Arms are not just the showpiece muscles of your body, they actually are functionally important as well. Strong arms can improve your lifts across the board—from pressing movements to pulls. This comprehensive list of the best arms exercises focuses on developing both the size and strength of your arms, ensuring your workouts contribute to balanced muscle growth and functional fitness.
Related: 4 arms exercises you’re not doing
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1. Barbell Curl
Benefits: Increases bicep mass and helps develop the overall strength of the arm.
How to Do It:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, grip a barbell with hands just wider than shoulder-width.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and curl the barbell up to shoulder level.
- Focus on squeezing your biceps at the top of the movement.
Pro Tip: Keep your elbows stationary throughout the exercise to maximize bicep engagement and minimize shoulder involvement.
2. Tricep Dips
Benefits: Targets the triceps for better arm definition and assists in upper body strength.
How to Do It:
- Use parallel bars or a bench for this exercise.
- Lower your body by bending your arms while leaning slightly forward.
- Dip down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then push back up.
Pro Tip: Keep your elbows pointed backwards and close to your body to ensure the triceps are effectively engaged.
3. Hammer Curls
Benefits: Focuses on the brachialis part of the bicep and the forearm, enhancing arm thickness.
How to Do It:
- Stand or sit with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing your torso.
- Curl the weights while keeping your palms facing each other.
Pro Tip: Perform the movement slowly to maximize tension on the arm muscles.
4. Overhead Tricep Extension
Benefits: Isolates the triceps, crucial for building upper arm strength and definition.
How to Do It:
- Stand with a dumbbell held by both hands. Extend your arms overhead, keeping your elbows close to your ears.
- Slowly bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head, then straighten your arms back to the starting position.
Pro Tip: Use a mirror to monitor your form and ensure your elbows do not flare out as you move.
5. Concentration Curls
Benefits: Perfect for peak bicep muscle development, enhancing arm shape and separation.
How to Do It:
- Sit on a bench, spread your legs. Rest one arm against your thigh and hold a dumbbell.
- Curl the dumbbell toward your chest, focusing on squeezing the bicep, then slowly lower it back down.
Pro Tip: Avoid swinging the arm or using momentum; keep the movement controlled to engage the bicep fully.
6. Skull Crushers
Benefits: Trains the triceps extensively, crucial for developing arm extension strength.
How to Do It:
- Lie on a bench with a barbell or dumbbells. Extend your arms fully above your chest.
- Lower the weight slowly towards your forehead by bending at the elbows, then extend back to the start.
Pro Tip: Keep the upper arms stationary; the movement should only happen at the elbows.
7. Wrist Curls
Benefits: Strengthens the forearms, improving grip strength and endurance.
How to Do It:
- Sit on a bench and hold a barbell or dumbbells with your forearms on your thighs and palms up.
- Curl the weights towards your biceps, focusing on moving only your wrists.
Pro Tip: Perform these slowly to avoid any jerky motions that can strain the wrist joints.
8. Close-Grip Bench Press
Benefits: Enhances tricep mass and strength, also beneficial for overall chest and arm development.
How to Do It:
- Lie on a bench with a barbell, and grip it with hands closer than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the bar to your chest, then press it back up, focusing on using your triceps to move the weight.
Pro Tip: Keep your wrists straight and elbows close to your body throughout the exercise.
9. Reverse Curls
Benefits: Targets the brachioradialis, enhancing forearm mass and bicep stability.
How to Do It:
- Stand with a barbell or dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- Curl the weights while keeping your elbows close to your body.
Pro Tip: Ensure a slow and controlled movement to prevent momentum from taking over the exercise.
10. Arm-Over-Arm Rows
Benefits: Increases upper body pulling strength and improves grip, bicep, and back muscle coordination.
How to Do It:
- Use a seated row machine or a cable machine. Grasp the handle with one hand and perform a rowing motion, then switch arms.
Pro Tip: Focus on squeezing your back and biceps at the end of each pull to maximize muscle engagement.
