How to Lose Upper Body Fat According to Experts
It's totally normal to struggle with losing body fat in specific areas. We break down everything you need to know about burning upper body fat to help you hit your fat loss goals.
Key Takeaways
- One key to weight loss is a caloric deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn.
- Another key is regular exercise, both cardio and resistance training.
- Recovery is non-negotiable, and quality sleep has been linked to successful weight loss.
- High-quality supplements may support or enhance fat burn.
See More: How to Work Your Glutes With Squats: Variations & More
How to Reduce Upper Body Fat
Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:
"Experts widely agree that nutrition and exercise are the foundations of weight loss. High-quality fat-burning supplements and targeted exercises may also be useful."
Weight loss can be hard. It's why so many people try obscure diets, getting stuck in a cycle of trying and failing to hit their weight loss goals.
But healthy, sustainable fat loss isn't as complicated as you might think.
There are three key principles you need to follow: nutrition, training, and recovery.
We'll break them down one by one to help you hit your fat-burning goals.
These principles apply to body fat in general. It's not possible to target upper body fat specifically. The possible exception to that is specialty fat-burning creams, which we'll discuss.
Calorie Deficit
The foundation of losing excess body fat is a sustainable calorie deficit. Put simply, a calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume.
Experts often recommend aiming for a calorie deficit of 300-500 calories per day. That means consuming 300-500 fewer calories than you burn. At this rate, you might expect to lose 1-2 lbs of body weight every week, which should include arm fat.
It's important to pick a sustainable calorie deficit that you can actually maintain.
Go too extreme, and you risk extreme hunger, losing muscle mass, a lack of energy to stay fit and healthy, and potentially worse. You don't want to undermine your nutrition just to stick to an unattainable calorie deficit.
At the very least, limiting your calorie intake too much makes it much harder to maintain, which could lead to you giving up on reducing body fat altogether.
Fat loss takes time and patience. A sustainable calorie deficit should produce results if you stick to it.
Diet Tips
Losing body fat doesn't mean losing the nutrients your body needs to function and thrive.
One of those macronutrients is protein. Experts often recommend a high-protein diet. A high-protein diet can help preserve muscle and even support muscle growth.
What counts as "high protein?" The common guideline is 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound.
In general, try to aim for a healthy diet based on whole foods. Incorporate lean proteins, whole grains, fiber, and healthy fats. Reduce processed foods where possible, as research has linked consumption of them to weight gain.¹
If you're partial to alcohol, it might be worth cutting back where possible. Alcohol consumption can decrease fat oxidation, or fat burn, for several hours.²
Bonus: The Best Workout Split for Different Fitness Goals in 2026
Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity is crucial for overall health and wellness. It's also important for fat loss, including upper body fat loss.
Cardiovascular Exercise (Moderate Intensity Cardio)
Cardio exercise is great for enhancing your calorie burn. By increasing the number of calories you burn, you can support or enhance your calorie deficit. Of course, cardio also provides plenty of other potential benefits, too.
Experts often recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise every week.
Try to pick cardio activities that you actually enjoy. That should make it easier to stick with your exercise routine. If you don't like running, no problem. Try swimming, cycling, hiking, dancing, team sports... You get the idea.
If you don't have much time, consider high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. It's one of the most efficient ways to burn calories.
Resistance Training (Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat)
Cardio might be central to many people's fat-burning programs, but don't forget strength training, too. There are a few reasons for this.
First, weight training helps build visible muscle definition. If your aim is aesthetics, that's a great step. Resistance training also helps prevent loss of muscle mass that can sometimes happen during a caloric deficit.
Second, strength training itself burns calories.
Third, resistance training can help enhance your calorie burn. Your body needs to burn more calories to maintain muscle mass than fat mass. By building muscle mass through resistance training (and eating plenty of protein), you can enhance your resting metabolic rate.
Recovery
Rest and recovery are non-negotiable. You could eat healthily and train consistently and still struggle to reduce arm fat if you skip recovery.
