“Bat wings” usually refers to the softer area along the back of your upper arms. After 60, changes in muscle mass, body fat, and skin elasticity can make that area look less firm than it used to. Building stronger arms can help improve how they look and feel while making everyday pushing, reaching, and carrying easier.
Exercise can help from both sides of the equation. Strengthening your triceps can add more shape under the back of your arms, and newer research suggests localized exercise may influence fat loss in the trained area more than we once thought. Evidence on spot reduction is still developing, so your overall body-composition habits matter too. Regular activity and nutrition that supports fat loss give you the best setup for gradually changing how your upper arms look.
Gym classes can be useful, but they don’t always give you much control over exercise choice, pace, or how much direct arm work you get. A wall routine at home lets you focus on the muscles you want to strengthen and adjust the difficulty without waiting for the next class. These three exercises keep the setup simple while giving your triceps and shoulders enough work to make a short routine worthwhile.
Wall Push-Up
Wall push-ups are one of the easiest ways to start rebuilding pressing strength when floor push-ups feel like too much. Your chest and shoulders help with the movement, but the triceps still have to straighten your elbows on every rep. That makes this a practical starting point for strengthening the back of your arms while letting you control the challenge by changing how far you stand from the wall.
Muscles Trained: Triceps, chest, shoulders, abs.
How to Do It
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width at chest height.
- Step your feet back.
- Bend your elbows and bring your chest toward the wall.
- Press through your hands to straighten your arms.
- Repeat with control.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds.
Best Variations: Close-grip wall push-up, incline push-up, slower wall push-up.
Form Tip: Keep your body moving as one unit.
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Wall Plank With Shoulder Taps
Once you take one hand off the wall, your upper body has to work harder to stay steady. The supporting arm and shoulder stay active while your core controls the weight shift, giving you more work than a basic wall plank. I like this exercise for older clients because you can slow the taps down and still make the set challenging without needing heavier weights.
Muscles Trained: Shoulders, triceps, abs, chest.
How to Do It
- Place both hands on the wall at about shoulder height.
- Step your feet back into an inclined plank position.
- Brace your abs.
- Lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder.
- Return your hand to the wall.
- Switch sides and continue alternating.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 taps per side. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds.
Best Variations: Wall plank hold, slower shoulder taps, counter plank with shoulder taps.
Form Tip: Keep your weight shift small as you tap.
Wall Triceps Extension
This is the most direct triceps exercise in the routine. Your elbows bend as your body moves toward the wall, then your triceps straighten your arms to push you away. That gives the triceps repeated work through a simple movement that doesn’t require dumbbells or cables. Start close to the wall, then move your feet farther back for more resistance.
Muscles Trained: Triceps, shoulders, abs.
How to Do It
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place your hands on the wall about shoulder-width apart.
- Step your feet back slightly.
- Bend your elbows and bring your forehead toward the wall.
- Keep your upper arms steady.
- Press through your hands and straighten your elbows to return to the start.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds.
Best Variations: Closer wall triceps extension, counter triceps extension, slower triceps extension.
Form Tip: Bend your elbows while keeping your upper arms in place.
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How to Use This Wall Routine for Firmer Arms After 60
A few focused arm exercises can go a long way when you repeat them often enough. Use this routine two to four days per week and keep the rest of your week active so you’re supporting both muscle strength and overall body composition.
- Keep the routine short enough to repeat: Ten focused minutes a few times per week is easier to build around than waiting for a long workout window.
- Progress by changing your distance: Step farther from the wall once your current version feels too easy.
- Add reps gradually: Move toward the top of the rep range before choosing a harder variation.
- Keep full-body strength work in your week: Maintaining full-body strength supports healthy aging and body-composition goals.
- Stay active between arm sessions: Walking and other regular movement help increase your weekly activity without wearing out your arms.
- Give nutrition a role in the plan: Adequate protein supports muscle, while consistent eating habits help with reducing overall body fat.
- Track strength along with appearance: More push-up reps and stronger triceps extensions are useful signs that your arms are improving, even before visual changes become obvious.
References
- Siparsky, Patrick N et al. “Muscle changes in aging: understanding sarcopenia.” Sports Health vol. 6,1 (2014): 36-40. doi:10.1177/1941738113502296
- Paoli, Antonio et al. “Effect of an Endurance and Strength Mixed Circuit Training on Regional Fat Thickness: The Quest for the ‘Spot Reduction.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18,7 3845. 6 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph18073845
The post 3 Wall Exercises That Smooth Bat Wings Faster Than Gym Classes After 60 appeared first on Eat This Not That.
