Check out J.J. Watt’s bat wings. (J.J. Watt, defensive end for the Houston Texans.) Why doesn’t he DO something about those? Look at that sagging flesh. It looks just like yours when you wave, doesn’t it?
I can’t tell you how often I treat women over 40 with shoulder pain due to an over-aggressive exercise program. Why? Not because they want to get strong, but because they want to get rid of those nasty bat wings on the underside of their arms they see when they wave at themselves in the mirror.
So I wanted to show you what J.J. Watt looks like when he waves, so you can see no matter how big you grow your triceps, there will be wings. You cannot escape the bat wing. Can’t do it. Give it up. If your husband makes fun of them, get rid of him, because it’s easier to do that than to get rid of the wings.
Why worry about wings? Because we care. We pinch them. We lift our arms and jiggle them in front of the mirror. We obsess over them. We think they’re ugly. Do you think #99 ever waved at himself in the mirror? Hell no! First of all, he doesn’t wave! Secondly, he just doesn’t care. It’s not on his list of things to worry about.
I want you all to stop caring about the wings… and stop waving like that. Why do we do jiggly waves? When you wave, keep your arm down to your side. And last but not least…COVER THEM UP! You cannot lift heavy, hard, or long enough to make them go away, and you’re hurting yourself in the process. Exercise for your health. The presence of wings means you’re still alive! Love the wings. Love yourself.
7 Comments
You’re smart, give great advice, and you’re a hoot! Love this post. Thank you, Brenda
Good to know! I’m 61 and discovered recently that even if I lost 50 pounds, those jiggly arms would still be there…how disappointing! Another important lesson in love yourself REGARDLESS!
Yes indeed, and I am your new fan.
If only my wings would let me fly. I think of them like penguin wings and I am sure they help me swim faster than when I was younger with less fat in the bat!
Oh my! I definitely do not obcess about “bat wings”. I have been exercising regularly since my late teens incorporating weight training in my late 30’s/40’s. I am 52 now and my arms are shapely and toned. I love wearing sleeveless tops and sunless tanner! Ladies, go for toned arms and shapely legs! I am a RN and caregiver to my 91 yo mother! You are never too old for resistance and weight training. Find someone to train you on proper form and off you go! Not flying with wings but soaring with confidence!!!
Barbara, I love your post and you are right, it is hard to get rid of the wings and some will never if they don’t eat well enough or if they have lost a lot of weight. But I say don’t give up so easily! I have worked out for over 30 years and about 4 years ago I got sick and wasn’t getting nutrition from my food because of food intolerances. I lost muscle and yes, I had bat wings. It took a while and a lot of bicep and tricep work but now they are gone. I am saying this because if you are over 50 you need to weight train so you might as well work the wings.
LOL. Love this. “If your husband makes fun of them, get rid of him, because it’s easier to do that than to get rid of the wings” Yes! I’m naturally thin and work out a lot and think I still have them. Oh well. Who needs strapless?