Armpit Fat Exercises That Actually Work

Last Updated on July 8, 2025

If you’re looking for effective armpit fat exercises to tighten, tone, and sculpt the area around your chest and underarms — you’re in the right place.

Armpit fat is one of the most common “problem spots” my clients ask me about, and I totally get it. That bulge that spills out of bras, tanks, and strapless tops can feel frustrating and stubborn. But here’s the truth:

👉 You can’t spot-reduce fat – but you can strengthen and tone the muscles around a problem area. And when you do that consistently, the area becomes visibly tighter, firmer, and smaller – especially when combined with full-body fat loss and the right kind of nutrition.

That’s why I’m sharing the best armpit fat exercises that target your chest, shoulders, and triceps — the muscle groups that shape and support the armpit zone. These moves will help you sculpt and strengthen the area so you look and feel more confident.

 

Best Exercises for Armpit Fat

 

CHEST PRESS

Lie down on your back with a dumbbell in each hand hovering above and close to your armpits.  This is your start position. Exhale as you push the dumbbells up. Hold for a second and then inhale and slowly lower the weight back down to the start position to complete one rep.  TIP:  Lay on a bench or stability ball for a greater range of motion.

MODIFIED PUSHUPS

Get into a modified pushup position, balancing on your knees instead of your toes, with your palms flat on the floor with fingers facing out.  This is your start position. Slowly lower your chest down toward the floor as you inhale. Exhale as you push up back into the start plank position to complete one rep.  TIP:  Keep your spine neutral. Don’t arch or sag your lower back or pitch your butt upwards.

IN AND OUT EXTENSIONS

Stand holding your dumbbells down in front of you. This is your start position. Lift your arms up in front of you until they’re in line with your shoulders, then lower back down. Immediately lift the weights up and out to the side until they’re in line with your shoulders. Reverse the movement, bringing your arms back down to the original start position to complete one rep. 

SCARECROW EXTENSION EXERCISE

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Holding dumbbells, lift your elbows up, until they are in line with your shoulders, with your knuckles facing the floor. This is your start position. Exhale and extend the weights up and out to the side until they’re level with your shoulders. Lower the weights back to the start position, to complete one rep.

OVERHEAD PULLDOWN

Lie down on your back with your feet firmly placed on the floor. Hold your dumbbells together and lift them up over your chest. Inhale and slowly lower the weights back and down until your arms are by your ears. Without letting the weights touch the floor, exhale and slowly lift the weights back up to the starting position to complete one rep.

CHEST FLY

Lie on a stability ball (or bench) with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift your arms straight up over your chest, with a slight bend in your elbows. This is your start position. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows lower your arms out to the side in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Pause then return your arms back to the starting position, to complete one rep.

 

How to Use These Armpit Fat Exercises

 

You can:

• Add these moves to any of my existing routines or training plans
• Use them on their own as a finisher or upper body day
• Combine all of them into a full workout

 

ARMPIT FAT WORKOUT INSTRUCTIONS

 

To turn these exercises into a full workout, here’s what I recommend:

• Warm up for 5 minutes with light cardio (walking, marching in place, jumping jacks)
• Do 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise
• Use light to moderate weights (3–7.5 pounds is a good range)
• Rest as little as possible between exercises to keep your heart rate up
• Finish with 5 minutes of chest and tricep stretching

👉 Pro Tip: I only recommend doing this routine once a week to avoid plateaus and promote proper recovery.

 

These Exercises Are Just One Piece of the Puzzle

 

Even though these exercises are awesome for sculpting and tightening your armpit zone, remember — you can’t out-train a bad program.

To actually reduce fat in the armpit area (and everywhere else), you need a complete training system that supports fat loss all over. That’s where your workouts need to be customized to fit your body and goals.

Take my Program Style Quiz to find the plan I recommend most for YOU — based on your goals, lifestyle, and personality. It’s the fastest way to start seeing real changes and real results.

 

Nutrition = Faster Fat Loss

 

Workouts shape your body — but food shrinks it.

If you’re serious about getting results faster, you need to eat for your unique metabolic type. This is the biggest game-changer I’ve seen in 20 years of coaching women.

When you eat the right foods for your body, you can lose fat 3x faster, boost your energy, and even reverse symptoms like bloating, cravings, and fatigue.

✨ Take my Metabolic Type Quiz to find out what to eat, what to avoid, and how to finally get results that last.

 

Final Thoughts

I hope you felt the burn with these armpit fat exercises! 💪  Remember, this workout only works if you work it — and when you combine it with a full-body plan and the right nutrition, your armpit fat will reduce even faster.

Got questions? Felt the burn? Drop a comment below and let me know how it went.

Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader,