April 11, 2026, 12:31 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The so-called “bingo wings” refer to the excess skin on the back of the arms, usually resulting from a loss of skin elasticity or previous weight loss. Many women mistakenly try to fix this with more dieting—but real toning is only possible through targeted strength training. FITBOOK trainer Alina Bock knows how to combat flabby arms and shares her favorite exercise for the back of the arms.
To achieve toning in the back of the arms, targeted strength training and specific exercises to strengthen the back of the arms are needed. I prefer a very specific exercise for this purpose.
How Do the So-Called Bingo Wings Actually Develop?
Loose skin on the back of the arms is often a result of decreased skin elasticity. This simply happens due to aging or repeated weight loss. You lose body fat in the arm area, while the skin does not retract. Many women find the resulting excess skin unpleasant.
Counteracting Bingo Wings Through Muscle Building
To tighten the excess and loose skin, it helps to build muscle in the back of the arms. This fills the skin from the inside out and prevents it from sagging.
For this purpose, I recommend strength exercises for the triceps, the muscle in the back of the arms. Additionally, a protein-rich diet is recommended to complement the strength training program, providing the building blocks for muscle growth. Between 1.5 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight is advisable.
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My Personal Favorite Exercise for Toning the Back of the Arms
Plenty of exercises train and activate the triceps muscles. These include exercises on the cable machine as well as exercises with dumbbells, EZ bars, and barbells. However, my personal favorite exercise as a trainer is the triceps press on the bench with dumbbells. It is particularly effective because the intensity can be easily increased, the muscle engagement is high, and the exercise is easy to learn.
Triceps Press on the Bench with Dumbbells
To perform the exercise, I need a bench or a mat and two equally weighted dumbbells.
- I start lying on my back. The dumbbells are in my hands and are now extended upward with the help of my arms. The thumbs point toward each other.
- Now I bend my arms by slowly bringing the hands, including the dumbbells, next to my head.
- Then I fully extend my arms again.
It’s important that the upper arms do not move during the entire exercise. To stimulate muscle growth, I complete four sets of eight to ten repetitions each.
I choose the weight so that I can just barely reach the maximum number of eight to ten repetitions. If I can easily reach the specified number of repetitions, I increase the training weight. To see results, I train the back of my arms two to three times a week.
Additional Exercises to Strengthen the Back of the Arms
In addition to the triceps press with dumbbells, there are many other exercises that strengthen the back of the arms and support toning—effectively combating the unpopular bingo wings. These include triceps presses with various weight alternatives, such as dumbbells, EZ bars, barbells, and cable machines from a standing, lying, or seated position. Additionally, tricep dips are excellent for training the back of the arms. Beginners can perform them on a machine or a bench. Advanced users do them on dip bars or parallel bars. Important: The upper body should be slightly leaned forward, the elbows should stay close to the body, and the arms should be bent to a maximum of 90 degrees.