5 Home Exercises That Firm Arm Jiggle Faster Than Gym Classes After 60

By Alexa Mellardo

July 5, 2026

As you age, pesky “arm jiggle” becomes more common. In fact, the arms are one of the very first places people aged 60 and up notice change. The skin becomes softer, and the backs of the arms begin to “wave” when you lift them, says Gerard Washack, Owner at Fit in 42 La Quinta, who has 10,000+ hours of hands-on training with clients in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

“Skin loses elasticity with age, and once muscle starts to shrink, the skin has less to hold onto. You get the softer look, the wave when you wave, the loose feeling in the back of the arm. It’s not just fat, It’s loose skin draped over less muscle,” Washack explains. “The fix is the same for both: Put muscle back on.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Where exactly do traditional gym workouts and classes fall short? They don’t always support meaningful changes in the arms for older individuals.

“A lot of gym routines for older adults barely train the arms at all. The classes are usually cardio-focused. The machine circuits skip over direct arm work. And when they do include something, it’s often a cable bicep curl or a tricep pushdown done with weight that’s way too light to actually challenge the muscle,” Washack tells us.

Below, he outlines five exercises that can help firm and define your arms—all from the comfort of home.

Tricep Kickbacks

1. Begin by standing tall, holding a dumbbell or water bottle in each hand.
2. Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat and your core engaged.
3. Keep your upper arms parallel to the ground as you extend the weights behind you.
4. Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
5. Use control as you return to the start position.

Overhead Tricep Extensions

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands.
2. Lift the weight overhead.
3. Keep your elbows close to your ears as you slowly lower the dumbbell toward the back of your head, feeling the stretch in your triceps.
4. Use control to press the weight back overhead.

Bicep Curls

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
2. Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
3. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
4. Use control to lower.

Chair Dips

1. Begin sitting at the edge of a sturdy chair.
2. Place your hands on the edge of the seat and lift your tailbone off the chair.
3. Walk your feet away until your knees, hips, and torso form 90-degree angles.
4. Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows and lower your body just below the seat.
5. Press back up until your arms are straight, engaging your triceps as you do so.

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Hammer Curls

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
2. Keep your arms completely extended at your sides and relax your shoulders.
3. With your palms facing inward, curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
4. Use control to lower.