Fitness Tips

Why Are My Arms So Skinny? My Personal Strategy To Bulk Em Up

So, life stuck you with not so good genetics and now you’re stuck wondering why your arms are so skinny compared to everyone else’s, aren’t ya?

The good news is that you have made it to the right place and here we are going to tell you just how you can get rid of those super skinny arms.

And yes this applies to you… Whether you’re a girl or a guy you can fix your thin little arms into better looking toned ones with a bit of effort.

No matter what your body type may be… whether you are:

  • fat but your arms are skinny
  • Skinny and your arms are just as bad
  • Or whether you are skinny fat with a dad bod and t-rex arms.

This will apply to you and will help you rid of those tiny thin little arms.


Hey Skinny Arms, What is Your Body Type?

why are my arms so skinny girl

The first thing you need to figure out before you go and try fixing things is what type of body do you have?

There are many different body types but I have classified them into the 3 main ones that will apply to most people reading this.

And yes it is true that some body types do pretty bad and some much worse with skinny arms than others.

This is just the cards you were dealt.

But now its time to fix it so you don’t look like….. well so that you look more attractive… yeah that’s a way better way to put it.

3 Main Body TypesWhich of these body types are you

There are three main body types out there that I like to classify people in.

Decide which type you are, or are you not here in this list? Pick one that is closest your body type.

Skinny on SkinnyBeing skinny overall means your arms don't stand out as too skinny

This body type is not so bad for the main reason that because your entire body is skinny it doesn’t make your arms stand out like a bad sore on your lip…

And if you are a girl then this is definitely not a terrible look but chances are if your arms are skinny then its likely that your legs are too.

And coming from a guys point of view, a girl with skinny arms and skinny legs is a definite double no no.

If you are a guy then this is just simply not a good look for you.

Unfortunately for better or for worse girls do not like dudes that have tiny arms and the reason for this is pretty obvious.

Fat on Fat ( you’re just fat )Being downright fat can be a result of genetics or just eating habits

This body type is pretty obvious.

You were most likely just born with genetics that caused you to plump up quicker than the people around you and now you have ended up as a fat person with skinny arms and either small or big hands.

Or maybe you are just an eating enthusiast who likes to eat quite a bit and exercising is definitely not your thing.

Whatever it may be, your entire body is fat and your arms are not.

Skinny Fat – Beer Belly – Dad BodA skinny body is bad enough, with a bear belly it looks even worse

Yeah this is probably the worst body type that anybody can have. Its the body type that I had.. It freaking sucks super bad…

I was stuck with skinny legs and and skinny arms but yet my belly stuck out so far past my chest I could literally set my plate on it and eat from it.

Yeah it was bad. This body type usually applies to guys but if you are a girl then I strongly suggest you take action and do what I say in this article because this look is soooo bad.

Eating Strategy To Get Rid of Those Skinny Arms

diet for skinny arms people

After reading that you may be asking yourself why you should be trusting me…

Yeah I would be wondering the same thing… And the main reason is because I went through the same darn problem myself and came out of it on top looking better than ever..

I am not going to give you the same ol’ cookie cutter junk that you read on other fitness sites.

I’ll give you what works and what doesn’t. simple.

If you are wondering, my name is Ben and I am the owner and founder of this fitness and strength training website.

I write most of my own content from personal experiences and the rest comes from professional research.

Very different than just about 99.48392762 percent of other fitness sites out there.

Not to toot my own horn, but keep in mind I do have my masters in Athletic Training.


Adjusting Your Diet to Rid of Those Skinny ArmsAdjusting your diet could be one of the keys to bigger, muscular arms

Below you are going to find my exact strategies that I suggest you follow. I have set up custom eating plans for each body type.

For the Skinny Arm Skinny Leg Skinny Everything Types

why are my arms so skinny guy

For the people who are just skinny all around, this means that both your small calves, legs and arms and torso are all skinny.

The main thing that you are going to need to do is increase your caloric intake so that you are almost doubling what you eat now or get to about 75% increase.

Now that you know you must increase your calories you need to know what to eat so that you do not end up getting skinny fat. Which is pretty easy to do.

You need to up your protein intake and up your carbs.

These are the two main things that you need to be adding to your diet..

Up Your Carbs Intake; and Pump in Some ProteinsBoth carbs and proteins help a big deal here

The protein is going to help you put on size that is healthy and lean and upping your carbs will allow you to put on the size quickly.

Carbs can be thought of as your natural performance enhancer.

When used correctly, carbs truly help put on some size quicker than you would ever expect.

The carbs part is pretty easy but the protein increase can be difficult sometimes. My suggestion is to get a protein powder that taste good.

I have tried just about everything out there and the one that I prefer, by far is Ka’chava.

It is second to none as far as nutrient profiles go and is the best for my morning meals. I have made many many recipes with Ka’chava.

Have had it daily for almost two years and still I am not burnt out on it yet.

I personally go for the Vanilla flavor. You can check it out here or you can read my honest review of it here.

Its cheap per serving, and the stuff works. No bloating, no junk ingredients. Just pure yumminess.

Bottom line: Up your protein and your carbs.

For Fat People With Skinny ArmsYou don't have to live fat or starve yourself

So genetics decided to make you fat and you’re stuck with either eating almost nothing and exercising or staying fat the rest of your life?

No.. because in between those two options is a happy medium.

A medium that doesn’t involve your arms being skinny. For you getting rid of your little arms should be a very easy process and other than cutting calories there is not much diet technique.