11. Cable Bicep Curls
Benefits: Provides constant tension on the biceps, enhancing both strength and muscle pump.
How to Do It:
- Stand in front of a cable machine, attach a straight bar or rope handle at the low setting.
- Curl the handle while keeping your elbows fixed at your sides.
Pro Tip: Try to keep your upper arms static; the movement should only be in your forearms.
12. Single-Arm Tricep Kickbacks
Benefits: Isolates the triceps in each arm independently, ensuring balanced strength and size development.
How to Do It:
- Lean forward with one arm resting on a bench for support. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with a neutral grip.
- Extend the arm back until it is straight, then return to the starting position.
Pro Tip: Keep your back flat and the upper arm stationary throughout the exercise.
13. Preacher Curls
Benefits: Isolates the biceps, reducing the ability to cheat by swinging, leading to better bicep isolation and growth.
How to Do It:
- Sit at a preacher bench, place your upper arms on the padding. Hold a barbell or dumbbells.
- Curl the weight toward your chin, then slowly lower it back down.
Pro Tip: Avoid letting the weights touch the stack at the bottom to keep tension on the biceps.
14. Tricep Pushdowns
Benefits: Targets the triceps effectively, especially the lateral head, for better arm definition.
How to Do It:
- Stand at a cable machine with a bar or rope attachment. Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Push the attachment down until your arms are fully extended, then let it back up with control.
- Pro Tip: Keep your elbows locked in place to focus the tension on the triceps rather than letting it spread to other areas.
15. Zottman Curl
Benefits: Combines the regular curl and reverse curl to effectively target both the biceps and the brachialis.
How to Do It:
- Stand holding dumbbells at your sides. Curl the weights while turning your palms up.
- At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists so your palms face down, then lower the weights in the reverse curl position.
Pro Tip: The rotation of the wrists should be smooth to maintain tension across the muscles and prevent any strain.
16. Incline Hammer Curl
Benefits: Targets the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, contributing to fuller, thicker arms and supporting bicep peak development.
How to Do It:
- Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended, and palms facing each other.
- Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders while maintaining the neutral grip, keeping your elbows and back fixed.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, maintaining tension in the biceps and forearms throughout the movement.
Pro Tip: Keep your wrists straight throughout the exercise to prevent strain and ensure maximum engagement of the target muscles.
17. Cable Hammer Curls with Rope Attachment
Benefits: Focuses on the brachialis and brachioradialis, contributing to thicker and stronger arms.
How to Do It:
- Attach a rope to the low pulley of a cable machine. Stand facing the machine, hold the rope with both hands.
- Perform hammer curls by keeping your palms facing each other throughout the motion.
Pro Tip: Squeeze at the top of the curl to maximize peak contraction in the muscles.
18. Standing Bicep Cable Curl
Benefits: Maintains constant tension on the biceps, ideal for muscle growth and endurance building.
How to Do It:
- Stand in front of a cable machine with the handle attached at the lower setting. Use a standard underhand grip.
- Curl the handle upwards towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows pinned at your sides.
Pro Tip: Avoid using momentum to lift the weight; the force should come purely from your biceps.
19. Reverse Grip Push-Downs
Benefits: A variation of the tricep pushdown that also engages the forearms, enhancing the complexity of the exercise.
How to Do It:
- Use a bar attached to a high pulley machine. Grip the bar with an underhand grip, elbows close to your body.
- Push the bar down until your arms are fully extended, then slowly return to the start.
Pro Tip: Keep your body steady; avoid rocking back and forth as you perform the pushdowns.
20. Tricep Extension with Dumbbell
Benefits: Isolates the triceps without the need for heavy equipment, making it a versatile option for home workouts.
How to Do It:
- Lie on a bench with a dumbbell held in both hands. Extend your arms above your chest, keeping the dumbbell vertically.
- Lower the dumbbell back by bending your elbows, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
Pro Tip: Perform the extension slowly to maintain control and maximize tricep engagement.
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