Arm day is frequently referred to be every guy’s favourite gym day, probably second only to chest training. However, as a long-time pro bodybuilder, I believe that most men overtrain their arms, giving them far more volume than they require to grow and that many women undertrain theirs.
This is a terrible situation! Many women are more concerned with how to shed arm fat than with how to grow the arms they desire with smart, well-designed workouts. Although Instagram may persuade you to focus just on your lower body and abs, general muscular growth is critical! And if you’ve been fighting for years to obtain your first pull-up, arms training may surely help you get there.
womens best arm workout
We spoke with leading fitness professionals and elite athletes to compile a list of the greatest arm workouts for women, both with and without weights. If you have a set of dumbbells, you can do all of these workouts at home or at the gym.
Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott, personal trainers and co-founders of Tone It Up, suggest focusing on the mind-muscle connection to enhance training outcomes at home in order to get the most out of these motions. “Think about activating the muscle right before you start the concentric part of the exercise.”
1. Bicep 21s
This bicep variant, a favourite of Scott’s and regularly utilised in her Tone It Up Strength programme, will add a little flavour to your exercise.
How to: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Perform a half-bicep curl for the first 7 reps, going from the bottom of the action to the halfway point where your arms halt at a 90-degree angle. Start the second set of seven reps at the midway point, with your arm bent at a 90-degree angle, and work your way up to your shoulder. Complete a full bicep curl for the third set of seven reps by beginning at the bottom of the action and working your way up to the top. You’ll do a total of 21 repetitions.
2. Lateral Raise
- Stand tall and slightly bend your knees. Allow your arms to dangle by your sides, palms facing in, while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise your arms out to the sides with a small bend in your elbows until the dumbbells are level with your shoulders (make sure your palms are facing the floor).
- Complete 8 to 12 repetitions by lowering your arms.
3. Hammer Curl and Press
Dannah Bollig, a qualified personal trainer, former division one athlete, and founder of The DE Method, adores this bicep and tricep workout for women.
Standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, is how you do it. With the dumbbell, curl it and then press it above, keeping your palms facing each other the entire time.
4. Push-Ups
- Lie on your stomach on the floor, your feet about 15-20 cm apart. Placing your palms flat on the ground and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart is a good place to start.
- Come up onto your toes and lift your body off the floor with your arms until they are completely extended, keeping your body straight and long. Slowly lower your chest to the floor by bending your arms at the elbows.
- Before you contact the ground with your belly, come to a halt around 10-15 cm away. Attempt to maintain your back and legs in a single plane.
- Return to your initial posture by pushing up. That is a single push-up.
If this is too difficult, execute the exercise on the floor with your knees. Alternatively, you may execute the workout while standing against a wall. Begin by placing your feet around 50 cm from the wall. - Aim for three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.
5. Triceps Push-Up
- Put your arms straight but your knees on the floor and your feet in the air in a push-up posture. Hands should be closer together and beneath your chest than in a standard push-up.
- Tighten abs and bend arms as you lower your chest to the floor. Maintain a straight back and close upper arms. Elbows should be pointing backwards, not outwards.
- Return to the beginning position by straightening your arms; continue for 8 to 12 reps, or as many as you can.
6. Tricep Overhead with Dumbbells
Are you looking for a triceps workout? This basic technique, which can be done with one or two dumbbells, is a favourite of Bollig’s.
How to: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and grab both sides of a single dumbbell horizontally. You may alternatively choose two dumbbells and hold them together so that they are cemented together. Raise the weight until your biceps are in line with your ears and your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Lift the weight until your arms are straight, using your triceps in the process. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position by bending elbows once more.
7. Biceps Curl
With a dumbbell in your hand, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend your elbow and lift the weight up towards your shoulders with your palm facing front.
Your arm should be lowered. Reps should be between 8 and 12 reps (and do the same on the other arm).
8. Front Raise and Iso Hold
Looking to spice up your beginning arm exercise with a few new moves? Bollig like this exercise for beginners because it allows you to gradually increase the difficulty as you gain strength.
How to: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing down, in front of your hips. Raise both arms straight in front of you until they are parallel to your shoulders. Hold for two seconds at the peak, then gently descend back down. Hold the dumbbells at the peak for a leisurely 10-second count down to make things more difficult.
9. Dumbbell Row
Get on one hand and knee on a bench while holding a dumbbell. Maintain a straight back, a slightly bent elbow, and a palm pointing inward. (Make sure your bent knee is under your hips and your hand is under your right shoulder.)
Abdominal muscles should be tightened. Lift the weight till the upper arm is parallel to the floor and the elbow is slightly behind you by squeezing shoulder blades together.
Return to the beginning and end of the set. Switch sides after 8 to 12 repetitions.
10. Dumbbell Thruster
This total-body workout raises your heart rate while training your arms, legs, and glutes.
How to: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your elbows bent. To drop into a squat, engage your core and drive your booty back while maintaining your chest raised. Then, while pressing the weights straight aloft to the ceiling with your arms fully extended, utilise your hips to drive your body back up. Then return to the beginning position with the dumbbells and repeat.