5 At-Home Moves to Tone Upper Arms Faster Than Gym Sessions After 60

A certified trainer shares five home exercises that help reduce underarm softness after 60, with no gym or dumbbells needed.

If you wave to someone and notice a little extra movement at the back of your arm, you’re not alone. The softness that can appear along the backs of the upper arms is one of the common changes many people observe with age, and it’s easy to assume there’s nothing that can be done about it. The good news is that upper-arm firmness can be improved at any age.

Some of that change comes from reduced skin elasticity over time, which exercise cannot completely undo. But a major part of the issue is tied to something you can influence: training the muscles in the upper arms. The triceps, which run along the back of the upper arm, account for about two-thirds of total arm muscle mass, yet everyday tasks rarely challenge them enough. Much of daily life involves pulling, lifting, and typing, but not much pressing or extending under resistance. Over time, muscles that aren’t used enough can shrink, and that loss of tone is a big reason people notice underarm “jiggle.”

With so much confusing advice online, it can be hard to know where to begin. To help narrow it down, we spoke with James Brady, CPT, a certified personal trainer at OriGym, who selected five of his favorite exercises for tightening underarm jiggle after 60. The best part is that they only require body weight and a light pair of dumbbells, and they can all be done at home.

Here are the moves and how to perform them. And when you’re done, you may also want to look at these 5 Daily Exercises That Trim Waist Overhang Faster Than Gym Workouts After 50.

Chair Tricep Presses

This is a strong starting point for anyone who has not worked the triceps in a while, since it uses only body weight and the support of a chair. “Chair tricep presses are a simple place to start,” Brady says. “Pressing down through your palms to lighten your body from the seat teaches the backs of the arms to engage without asking for a full range of motion right away.”

How to do it:

1. Sit tall with your hands gripping the sides of a sturdy chair.
2. Press down through your palms to slightly lift your body from the seat.
3. Hold the lifted position for one to two seconds, feeling the effort in the backs of your arms.
4. Slowly relax back down with control.
5. Perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

Wall Push-ups

Wall push-ups are one of the easiest ways to activate the triceps because they let you work against real resistance while staying upright. “Wall push-ups work the chest, shoulders and triceps without requiring you to get down on the floor,” Brady explains. “Moving your body toward and away from the wall works the pushing muscles of the upper body as a group, and you can make it harder simply by stepping your feet farther back.”

How to do it:

1. Place your hands against a wall at chest height, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Bend your elbows to bring your body toward the wall.
3. Pause for one to two seconds once your chest is close to the wall.
4. Press yourself back to the starting position.
5. Complete two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

Overhead Tricep Extensions

Overhead extensions isolate the triceps through a longer range of motion, which helps rebuild strength and firmness. “Because your arms are raised overhead, even a light dumbbell or a filled water bottle provides plenty of resistance,” says Brady.

How to do it:

1. Hold a light weight with both hands directly above your head.
2. Keep your upper arms relatively still throughout the movement.
3. Bend your elbows to slowly lower the weight behind your head.
4. Straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
5. Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps, resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

Tricep Kickbacks

Kickbacks work the triceps through an extending motion that mirrors everyday movement, such as pushing a heavy door closed behind you. “Keeping your elbow tucked in beside your body is what keeps the tension on the target muscle rather than letting momentum take over,” Brady explains.

How to do it:

1. Lean forward slightly with a straight back, holding a light weight in one hand.
2. Keep your elbow tucked close to your body.
3. Extend your forearm backward until your arm is fully straight.
4. Return to the starting position with control.
5. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per side. Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

Close-Grip Wall Push-ups

The routine ends with a variation that places even more emphasis on the triceps by bringing the hands closer together. “Bringing your hands closer together and keeping your elbows tucked in as you bend them places extra emphasis on the backs of the arms, making this a natural progression once standard wall push-ups feel manageable,” says Brady.

How to do it:

1. Stand facing a wall and place your hands closer together than for a regular wall push-up.
2. Keep your elbows fairly close to your sides as you bend them.
3. Lower your chest toward the wall with control.
4. Push back to the starting position.
5. Repeat for two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.