of those storage sites.
Even at a healthy overall body weight, some women carry more fat in their arms than others. This is largely genetic and cannot be changed through targeted arm exercises alone.
Age Related Skin Changes
As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity. Collagen production decreases, and the skin becomes thinner and less able to “bounce back.” This means that even with good muscle tone, some looseness in the skin may remain.
Research from the British Journal of Dermatology shows that skin elasticity decreases significantly after age 40, accelerating further after menopause due to declining oestrogen levels.
Loss of Muscle Mass (Sarcopenia)
After age 30, we begin losing muscle mass at a rate of approximately 3 to 5% per decade. This accelerates after 50. Without strength training to counteract this, the muscles simply shrink, leaving more room for fat and loose skin.
The triceps are particularly vulnerable because they are rarely used in daily activities. A woman who has never trained her triceps may have very little muscle mass there by middle age.
The Truth About Spot Reduction
Here is something important you need to understand: you cannot burn fat from a specific area of your body by exercising that area. This concept, called spot reduction, is a myth.
When you do tricep exercises, you strengthen and build the tricep muscle. But the fat covering that muscle does not preferentially burn away. Your body draws energy from fat stores throughout your entire body, not just from the area you are exercising.
This means that doing hundreds of tricep dips will not specifically burn arm fat. What it will do is build the muscle underneath. For the best results, you need a two pronged approach: build muscle in the triceps through targeted exercises, and reduce overall body fat through nutrition and general exercise.
When both happen together, the results are dramatic. The muscle becomes more defined as the fat covering it decreases, creating that toned, firm appearance.
The Best Exercises for Bingo Wings
These exercises specifically target the triceps muscle at the back of your upper arm. Performed consistently, they will build the muscle tone that firms up bingo wings.
Tricep Dips
One of the most effective exercises for the back of your arms. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench with your hands gripping the edge beside your hips. Slide your hips forward off the seat, supporting your weight with your arms. Lower your body by bending your elbows to about 90 degrees, then push back up.
Keep your back close to the chair and your elbows pointing straight back, not out to the sides. Start with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. As you get stronger, extend your legs or elevate your feet for more challenge.
Overhead Tricep Extensions
Hold a dumbbell with both hands above your head, arms fully extended. Lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary and close to your ears. Extend your arms back up, squeezing your triceps at the top.
This exercise targets the long head of the triceps, which runs along the back of your arm and is the primary culprit in the bingo wing area.
Tricep Kickbacks
Lean forward with one hand on a bench for support, holding a dumbbell in your other hand. Keep your upper arm parallel to the floor and close to your body. Extend your arm straight back, squeezing your tricep at the end of the movement. Lower with control.
Use a light weight and focus on feeling the muscle work. This is not an exercise for heavy weights. The squeeze at the top is what matters.
Diamond Push Ups
Place your hands close together beneath your chest, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and forefingers. Perform a push up from this position, keeping your body in a straight line.
This variation shifts emphasis from your chest to your triceps. If full push ups are too challenging, perform them on your knees or against a wall.
Tricep Pushdowns
At a cable machine, attach a rope or straight bar to the high pulley. Grip the attachment with both hands and keep your elbows pinned at your sides. Push the weight down until your arms are straight, squeezing your triceps at the bottom. Return with control.
The constant tension from the cable makes this exercise particularly effective for building definition.
Skull Crushers (Lying Tricep Extensions)
Lie on your back on a bench holding dumbbells or a barbell with arms extended above your chest. Bend your elbows to lower the weight toward your forehead, keeping your upper arms stationary. Extend your arms back up.
Despite the intimidating name, this is one of the most effective tricep builders when performed correctly. Start with light weight until you master the movement.
Close Grip Press Ups
Perform a standard push up but with your hands placed directly under your shoulders rather than wide. This shifts more work onto your triceps and is excellent for building overall arm strength.
Bench Dips with Feet Elevated
Progress from regular dips by placing your feet on another bench or chair in front of you. This increases the load on your triceps and provides a greater challenge as you get stronger.
