Are you looking for stronger and more defined arms — the type of arms you can show off? If you really enjoy the thrill of sculpting arms, consider teaching others through the lens of exercise science with NASM. Become a personal trainer online today! Table of Contents Before we get started with arm exercises, let’s review arm anatomy. It’s important for us to understand the muscle groups of the arm being targeted during each exercise. Note: This isn’t an exhaustive list of all arm muscles, just some of the major arm muscles, including: Aim for a moderate rep range of around 8-12 reps per set for optimal muscle growth, strength, and hypertrophy in the biceps, triceps, and other arm muscles. You’ll want enough weight to ensure that you reach muscle fatigue within that rep range while maintaining proper form and technique throughout each set. Use moderate loads and repetitions to improve both muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth) and muscular endurance. Increase your sets and reps as your fitness and strength improve. 💪 Want to take the guesswork out of your strength training? Try using a one-rep calculator. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned lifter, this handy tool can help you determine your estimated one-rep max (1RM) based on your current lifting performance. Three-five sets per exercise is enough to give you a challenging arm workout. These sets help you target the arm muscles from different angles and provide an adequate stimulus for muscle growth and strength development. Do each set until you reach muscular fatigue. The last few reps should be hard, but you should still be able to keep the ideal form, posture, and technique throughout the entire set. You can also adjust the number of sets based on your fitness level, time, and overall workout. Arm Workouts: What You Need to Know When it comes to arm workouts, it's important to target different muscle groups of the arm for overall arm strength and development. Below we will review some of the best arm workouts that target various muscles in the arms including: Best arm workouts for biceps Best arm workouts for triceps Best arm workouts for forearms TECHNIQUE TIPS ● Using a cable attachment when performing cable pushdowns will allow your elbows to track through their natural path of motion instead of having your hands closely fixed on a bar. This may help decrease stress on your elbows. 💪Supercharge your fitness routine with NASM's Downloadable Workout Planner! Effortlessly track your exercises, sets, and reps with this user-friendly tool. Although men’s arm muscles tend to be bigger than women’s, they’re also typically less flexible. So, to get the best arm workout, men should warm up properly, not overtrain, and do exercises that target all the important muscles and joints. Men tend to achieve hypertrophy (increase in muscle size) more easily than women. They have larger and longer bones with more surface area for muscle to attach. Men’s muscles are also generally bigger because of differences in genetics and hormones (i.e., higher testosterone levels) (3). But men also have stiffer muscles and tendons, which means they can potentially injure themselves more easily. Technically, men and women have the same capacity to improve their flexibility, but women’s baseline muscle flexibility and pliability are much greater on average. A common mistake men make in arm workouts is focusing on increasing muscle size as much as possible and overtraining certain muscle groups over others (usually the ones that look larger such as the biceps) and ignoring the small muscles that stabilize the joints (5). For instance, some men may spend many sets and reps on the deltoids or biceps while ignoring the rotator cuff, potentially leading to injury. A complete arm workout for men should include a warmup and exercises that target all of the arm muscles, including the triceps, biceps, forearms, and shoulders (the deltoids as well as rotator cuff muscles for stability). Here are some examples of the best arm exercises for men: Women, in general, have smaller muscles, less testosterone, and less upper body strength compared to their size than men. But technically, women and men have the same potential for strength and muscle gains through resistance training. So, the best arm exercises for women and the best arm exercises for men will be very similar. Women also tend to have higher flexibility and endurance levels than men. For example, women weightlifters can typically handle much higher volumes, recover faster in between sets, and require less rest and recovery time between lifts. Because they’re more flexible, women athletes are less likely to get sprains and strains than men. Just like men, the best arm workout for women should include a warm-up and exercises that target all the major and minor arm muscles. There’s also currently some research being done that suggests that women might see better muscle gains increasing volume rather than lifting to failure (1, 2). Here are some examples of the best arm exercises for women: Stretching (static or dynamic) and warming up can reduce the risk of injuries and get you mentally ready for training (4). You should also always stretch out your muscles after working out. Here are some arm stretches and warm-ups you can do before and after an arm workout: Preparation Movement Technique Tips Preparation Movement Technique tips Preparation Movement Technique tips Preparation Movement Technique tips 💪Want to keep building your upper body? Here are some back exercises and shoulder workouts to add next! A lot of the arm workouts we’ve shown so far are done with gym equipment, but it’s totally possible to do arm workouts at home. Are you ready to take your fitness to the next level from the comfort of your own home? Discover the secrets to building the perfect at-home workout with our exclusive free course, "Building the Best At-Home Workout". Unlock your potential and achieve your fitness goals with expert guidance and proven strategies. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, this course offers valuable insights, tailored exercises, and practical tips to help you maximize your results. Start your journey toward a stronger, healthier you today. You can safely train your arms between 2 and 6 times per week. But as the frequency increases, the recommended number of exercises per day decreases. For instance, if you train arms twice a week, it is advisable to perform 2 to 3 exercises per session, 3 to 4 sets total. On the other hand, if you choose to train arms 6 days a week, focusing on one exercise per muscle group each day is recommended, with just 2 sets per workout. Yes, five exercises are enough for arms. Experts recommend 15 to 25 sets total for your workout. Each exercise should consist of 2 to 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions. So if you do 3 sets per exercise, you should aim to include approximately 5 to 8 different exercises in your workout session. Absolutely. In fact, 10-15-minute workouts are highly effective for not only breaking a sweat but challenging yourself during workouts. At NASM, we have plenty of short workout tips to help you get in a challenging arm workout to help you stay moving. Do you want to design your own awesome arm workouts and help others achieve their physique and function goals? Consider becoming an NASM Certified Personal Trainer! NASM’s programs provide the learner with a solid understanding of biomechanics, exercise physiology, and human movement science to assess, create highly effective programming, and provide expert coaching for clients.
