22 Arm Exercises for the Best Upper-Body Workout

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To achieve a sculpted look with the upper body, you need a well-rounded routine made up of exercises that target every part of the arm, including the shoulders, triceps and biceps. 

Strong arms don’t just look good, but they’re good for you as well. We use our upper-body muscles every day, and when these muscles are strong, you can perform tasks more efficiently with less risk of injury.

Specifically, when the biceps and triceps are strong, it helps to stabilize the elbows and shoulders. Strong shoulders also support better posture, which can help reduce back and neck pain. Of course, building muscle increases your resting metabolic rate too, which means the body burns more calories at rest.

Best arm exercises

When I’m working with my clients, I use a combination of dumbbells, resistance bands and bodyweight exercises for a well-rounded arm workout. 

Stretching is also important for improving posture and releasing tension in the upper body.

When you first begin with the dumbbell exercises, start with 3-pound weights and work your way up to 5 or even 8 pounds. I recommend a medium-strength resistance with the resistance bands.

Arm circles

Get your blood flowing and warm up your arms and shoulders with arm circles before trying a weighted bicep curl. Straighten your arms out to the sides and begin rotating them in small circles. Complete 10 rotations forward and then 10 rotations backward.

Air curls

Another warm-up for the arms is to do a bicep curl without the weights. Release the arms down by your sides and open up your palms so that they’re facing away from you. Curl the arms up so that your hands almost touch your shoulders, and then release down. Repeat 10 times.

Single-arm hammer curl

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and turn your palms towards your body. Hug the elbows in toward your waist. Curl up the right arm first, then lower it down. Curl up the left arm, then lower it down. Alternate for 10 reps.

Hammer curls

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and turn your palms towards your body. Hug the elbows in toward your waist and curl the weights up. Reach the weights toward your shoulders as you keep the elbows hugged in. Lower the weights back down by your sides and repeat 10 times.

Resistance band bicep curl

Step on the band with both feet hip-distance apart. Grab a handle in each hand with your arms down by your sides, palms facing forward. Slightly bend your knees and pull in your abs. Keeping your elbows hugged into your your sides, pull both arms up toward your shoulders into the bicep curl and release. Repeat 10 times.

Overhead press with resistance band

Start with one foot forward, standing on top of the band, and the other foot back behind you. Switch your grip, grabbing the handles from underneath so that your palms are facing forward, away from you. Hold the handles at shoulder height. Press the band up over your head, extending both arms fully. Release back down to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

Side extension

Hold one dumbbell in each hand. Reach the arms down along your sides and plant your feet onto the ground with your feet as wide as your hips. Pull the abs in. Then extend the arms out to the sides and up as high as the shoulders, keeping the arms straight. Relax the neck. Lower the arms down to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Alligator mouth flies

Stand with your feet hips-distance apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand. Bend the knees slightly and hinge forward at the waist slightly. Pull your abs in. Dangle your arms down and then reach the right arm straight up in front of you until it is aligned with your right ear. Then, reach the left arm back behind you, engaging the left tricep. Think about forming one straight, diagonal line with both arms. Return to your starting position. Then alternate, reaching the left arm forward and the right arm back. 

V Dumbbell Raise

Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hip bones. Relax your shoulders and engage your core. Then, raise the weights straight up from your hips toward the front corners of the room as high and wide as your shoulders in a “V” position. Lower the weights down toward your hips, keeping the arms straight. Repeat 10 times.

Modified pushups

Gradually increasing the intensity of a move is essential in performing it correctly, especially if you’re new to strength training. By performing modified pushups, you’re slowly working your way up to the full move. To perform a modified pushup, come down on to all fours. Shift your legs back, balancing on your knees, so that you form a straight line from your head to your knees. Engage the core by tilting the pelvis forward. Bending at the elbows, lower your chest toward the floor. Push back up to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Wall pushups

Another pushup modification is to use a wall. This changes the amount of gravity you’re working against and how much of your bodyweight you have to “push up,” making it slightly easier. Place your hands flat on the wall with your body at an angle, legs straight out behind you. Perform a pushup by lowering your chest toward the wall and then pushing back up to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Overhead press

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, start with the arms in a goal post position. The upper arms will be parallel to the floor and as high as the shoulders. Press the weights up and in front of your head slightly so that with your peripheral vision you can see the weights above you. Be careful not to reach the weights behind your head as that will strain your neck. Lower down to the starting position and repeat 10 times. 

Tricep kickbacks

Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, knees slightly bent. Hold on to one weight in each hand, and let your arms hang down toward your knees. Hinge at the hips so that your chest is tilted down toward the ground. Hug your elbows into your sides and pull your elbows up into a row. From here, keep the elbows stationary and extend the forearms back into the tricep kickback. Come back to the row position and then repeat the kickback. for 10 reps.

Tricep dips

Sitting on the ground, reach your hands behind you with your fingers pointing toward your body. Move your butt back toward your hands and press down through your feet to lift your butt up off the ground. Keep your knees bent. Bend your elbows straight back to lower down into a dip, then press down through your hands to come back up to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Neutral grip shoulder press

This arm exercise targets the muscles in the shoulders. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and position them at your shoulders with the elbows in line with your side body. Turn the weights so that your palms face in toward each other. Extend your arms up above your head until your elbows are no longer bent. Slowly return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Bicep curls

Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, rest your arms naturally by your sides with palms facing forward. Keep your elbows hugged into your sides and engage your biceps to lift the dumbbell up toward your shoulder. Make sure to keep your shoulders back and down. Slowly return back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Renegade rows

Start in a tabletop position (on your hands and knees) and grasp one dumbbell in each hand. Push up into a plank position (if this is too challenging, you can also perform this in a modified plank position on your knees). Make sure to keep your back straight and core engaged, and your hips and shoulders square to the floor. Drive your left elbow up toward the sky, bringing the weight up to your chest. Lower back to the starting position and perform on the right side. Repeat, alternating arms until you’ve performed 10 repetitions on each side. 

Scissor stretch

Stand with both feet shoulder-width apart. Extend both arms out in front of you at shoulder height. Cross both arms across your chest. Hold for a few seconds and then switch which arm is on top and which is on the bottom. Continue alternating the crossover for 30 seconds.

Chest opener

Standing tall, reach both arms behind your low back. Clasp your hands together. With a deep inhale, straighten out your arms as you extend them behind you. Keep your hands clasped together. Hold for 15-20 seconds, and then release.

Reverse prayer pose

Sit on the floor or at the edge of a chair with enough room to put your hands behind your back. Place your arms and hands behind your low back. Touch your fingertips together, and if your mobility allows, put your palms together in a prayer position. Feel the stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders. Keep your back straight and hold for 30 seconds.

Skull crushers

Lie on the ground with your low back pressed against the mat. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms above your chest so that the weights are parallel to each other. Keeping the upper arms still, bend at the elbows to slowly lower the weights until they reach the area behind your head. Then, extend your arms until the dumbbells are straight above your chest again. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Shoulder rolls

Shoulder rolls will help loosen up the sides of your neck and the trapezius muscle (or back of the neck). Start by standing or sitting as tall as you can. Like all stretches, remember to breathe and move slowly. Without moving your arms, pull your shoulders up toward your ears, toward the back of the room, then back to the starting position, rotating them in a circle slowly. Circle in this direction three times, and then change the direction of the rotation.