If you want to strengthen your upper body, check out this list of the best arm exercises for women. All you need is a set of dumbbells and you can do all ten moves to create an arm workout, or choose a few of your favorite moves — it's up to you!
Working out your arms can make you feel powerful [1], period. However, one of the biggest fitness myths is that lifting weights will get you bulky [2]. Maybe you do want to bulk up — and that's great! — but we're here to tell you this would take a long time to happen, and nutrition would play a huge role (you'd need to eat in a caloric surplus [3]). So don't let the fear of bulking stop you from picking up those weights and trying these arm-sculpting moves.
As a bonus, after the tenth move, there's a 10-minute arm and shoulder workout video you can follow along to using many of these basic dumbbell arm moves. Itching for more? Check out these at-home arm workout videos [4].
— Additional reporting by Sam Brodsky
Best Arm Workouts: Biceps Curl and Overhead Press
Muscles biceps curl and overhead press work: biceps and shoulders
- Stand with your feet directly under your hips while holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out.
- Bend the elbows and bring the weights to your shoulders to perform a bicep curl.
- Stabilize your torso, and keep your arms moving upward. Straightening the arms above you, perform an overhead press with the palms facing out.
- Bend the elbows, coming back to the top of your bicep curl, then straighten the arms to your starting position to complete one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Lateral Arm Raise
Muscles lateral arm raise works: deltoids
- Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms face in toward the sides of your body.
- Start with the right side first. With control, keep your arm straight (but don't lock that elbow), and as you inhale, raise your right hand up toward the ceiling. You want your palm to be facing down and your arm to be parallel to the floor. Then, as you exhale, slowly lower your hand back to your body. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision. So your arm won't be directly out to the side, but slightly forward.
- Do the same move with your left arm.
- Then do both your right and left arms at the same time.
- Continue alternating between right, left, and both arms, keeping your core tight.
Best Arm Workouts: Triceps Kickback
Muscles triceps kickback works: triceps
- Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart.
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, hinge forward from your hips and bend your knees slightly. Bend your elbows behind you.
- Straighten your arms behind you with your palms facing in. Your arms should be parallel to the floor. Squeeze your triceps, then return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Overhead Triceps Extension
Muscles overhead triceps extension works: triceps
- Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart.
- Hold one dumbbell (go for a heavier weight if you can) with both hands behind your head, bending your elbows but keeping your arms by your ears.
- Straighten your arms to lift the dumbbell into the air, then slowly bend your arms to lower again.
- This counts as one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Muscles bent-over reverse fly works: back of shoulders and upper back
- Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees slightly, and keeping your back flat, bend forward at the hip joint. This is the starting position.
- Exhale and lift both arms out wide, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- With control, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. This completes one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Upright Row
Muscles upright row works: deltoids
- Stand with your feet hip-width distance apart, and place a dumbbell in each hand. Your closed palms should be facing your body. Your shoulders should be over your pelvis with your knees slightly bent.
- Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, raise them to your shoulders, bending your elbows out to the sides.
- Slowly lower them to your starting position.
- This counts as one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Skull Crusher
Muscles skull crusher works: triceps
- Grab a set of dumbbells and come onto your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
- With one dumbbell in each hand, raise your arms so they are above your chest, making sure your elbows are straight but not locked. This is the starting position.
- Slowly bend both arms, lowering the dumbbells by your ears, so your elbows are at 90 degrees.
- Straighten your arms, coming back to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Bicep-and-Deltoid Squeeze
Muscles bicep-and-deltoid squeeze works: biceps and deltoids
- Sit cross-legged on the floor, and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Lift up your arms, extend them out wide, and bend your elbows at 90-degree angles with your palms facing forward. Keep your shoulders relaxed down and your wrists in line with your elbows. This is the starting position.
- Rotate your arms so your elbows are moving to meet each other in front of you. They should be perpendicular to your shoulders.
- Keep your muscles engaged, and move your arms back to the starting position.
- This is one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Dumbbell Bench Press
Muscles dumbbell bench press works: chest
- Grab a set of dumbbells, and sit on a flat workout bench (use the floor if you don't have a bench).
- With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the bench.
- Hold the dumbbells just above your chest, shoulder-width distance apart, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Your palms should be facing forward.
- Exhale as you push the dumbbells up, fully extending your arms. Hold for one second.
- Inhale, and lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with control.
- This counts as one rep.
Best Arm Workouts: Plank With Row and Triceps Extension
Muscles plank with Row and triceps extension works: triceps and upper back
- Start in a plank position holding a weight in each hand.
- Bend your left elbow and pull it up so it's in line with your shoulder.
- Pull your navel toward your spine to engage your abs, which will help you stay balanced.
- Exhale as you do a triceps kickback by extending your left hand behind you.
- Inhale to bend your elbow. This counts as one rep.
- Perform this exercise on the right side.