If you’re looking for the best exercises for flabby arms to become toned and sculpted, try these strength-training arm exercises.Arm Muscle Anatomy Review
Biceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii
Brachioradialis
Brachialis
● Location: Your brachialis lies underneath your biceps brachii on the anterior portion of your arm. It attaches slightly above the elbow on your humerus and slightly below your elbow on your ulna (one of your two forearm bones).
● Function: Your brachioradialis accelerates elbow flexion.
● Best exercises for brachialis: Dumbbell biceps curls, hammer curls, preacher curlsArm Workout: Tips, Sets and Reps
Tips Before You Start…
Reps For an Arm Workout
Sets For an Arm Workout
What are the Best Arm Excerises?
1. Barbell biceps curls
2. Dumbbell hammer curls
3. Cable biceps curls with shoulder flexed
1. Cable triceps extensions
2. Bench dumbbell triceps extensions
3. Cable triceps extensions with shoulder flexed
1. Wrist flexion
2. Wrist extension
3. Wrist supination/pronation1. Barbell Biceps Curls
Preparation
Movement
Technique tips
2. Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Preparation
Movement
3. Cable Biceps Curls with Shoulder Flexed
Preparation
Movement
Best arm workouts for triceps
1. Cable Triceps Extension
Preparation
Movement
2. Bench Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Preparation
Movement
Technique Tips
3. Cable Triceps Extension with Shoulder Flexed
Preparation
Movement
Best arm workouts for forearms
1. Wrist Flexion
Preparation
Movement
2. Wrist Extension
Preparation
Movement
3. Wrist Supination/Pronation
Preparation
Movement
best arm workouts for men
best arm workouts for women
Best arm stretches before and after an arm workout
arm swings
arm circles
● Stand up with your knees slightly bent.
● Feet should be about hip-width apart.
● Fully extend your arms out to the side (elbows should be straightened and shoulders raised to about 90 degrees from your torso).
● Rotate your arms and wrists so the top of your hand moves forward and then back to neutral.
● Do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions.
● Reverse the direction and allow the palms of the hands to come forward.
● Do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions.
● Make sure your movements are steady and controlled.wrist pulls
biceps stretch (seated or standing)
● Stand near a wall with your feet hip-width apart.
● Extend your arm to the side with the elbow fully extended and shoulder abducted to 90 degrees.
● Turn your wrist forward until the palm of your hand is parallel with the floor.
● Place the side of your hand up against the wall.
● Extend the elbow gently against the traction taking care not to open the shoulder.
● Ensure that the tension from the stretch is on the bicep.
● Hold this position for a static stretch or do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions for an active stretch.
● Repeat movement with the other arm.
● You might feel this stretch in your shoulder at first. Adjust as needed until you feel it in the biceps instead.at-home arm workouts
Arm Workout FAQs
Is it OK to train arms everyday?
Are 5 exercises enough for arms?
Are shorter workouts still effective?
Become a Certified Personal Trainer!
What to Read Next…
9 of the Best Arm Sculpting Exercises for Tone & Strength (2024)
Table of Contents
Arm Muscle Anatomy Review
Biceps Brachii
Triceps Brachii
Brachioradialis
Brachialis
Arm Workout: Tips, Sets and Reps
Tips Before You Start…
Reps For an Arm Workout
Sets For an Arm Workout
What are the Best Arm Excerises?
1. Barbell Biceps Curls
Preparation
Movement
Technique tips
2. Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Preparation
Movement
3. Cable Biceps Curls with Shoulder Flexed
Preparation
Movement
Best arm workouts for triceps
1. Cable Triceps Extension
Preparation
Movement
2. Bench Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
3. Cable Triceps Extension with Shoulder Flexed
Best arm workouts for forearms
1. Wrist Flexion
2. Wrist Extension
3. Wrist Supination/Pronation
best arm workouts for men
best arm workouts for women
Best arm stretches before and after an arm workout
arm swings
arm circles
wrist pulls
biceps stretch (seated or standing)
at-home arm workouts
Arm Workout FAQs
Is it OK to train arms everyday?
Are 5 exercises enough for arms?
Are shorter workouts still effective?
Become a Certified Personal Trainer!
What to Read Next…
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