The 8 Week Bingo Wings Programme
Here is a complete programme designed specifically to firm up the back of your arms. It requires just two dedicated sessions per week and can be done at home with minimal equipment or at a gym.
Workout A: Tricep Focus
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tricep Dips | 3 | 10 to 12 | 60 sec |
| Overhead Tricep Extensions | 3 | 12 to 15 | 60 sec |
| Diamond Push Ups | 3 | 8 to 12 | 60 sec |
| Tricep Kickbacks | 3 | 12 to 15 each arm | 45 sec |
Workout B: Arms and Upper Body
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close Grip Press Ups | 3 | 8 to 12 | 60 sec |
| Tricep Pushdowns (or resistance band) | 3 | 12 to 15 | 60 sec |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curls | 3 | 12 to 15 | 60 sec |
| Skull Crushers | 3 | 10 to 12 | 60 sec |
| Lateral Raises | 2 | 12 to 15 | 45 sec |
Weekly Schedule
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday | Workout A |
| Tuesday | Walking or light cardio (30 min) |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Workout B |
| Friday | Walking or full body workout |
| Saturday | Active recovery |
| Sunday | Rest |
Progression Plan
Weeks 1 to 2: Focus on learning the movements and establishing proper form. Use light weights or bodyweight only.
Weeks 3 to 4: Begin adding weight or making bodyweight exercises more challenging. Aim for the lower end of the rep range.
Weeks 5 to 6: Increase weights again. Add one additional set to each exercise if time allows.
Weeks 7 to 8: Push yourself with the heaviest weights you can handle with good form. You should notice visible changes by now.
The Role of Fat Loss
As mentioned earlier, building muscle alone will not eliminate bingo wings if you are carrying excess body fat. The muscle development will help, but for maximum definition, you also need to address overall body fat levels.
This does not mean crash dieting. Extreme calorie restriction leads to muscle loss, which is the opposite of what you want. Instead, aim for a moderate caloric deficit of 300 to 500 calories below your maintenance level.
Prioritise protein. Consuming adequate protein, approximately 1.6 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight, helps preserve muscle while losing fat. Without sufficient protein, your body may break down muscle tissue for energy.
Include resistance training. The tricep exercises above serve double duty. They build muscle and increase your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories even at rest.
Add cardiovascular activity. Walking, swimming or cycling helps create the caloric deficit needed for fat loss without excessive stress on your body.
Be patient. Sustainable fat loss happens at roughly 0.5kg per week. Faster than this and you risk losing muscle along with fat.
What About Loose Skin?
Some women, particularly those who have lost significant weight or are over 50, may have loose skin on their upper arms even with good muscle tone and low body fat. This is a separate issue from muscle development.
Building muscle can help fill out some loose skin, creating a firmer appearance. However, if the skin has lost significant elasticity, exercise alone may not fully resolve the issue.
Factors that support skin health include staying hydrated, eating adequate protein, getting enough vitamins C and E, and avoiding excessive sun exposure. Some women also explore treatments like skin tightening procedures, though these are beyond the scope of this guide.
The most important point is this: building muscle and reducing body fat will dramatically improve the appearance of your upper arms regardless of skin condition. Perfect skin elasticity is not required for significant improvement.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Only Doing High Reps with Light Weights
Many women believe they need to do endless reps with tiny weights to “tone” their arms. This is not effective. Muscle definition requires actual muscle development, which means challenging your muscles with appropriate resistance.
Choose weights that make the last two or three reps of each set genuinely difficult. If you can easily complete 20 reps, the weight is too light.
Mistake 2: Neglecting the Triceps in Favour of Biceps
Bicep curls are popular, but they work the front of your arm, not the back where bingo wings occur. The triceps need direct attention, yet many women barely train them.
Prioritise tricep exercises. They should make up the majority of your arm training if bingo wings are your primary concern.
