Wanting big, strong arms is somewhere on the wish list for just about everyone who hit the iron regularly. From filling a t-shirt to support your whole body during a push up or plank to help you get that last rep on the bench pressyour arms do a lot of the leg work in your workout.
If you are looking for a grand total on the powerlifting platform or in a weightlifting meeting, the bar is king. That said, you don’t need to tie yourself to a bar to raise your arms. dumbbells offer many of the same benefitsand even come with their own unique advantages.
We’ve rounded up some of the best arm workouts for any goal that you can do at the gym or at home. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and the work ethic to achieve it.
The best dumbbell arm workouts
The best dumbbell arm workout for size
No matter what your tools of the trade, the rules for muscle hypertrophy are the same: they work hard enough, rest properlyY push each other overtime. Whether you’re riding the gain train with the barbell or a pair of dumbbells is entirely up to you.
If you’re interested in the latter, this dumbbell-only arm workout will have you feeling the burn and the subsequent pain the next morningor your money back.
The training
Dumbbells are great for hypertrophy because they allow you to work each arm independently. With a barbell, your dominant arm can take some of the tension off your weaker side that needs it more. You can bypass this and ensure maximum stimulationand therefore maximum growthworking with independent loads.
- Dumbbell cheater curl: 3×6
- Incline Hammer Curl: 3 x 8 – 10
- Dumbbell Spider Curl*
- Dumbbell floor press: 3×8
- Dumbbell Overhead Extension: 4×10-12
- Dumbbell Kickback: 2 x 12 – 15
Note: Do spider curls like a cluster set led to failure.
The best dumbbell arm workout for strength
For most people, the bar is the best tool to be as strong as possible. While you can work with the most weight if you use a barbell, dumbbells are not far behind for strength development anyone.
The training
A dumbbell arm workout that is good for strength gains will lean on compound movements that allow you to overload your biceps and triceps over time. Also, certain arm isolation movements are naturally better suited to lifting more weight than others.
- Dumbbell Underhand Row: 4×6
- Weight hammer curls: 3×8
- Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press: 4×8
- Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Press: 2×6
- farmer transport: 3 series walking for maximum distance.
The best dumbbell arm workout for beginners
beginners are blessed by the gift of simplicity. Advanced students who have been in the gym for a while may need fancy training techniques or complex programs for profit. If you’re just starting out, you can do a lot with a little.
The training
If you’re a gym newbie who wants to strengthen your arms, there’s no reason to overcomplicate things. In fact, just about any type of resistance training will work for you if you stick with it. That said, if weights are what you have, these basic moves can get you going.
- Seated Dumbbell Curl: 2×8
- Incline Hammer Curl: 2×10
- Dumbbell hex press: 2×8
- Dumbbell Kickback: 2×10
The best dumbbell arm workout for comfort
Sometimes you need to go to the gym and do your job as fast as possible. OR, you may not have access to a gym absolutely. In either scenario, a dumbbell arm workout can be tailored to be quick, dirty, and quite effective under a time or resource constraint.
The training
The most important ingredient in designing an effective workout that also saves time is the exercise sequence. By minimizing transitions between movements and choosing exercises that interrelate naturally, you can get more work done in less time.
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 4×8
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Extension: 4×8
- spider curl superset with Dumbbell kickback: 3 rounds of 10 reps each.
- Wrist curls: 2×15
The best arm workout with a single dumbbell
Dumbbells allow you to work each of your arms separately, but that doesn’t necessarily make all dumbbell exercises one-sided. Two dumbbells with one in each hand still count as loading both sides of your body simultaneously.
However, you can work with only one weight at a time to get some of the benefits of unilateral training while also laser-focusing on a weak spot in one of his arms.
The training
If you’re stuck with just one dumbbell or want to give your core some extra love, you can still get in a good arm workout. Some exercises are designed to use only one weight at a time. The only caveat is that since you work each arm in sequence, training may take a little longer than usual.
- Dumbbell semi-kneeling curl: 3×8
- Standing Single Arm Arnold Press: 3×8
- Concentration Curl: 2×10-12
- Dumbbell Overhead Extension: 2×10-12
- Single Arm Farmer Carry: 3 series walking for maximum distance.
arms anatomy
In the context of arm workouts, the elbow joint is where the magic happens. Both of the predominant muscles of the arm affect the opening and closing of the elbow, although the biceps and triceps also act on the forearm and shoulder, respectively.
Biceps
Your biceps start at the top of your humerus, your upper arm bone, and cross your elbow to attach to your forearm. As such, its main function is to close the elbow joint. Every curl variation under the sun works your biceps.
There is also the brachialis muscle, which is located below the biceps brachii and performs the same function of flexing the elbow. Your brachialis is stimulated by curling with a neutral wrist position and, when developed, gives the appearance of thicker arms when seen from the front.
triceps
The triceps brachii is a three-headed muscle found at the back of the upper arm. While its main job is to extend or open the elbow joint, the triceps also crosses the shoulder joint through its “long” third head.
This means that to fully stimulate the triceps, a portion of the exercises should include elbow extension. while your arm is raised above your head. This puts more stretch on the long head specifically, allowing it to carry more load.
forearms
Your forearms contain several small, intricate muscles that perform supporting tasks during arm training. While you can target your forearms for growth specifically, most arm workouts will adequately stimulate them by virtue of gripping a pair of dumbbells as tight as you can.
Exercises like the reverse curl, where the palm of the hand faces the ground, put more stress on the forearm and wrist extensors in general.
Benefits of training with dumbbells
Dumbbells are a training tool. Like any tool, they are only as useful as the context in which they are used. That said, they are quite versatile when it comes to working on different elements of your fitness.
There are benefits to working with dumbbells no matter how you train, but there are a few details worth expanding on.
address imbalances
Your body isn’t perfectly symmetrical, even if you train for it. Everyone has slight, often imperceptible to the naked eye, differences in their anatomical structure. As such, your left and right arm may not have exactly the same ranges of motion or ideal pathways of movement.
When working with a single implement like a barbell, there is no way to accommodate this. Although not usually a huge detriment, dumbbells avoid this problem altogether and allow your limbs to move. move through their natural ranges.
Save space
unless you are a minimalist workoutworking with a bar requires a shelf to store it and disassemble it. If you’re design a home gym, a good squat rack or lifting platform can take up quite a bit of space. In a commercial gym, you may find yourself with a barbell in your hands and no place to lift it. if the gym floor is occupied enough.
Dumbbells are much more compact and take up less physical space overall. If you have a large collection of various weights, you may need some good garage space, but a solid pair of adjustable dumbbells store neatly in any corner of a room.
easy to adjust
Depending on your training style, dumbbells may be more suitable for the way you work out. Moving between exercises in your workout, or even adjusting weight between sets, has a time cost associated with it.
undressing or adding disks to your bar it can take up valuable time if you’re trying to get past a set of drops. With dumbbells, you can go as long as there is another pair within reach. Conveniently changing the weights you are working with can help save time at the gym overall and make quicker adjustments if you find you’re lifting too much (or too light).
arm yourself
There’s no reason to be ashamed of wanting big arms — getting a pump after a solid gym session is one of the most rewarding feelings there is. If you put performance firstsimilar logic applies. Your arms physically support each bar you bench or push over headSo why neglect them?
A good arm routine. it is essential to the competitive physique and integral to the strength athlete. Even if you don’t have a bar at your disposal, you can still draw your weapons. all you need is a pair of dumbbells and the will to achieve it.
Featured Image: Srdjan Randjelovic/Shutterstock
