The dreaded underarm jiggle often referred to as “bat wings” is a source of consternation for many women. It’s that area on the back of our arms that flap when we wave or spread out undesirably when our arms are at our sides. Especially as we age and our muscle mass begins to deteriorate, certain areas of our bodies seem to show those effects in ways that we cannot disguise. Saggy, flabby underarms don’t have to drag you down, and in fact, strengthening them has a twofold benefit: you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll look better too. As much as looking good feels, feeling good is a much better look.

Dumbbells are a great step in combatting those dreaded bat wings. You don’t need to grab a 20-pound dumbbell to reap the benefits of stronger muscles, and you won’t end up looking like a bodybuilder or linebacker. What you will gain is strength, firming, and toning. If you’re just getting started, grab a light set of weights in the beginning. As you build strength and work on proper form, you will be able to add more weight and soon enough, those bat wings will begin to melt away and you’ll find more shape and tone to that targeted muscle group.

Some simple moves with dumbbells as weighted resistance can accelerate the process of bringing firmness and strength to your arms. As much as we want to target this one area of the body, we can’t neglect other key areas as well, like the biceps, shoulders, back, and abdominal muscles, so we’ve incorporated movements that target multiple muscle groups. Check out these 10 amazing dumbbell exercises to help melt away underarm flab!