Mistake 3: Expecting Overnight Results
Building muscle takes time. Reducing body fat takes time. Visible changes typically require at least 6 to 8 weeks of consistent effort, often longer.
Set realistic expectations and commit to the long term. Quick fixes do not exist for this issue.
Mistake 4: Inconsistent Training
Training hard for a week, then skipping two weeks, produces nothing. Consistency is far more important than intensity. Two moderate sessions per week, every week, will produce better results than sporadic intense efforts.
Mistake 5: Ignoring Nutrition
You cannot out train a poor diet. If you are consuming significantly more calories than you burn, no amount of tricep exercises will eliminate bingo wings. Nutrition and training work together.
Results Timeline
Here is what to expect if you follow the programme consistently:
Weeks 1 to 2: Your muscles will feel sore initially. This is normal and indicates your triceps are being challenged.
Weeks 3 to 4: You will feel stronger. Exercises that were difficult become more manageable. Your arms may feel firmer to the touch.
Weeks 5 to 6: Visible changes begin to appear. The back of your arms starts to look more defined, especially when flexed.
Weeks 7 to 8: Noticeable improvement. Others may start to comment. You may feel more confident about your arms.
Months 3 to 6: Significant transformation. With continued training and appropriate nutrition, your upper arms will look dramatically different from when you started.
Back to Sandra
Remember Sandra from the beginning? After 12 weeks following this approach, her arms had transformed.
“I actually bought a sleeveless dress last week,” she told me, beaming. “I haven’t done that in over a decade. My arms aren’t perfect, but they’re so much better. I feel confident again.”
Sandra did not have surgery. She did not follow an extreme diet. She simply trained her triceps consistently twice a week, ate adequate protein, walked daily and was patient.
Her results are typical of what I see with women who commit to this approach.
How to Get Started
If you want to follow a structured programme with video demonstrations of every exercise, the 12REPS app can help.
The app includes over 1,500 exercises with proper form guidance, including all the tricep exercises in this guide. You can build custom routines, track your progress and ensure you are challenging yourself appropriately over time.
Whether you train at home with basic equipment or at a commercial gym, the app adapts to your situation. Start your free trial at 12REPS.
Final Thoughts
Bingo wings are common, but they are not permanent. The combination of weak tricep muscles, body fat accumulation and age related skin changes creates the loose, soft appearance at the back of your arms. Each of these factors can be addressed.
Build your triceps with targeted exercises. Create a moderate caloric deficit to reduce body fat. Be consistent and patient. Within a few months, you will see significant improvement.
The sleeveless tops you have been avoiding are waiting. The confidence to wave without embarrassment is achievable. It simply requires commitment to the right approach.
Start your first tricep workout this week. Your future self will thank you.
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| Toned Arms Without Bulk | A complete guide to sculpted feminine arms covering biceps, triceps and shoulders. | Read Article |
| Upper Body Strength Guide for Women | Build a strong, sculpted upper body with this comprehensive programme. | Read Article |
| Women’s Upper Body Strength Training | Break through the barriers holding you back from upper body training. | Read Article |
| 12 Week Push Pull Legs for Women | A complete transformation programme that includes effective arm training. | Read Article |
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References
[1] Cruz-Jentoft, A.J. et al. (2019). Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing. https://academic.oup.com/ageing
[2] Ramírez-Campillo, R. et al. (2013). Regional fat changes induced by localized muscle endurance resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/pages/default.aspx
[3] Farage, M.A. et al. (2008). Structural characteristics of the aging skin. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14682494
[4] Schoenfeld, B.J. et al. (2017). Hypertrophic effects of concentric vs eccentric muscle actions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/pages/default.aspx
[5] Morton, R.W. et al. (2018). A systematic review of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training induced gains in muscle mass and strength. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/
About the Author: Will Duru holds a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science and is an award winning personal trainer with over 10 years of experience helping women achieve their fitness goals. He specialises in programmes that deliver real, visible results without extreme measures. Will is the creator of the 12REPS app, designed to make professional training guidance accessible to everyone.