Research has found a correlation between better sleep and weight loss. One study found that improving sleep quality and quantity enhanced the likelihood of weight loss by one-third.³
In part, that's because sleep affects the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in your body. Sleep deprivation can increase cortisol levels, which can, in turn, enhance fat gain.
It's also because getting enough quality sleep is important for maintaining normal levels of your hunger hormones. Sleep deprivation can increase the levels of the hormone that makes you feel hungry and decrease the levels of the hormone that makes you feel full.⁴
Experts usually recommend aiming for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Fat-Burning Supplements
Certain supplements may enhance fat burn. They aim to burn fat throughout the entire body.
Thermogenic compounds like caffeine, capsaicin, and Lyzme 5 are believed to support fat burn by enhancing resting energy expenditure and targeting stored fat.⁵
Minibeast's Shreds 2.0 includes caffeine and Lyzme 5, plus other powerful ingredients, to help enhance caloric burn and fat oxidation. For something without caffeine, grab Minibeast's Overnight Shredzzz Extreme.
Fat Burning Creams
It's generally considered to be impossible to spot-reduce fat. However, some studies have found that fat-burning creams can improve the appearance of surface fat, or cellulite.
For example, in one study, participants applied a slimming cream to their upper arms twice every day. After six weeks, the average circumference of their arms decreased.⁶
Minibeast's MB Heat includes dozens of science-backed ingredients in a blend designed to support metabolism, detoxification, thermogenesis, and more.
Good Upper Body Exercises
A great way to support fat loss in the upper body is to enhance muscle tone and definition in the upper body. The way to do that is with targeted exercises.
Adding upper body exercises to your workout routine is easier than you might think. You don't need tons of fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to get a great upper-body workout in.
Experts generally recommend incorporating both compound and isolation movements for your upper body. Compound movements recruit multiple muscle groups, so they are efficient and great for building functional strength. Isolation movements target specific muscle groups, which is great for correcting imbalances and improving specific areas.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are a classic exercise that remain a staple of millions of bodyweight workout routines. They strengthen the chest, shoulders, and arms.
Make sure to keep your core tight throughout the movement.
Combine your push-ups with another movement, like a squat, to increase calorie burn and turn this targeted exercise into full-body training.
Triceps Dips and Biceps Curls
Triceps dips are a fantastic way to tone your upper arms. Use parallel bars, a sturdy bench, or something similar as support.
Bicep curls are another great way to enhance muscle tone and definition in your arms. Make sure to keep your movement controlled throughout the entire range of motion.
Shoulder Press and Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Shoulder presses and lateral raises help build shoulder width and strength. Together, they help enhance the appearance of a toned upper body.
Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell rows are great for targeting the back, biceps, and forearms. They're also a great exercise for supporting good posture. Make sure to squeeze your shoulder blade at the top of the movement.
Lat Pulldowns
Lateral pulldowns are fantastic for building muscle fibers across the back, which contribute to the V-shape so many people want.
Conclusion
To lose upper body weight, you should maintain a healthy caloric deficit and exercise regularly. That should support overall fat loss, including fat stored in the upper body. Support that with good recovery and science-backed supplements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Causes Upper Body Fat?
Excess upper body fat is usually caused by a caloric surplus, which means consuming more calories than you burn. Body composition, including where fat storage occurs, is also influenced by genetics.
What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Weight Loss?
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple framework for losing overall body fat. It calls for eating three healthy meals every day, drinking three bottles of water by mid-afternoon, and getting at least three hours of exercise per week.
What Is the Hardest Body Part to Lose Weight From?
Many people find the lower abdomen and love handles to be the places most likely to have particularly stubborn fat.
Keep Reading: A Step-by-Step Guide to Putting on a Waist Trainer
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Sources
- Eating highly processed foods linked to weight gain | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Does Alcohol Slow Your Metabolism? Yes, Here’s Why - GoodRx
- Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance - PMC
- A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men - PubMed
- What Are Thermogenic Fat Burners, and What Do They Do?
- Efficacy of Slimming Cream Containing 3.5% Water-Soluble Caffeine and Xanthenes for the Treatment of Cellulite: Clinical Study and Literature Review - PMC
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