Best Arm Workout for Building Muscle and Strength

If you're looking for the best arm exercises for your next workout session, then you've come to the right place.

Having larger, stronger arms can make you feel more confident and convey a sense of athleticism and strength. In addition to the psychological benefits, there are also practical benefits to having stronger arms.

With stronger arms, activities that require upper body strength, such as lifting heavy objects or picking up your kids, will become easier. Building muscle mass can also increase your metabolism, resulting in burning more calories even when you are not exercising. It can also improve muscle endurance, strength, and tone, as well as reduce the risk of injury.

Your upper arm contains two main muscles: the biceps in the front and the triceps in the back. These muscle groups work in opposite ways and therefore need different exercises for strength training. In this article, we’ll walk you through eight of the best exercises to strengthen both your biceps and triceps.

Best Bicep Exercises

The biceps are a pair of muscles located in the upper arm that extend from the shoulder to the elbow. They play a key role in lifting and pulling movements using the arms.

According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, the most effective exercises for strengthening the biceps involve lifting or curling weights toward the shoulder. To get the most benefit from these exercises, choose a weight that allows you to do 12 to 15 repetitions with good form.

Start by doing one set of each exercise two to three times per week, with at least one day of rest in between biceps workouts. As you become stronger, you can gradually increase to two to three sets of each exercise.

1. Concentration Curl

Why you should do concentration curl: Concentration curl targets the flexor muscles of the arm and specifically focuses on the lateral head of the biceps to improve muscle definition and strength.

How to do it

1. Start by sitting on a bench and placing your right arm against your right leg, with the weight hanging down.
2. Then, lift the weight up, pause briefly, and lower it again.
3. Repeat the same movement with your left arm.

2. Incline Dumbbell Curl

Why you should do incline dumbbell curl: Adjusting the angle of the bench to an incline position increases the demand on the long head of the biceps muscle, as you are now starting from a position of reduced leverage. Do mind that this exercise requires more effort, so it may be necessary to use a lighter weight.

How to do it:

1. Start by lying with your back against a bench that is set to a 45-degree incline.
2. Bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can.
3. Next, lower the weight back to your starting position, ensuring you completely straighten your arms.

3. Chin Up

Why you should do chin up: This exercise may be a bit challenging to master, but it is highly effective in working the arms, shoulders, and back muscles. When performed correctly, it provides a comprehensive workout for these muscle groups.

How to do it:

1. Start by standing underneath a chin-up bar and reaching both arms up so that your palms are facing towards you.
2. Grasp the bar with both hands, using a firm grip with your thumbs wrapped around the bar. To maintain stability, you may want to cross your legs.
3. As you exhale, bend your elbows and use your biceps to pull your body upward until your chin reaches the bar.
4. Keep your elbows in front of you as you lift.
5. Pause briefly at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position before repeating the move.

4. Reverse Curl Straight Bar

Why you should reverse curl straight bar: The brachialis muscle which is located on the lower part of the upper arm, is often overlooked in bicep training. However, this muscle plays a crucial role in creating a more defined and impressive flex, as it helps to lift the peak of the bicep muscle higher. By focusing on exercises that specifically target the brachialis, you can achieve larger and more visually appealing arms.

How to do it:

1. Start by standing with a shoulder-width grip on a barbell using an overhand grip.
2. Flex your elbows and use your forearms to rotate the barbell upwards until your palms are facing outwards and the barbell is in line with your shoulders.
3. Slowly lower the barbell back down and repeat the movement.

Best Tricep Exercises

Triceps are a group of three muscles located in the upper arm near the elbow. These muscles extend from the shoulder to the elbow and play a role in strengthening the arm and stabilizing the shoulder.

5. Triangle Pushups

Why you should do triangle pushup: The triangle push up is one of the most effective at targeting the triceps muscles, and it can be performed using only your body weight as resistance.

How to do it:

1. Start by positioning your body in a traditional pushup position, with only your toes and hands touching the ground.
2. Place your hands close to your face, with your forefingers and thumbs touching to form a triangle shape.
3. Keep your torso and legs straight as you lower your body towards the ground, bringing your nose close to your hands.
4. Then, push your body back up to the starting position, being careful to maintain your back straight.

6. Dips

Why you should do dips: Lifting your entire body weight means your triceps have to work against a much heavier load than they would if you were just isolating your triceps.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet in between the dip bars.
2. Hold onto the bars with your arms straight down by your sides.
3. You may need to bend your knees slightly to prevent your feet from touching the ground.
4. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are almost parallel to the floor.
5. Extend your arms to return to the starting position.

7. Isolated Triceps Extension

Why you should do isolated triceps extension: It's important to remember that the tricep muscle has three parts: the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head. The long head can sometimes be overlooked in tricep workouts, but exercises that involve raising your arms overhead can specifically target this head.

How to do it:

1. Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell with both hands, forming a diamond shape with your fingers on the top end of the weight.
2. Lift the dumbbell over your head, keeping your elbows elevated and your core engaged.
3. Bend at the elbow to lower the dumbbell down the top of your back, maintaining a strong chest and keeping your shoulders stationary.
4. Fully extend your arms to raise the weight, pausing for a moment to contract your triceps at the top of the movement.

8. Close-grip Bench Press

Why you should do close-grip bench press: By positioning your hands closer together on the barbell, you increase the demand on your triceps muscles, which can help to promote muscle growth and increase strength.

How to do it:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands positioned shoulder-width apart.
2. Lift the barbell above your sternum with your arms extended.
3. Lower the bar straight down towards your chest, pausing briefly at the bottom of the movement.
4. Press the bar back up to the starting position.

Build your strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance in our Strength Training class. Our class features a series of strength-training exercises, including arm exercises, designed to effectively improve your muscular strength and endurance.