bony hands and face but fat triceps!

[Suzy]

I need help. I am a woman.
My face, chest, hands and upper back are very bony. I am 29 but my hands look like an 80 year old. There is only skin and bone. My viens pop out way too much and they are thick. Everyone tells me I need to gain weight. I never show my upper arms to anyone. My biceps are very lean. My tricep muscles look too big and there is a thick layer of fat on my triceps. When I hold my arms up to the side the fat hangs down from the muscle about an inch and a quarter. The front and the back of my arms look so different. I even have some cellulite on my triceps. My arms are close to 10 inches where the fat hangs down the lowest. I don't know what to do because parts of my body are looking very anorexic. My waist is 24 inches. I really hate how muscular my arms look. If I was to loose too much body fat wouldn't it make my skin age faster.
Sometimes I think my only option is to gain weight so I look better in other areas and get lippo on my triceps.
Please give me advice.
Thanks...

[joe526]

do you excersise?

[Suzy]

I was a competetive runner and swimmer for about 15 years. I quit for 3 years completely. Four months ago I started dancing 3 times a week(an hour each time). Six weeks ago I quit dancing and started running 3 times a week (about 30 minutes each time) and doing full body strength training exercises.

[joe526]

Originally Posted by Suzy

I was a competetive runner and swimmer for about 15 years. I quit for 3 years completely. Four months ago I started dancing 3 times a week(an hour each time). Six weeks ago I quit dancing and started running 3 times a week (about 30 minutes each time) and doing full body strength training exercises.

Were your arms always this way, or just once you quit swimming and running for three years?

[Suzy]

I did intense weight training everyday for a year in highschool. That is when I got big tricep muscles. So that I think was my biggest mistake. Big tricpes make your arms look thick. I remember there was hardly any fat. My brother told me I looked manly so I quit. After they looked like they do now with the layer of fat. In university I couldn't stand the fat so I did weights again. The fat disappeared. I think my arms were closer to 11inches!! Ahh..Not sure. My arm muscles looked really big again which I hated. After I quit I got the layer of fat again. A girl commented your arms look small again after I stopped. Throughout this time I was runnning and swimming. In about the past 5 years parts of my body have become too thin and bony. I read that fat moves around as we age. It just seems too soon at 29. I know how to lose the fat there because I did it before. I wish I didn't have to make my arm muscles so big to do that. Also, I wish I could only lose fat in my triceps but I think you lose fat all over. Maybe I should avoid weights and just try to lose body fat until the fat on my triceps go away and just see how my face, hands and chest look. If they look terrible just gain the fat back. I really don't want to screw up my metabolism though. I have been close to the same weight since I was 12 which I think is healthy. I have lost only about 10 pounds since quitting intense training probably due to muscle lose and fat loss in my bony areas. I am worried about my face probably the most. Now my face definately needs more fat. My chest is freaky too but I can just avoid wearing low cut shirts.
I really appreciate your ideas. I have searched desperately for the answer but it seems like the only option is to get lippo in my triceps or to lose weight and get fat injections in the bony areas. Which I really really don't want to do.

[narcsarge]

Having been a swimmer I understand where you come from. Your previous weight training and the type of development you achieved tells me that you have no problems with developing a strong physique. As anyone on this board will tell you, diet is the key to your fitness goals. Post your current diet and your exercise routine.

Fat does not "move around" your body but you maybe prone to develope fat in certain areas as you age. 29 is a great age to get it all together.

[Suzy]

Building muscle in my upper arms is too easy. I have broad shoulders and bulging viens in my hands and up my forearms. I find it very unattractive on a girl.
I think I gonna give it a shot and try to lose body fat. Ultimately I hate the fat on my triceps more than my bony areas.

I will just see what my face looks like after I lose it.
I am going to aim for 9 inch arms. I think that would be a nice size.

Before I was doing 30 minutes running 3 times a week. Sometimes 60 minutes on Sunday. I was doing full body strength training exercies 3x a week using my body weight. I was doing 3 sets for every exercise. Tricep dips, pushups, situps, lower back raises, lunges, squats, and leg raises. I was also doing some stair climbing for about 15 minutes 3 times a week.

All my life I just ate whatever. My weight has been so stable since I was 12. I only lost a little weight. Probably mostly muscle. Today I was 98 lbs. The past year I really changed my diet. I started eating alot of fruit, chicken breasts, vegetables, brown bread and drinking lots of water. But this year I started eating so many cookies. I can't believe I didn't gain weight after all the cookies I ate.
So really I just need to quit cookies.


I joined a gym this week. I am really worried about getting bigger arms.

This is my new idea.

cardio 6 times a week (running machine, ski machine)


Weights: I alternate upper body and trunk with lower body the next day

Upper Body (3 times a week)
-triceps using 5lb hand weights 3 sets
-pushups 3 sets
-abs 3 sets
-lower back raises 3 sets

Lower Body (3 times a week)
-outer/inner thigh raises (3 sets) (20lbs)
-butt raises (3 sets) (30Ibs)
-squats (3 sets) (40 lbs)

I jump rope between each set to keep my heart rate up.

My sister has the exact same problem as me but she is about 30 pounds heavier than me so she doesn't have bony areas to worry about.
She did weights and cardio and lost body fat. He arms shrank 1.5 inches!
I was so impressed.

I know your supposed to do all parts but I don't want to. I am so paranoid about big muscles. I think pushups and squats should cover some of the muscles. Right?

What do you think?


Thanks so much!!

[howardalex]

losing BF will make you more vascular if anything and lifting should make your shoulders broader

[Shark B1t3]

Uhh, just to let you know, topic poster, you don't have big triceps today from your weight training in high school. Muscular atrophy begins after about 2 weeks of not doing any tricep exercises, and after about 3 months you are completely back to normal. Let's put it this way: there is no way you, or anyone, could have possibly kept that muscle mass increase for years of not doing any workouts. You aren't that good, sorry :P

The quitting of your tricep workouts did not add any fat to them. I'm guessing that you believe the bull**** theory that muscle converts to fat when you stop, so the more muscle you had when you were working out, the more fat you will have when you stop. Yeah, obviously not true. Your muscle just shrinks when you stop - the space does NOT get replaced by fat. This is actually one of the few theories in weight training that have PROVEN to be bull**** with scientific research.

[Suzy]

The first person said I will probably get broader shoulders by lifting. Yeah I think so. Hmm...that would not be good. Do you recommend not doing weights on my arms and maybe stick to cardio to lose body fat and maybe an inch on my arms??????


To respond to the second person.
Actually I don't really Know anthing. Everything I said is just a guess. I don't think I'm good as you put it. I am sure my muscles shrank(atrophy) and they definately became very weak. As I said my arms are close to an inch smaller since those days. But my upper arm muscles still appear very big not as big as before but too big for my liking. Yeah I have heard that after you quit muscle turns to fat. No, I don't believe that either and I didn't say that. I just think that my triceps are an area where my body stores fat the most.

My whole problem is the boniest in the rest of my body as I said before.
But as I said I am just going to try to lose body fat and see how my face looks after.

Thanks alot everyone for your great help!