Your main goals are going to be to cut your calories to a little over half of what you are eating now.

So cut them about 40%.

Stay away from sugar and carbs. These are the two things that will keep you fat. Next thing you need to focus on is increasing protein.. get yourself a protein mix.

I have tried my fair share of protein powders as well, but Lyf Fuel Essentials is hands down my all-time favorite.

Bottom Line: Cut your calories in half. Increase protein. Cut Sugar.

Skinny FattersIf you are in this category, then you have a long way to go

Aww yes. Now its your turn… This is what I used to be. You are going to have the most difficult time making your body look right again.

You are first going to need to make sure that you cut beer drinking and alcohol out almost entirely.

  1. Next you need to cut the sugar..
  2. Next you need to cut the carbs..
  3. Then up your protein intake…

Yeah your life is going to suck for a while. But once you get rid of that belly and your arms are no longer skinny, instead they are bulky and muscular, you will be thanking yourself and me 🙂

Want an easy out? Go for a meal replacement, there are many on the market, but for me I use Ka’chava, it’s natural, no junk, and gives me a nice edge for work and day stuff.

You can check it out here.

I know, I have sung Ka’chava enough praises already…  But as I have mentioned, there’s a hoard of other cool shakes out there, Huel for instance, which you can check out on Amazon here.

I recently tried another promising product called Athletic Greens. Let me share with you my comparisons between them.

If you are still looking to treat your taste buds, here is a (detailed) list of even more meal replacement shakes that are just as yummy, natural, and helpful.

Bottom line: your eating life is not the best. Cut the sugar, alcohol, carbs. Get a protein powder and drink your shakes every morning.


Exercises To Rid of your Thin Little Arms

workouts for skinny arms

I really hope you didn’t think you could get rid of your little arms by just changing up your diet because this is definitely not the case. You absolutely must work your arms out if you want to have any chance of stacking up some muscle on them.

The only workout plan that you need to follow to put muscle on your arms:

Below are the exact exercises that I recommend you follow to put some good looking size on your arms.

I recommend training your arms twice a week, doing the workout variants below all in the same workout.

Equipment NeededTo grow your arm muscles you will need some equipment

Yes, you are 100% going to need equipment if you want to ever have any hopes of putting any type of noticeable size on your baby arms.

Don’t worry though the needed pieces can be had for cheap and tbh, you should already have these basics in your home gym…

I will list the best cheap and affordable pieces that you can buy on amazon.

The ones listed below are the ones that I would buy on a tight budget. They are not the shiniest or the best but they get the job done and are not junk.

  1. Cheap Adjustable DumbbellsThese are the ones that I would buy. You can see them by clicking here.
  2. Comact Adjustable Weight Bench – This one here is cheap and small enough to move around. You can see it on amazon by clicking here.

For Biceps:For biceps you will need dumbbell, preacher, and bar curls

EZ Bar Preacher Curls:
4 sets of 8-12 reps each set.

Dumbbell Hammer Curls:
4 sets of 12-15 reps each set.

Standing Ez Bar Curl: Angled grip
4 sets 12-15 reps each set.

Cambered Bar Curls:
4 sets of 10-15 reps each set.

For Triceps:Skull crushers triep dips and close grip bench presses are good for triceps

Skull Crushers:
4 sets of 8-10 reps each set, you can also do dumbbell pullovers instead of skull crushers, it’s up to you.

Tricep Dips: Assisted or bodyweight
4 sets of 10-15 reps each set, dips are great since they work a variety of muscle groups, not just the triceps

Close Grip Benchpress:
4 sets 8-10 reps each set.

Other exercises you can do include the underhand dumbbell row, the underhand front raise, the rear delt row, and rear delt flys. These will surely help with overall muscle growth in your upper body not just your arms


Now its your Turn. Get Rid of Those Skinny Arms!Now it's up to you to work your way to the middle ground

This is an exact plan that I have laid out just for you peeps with thin little arms.

You need to keep in mind that you can not put muscle on your arms without changing your diet and working out.

But this is not all that bad and lemme tell ya..

When I set out to get rid of my skinny arms I had to start exercising and had to change up my diet. In doing so, it completely changed my life.

I now live a much happier and motivating life than I used to.

I’m willing to bet the same thing will happen to you as well.

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Ben Mayz

Hi there! I'm Ben, main author and chief editor at Fitlifefanatics.com. I have been obsessed with Strength Training and Fitness for 18 years now.
My passion for living a happy fit lifestyle is what made me realize that fitness is what I wanted for my future.
I went on to earn my Masters in Sports Training & Biomechanics.
My passion for Strength training & fitness and my love of helping others is what made me start Fitlifefanatics.
Here, myself, and a team of specialist aim to provide the most accurate, and actionable information possible in hopes to help foster the fitness community forward.
You can learn more about Fitlifefanatics on our About Page

Ben Mayz

Hi there! I'm Ben, main author and chief editor at Fitlifefanatics.com. I have been obsessed with Strength Training and Fitness for 18 years now. My passion for living a happy fit lifestyle is what made me realize that fitness is what I wanted for my future. I went on to earn my Masters in Sports Training & Biomechanics. My passion for Strength training & fitness and my love of helping others is what made me start Fitlifefanatics. Here, myself, and a team of specialist aim to provide the most accurate, and actionable information possible in hopes to help foster the fitness community forward. You can learn more about Fitlifefanatics on our About Page

One Comment

  1. Reading your article has greatly helped me, and I agree with you. But I still have some questions. Can you help me? I will pay attention to your answer. thank you.

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