Best Arm Exercises
This article is a guide to the best arm exercises.
Today, I will give you 27 of the best arm exercises to sculpt amazing arms. These exercises include basic barbell exercises and single joint isolation moves to sculpt the best set of arms possible.
Without further ado, let’s move on to the list.
Dumbbell Incline Chest Press
This is a superb exercise for triceps development, as well as shoulder definition and upper chest development. Your triceps make up over 2/3 of your arm, so exercises that strengthen your triceps help you to look better in tank tops.
To perform this exercise, position a bench to 45 degrees. With feet flat, knees out and shoulders pinched back, start with dumbbells near arm pits, arms bent to about 100 degrees. Press weights directly over chest, and then return to start. Try two or three sets of eight to twelve reps with a moderate weight.
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
This exercise strengthens your chest, shoulders and triceps, and also works your biceps a bit too.
Set up a flat bench. With feet flat, knees out and shoulders pinched back, press dumbbells over your chest to start. Start with arms straight and hands right over your shoulders. Bend arms and pull weights near arm pits, and then press back up to the start position. Try two to four sets of five to twelve reps with moderate to heavy weights.
Dumbbell Floor Press
This exercise allows you to lift heavier loads than the dumbbell bench press, and achieve greater overload for your tricep muscles.
Position your body flat on the floor, with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor or legs straight, about 45 degrees apart with your feet on the floor. Try three to five sets of five to twelve reps.
Barbell Bench Press
The barbell bench is a great tool for overall upper body strength and development.
Position your feet flat on the floor as close as possible underneath your hips. With your butt flat on the bench, assume a tight arch position with shoulder blades pulling together and chest up tall. Your eyes should be right underneath the bar. Place your hands on the bar so your middle finger is around the rings of the bar.
Retract your shoulder blades, tighten your lats and pull your chest tall again. Rotate your elbows toward the floor and pull the bar off the supports. Pulling your chest tall yet again, pull the bar down into your chest. Pause one count, and then press in a j curve back over your shoulders. Try three to six sets of two to six reps with this exercise.
Push up
Push ups are seriously underrated. This exercise allows you to move your shoulders freely and is very easy on your joints. Plus, your core muscles get a workout holding you in a proper body position. Although it might not seem like it, this is actually one of the best arm exercises.
Position yourself in a hands and knees position. Pull your shoulders back and down and tighten your abdominal muscles. Extend one leg, and then the other until your legs are straight behind you. Make sure to keep your back straight, glutes tight and abdomen contracted. Pull your shoulder blades together to descend to the ground. Focus on pushing away from the floor. Try two to three sets of eight to twenty reps.
Close Grip Push up
This exercise is excellent for building your triceps.
Set up in a push up (above), but position your hands slightly inside shoulder width. Bend arms until chest is near the ground, and then push back up to start. Try two to three sets of eight to twenty reps.
Bar Dips
This is an intense exercise for building the chest, shoulders and triceps.
You will need a Roman chair or a set of parallel bars. Position your hands facing forward, shoulders back and back straight. Bend your arms until your elbows are bent to 90 degrees, before pressing back up to the start. Try two to three sets of six to twelve reps.
Chest Supported Row
This is a great exercise to build the bicep muscles of the arms in addition to the back. It’s also easy on your lower back.
Position a bench to 45 degrees. Straddle the bench and assume a face down position. With arms hanging down, pull your shoulder blades back and bend arms to assume a row position. Squeeze at the top, and then return to the start position with arms straight. Try two to three sets of eight to fifteen reps.
Bent Over Row
This is a time-tested favorite for back and arm development.
With a barbell or dumbbells in front of you, hinge from your hips. Your hands should hang down directly underneath your shoulders. Pull your shoulder blades back, bend your arms and pull the weights into your torso. Pause and then return to the start position. Try two to four sets of five to twelve reps.
Half Kneeling Cable One Arm Row
This exercise builds a great set of arms and back while improving balance, coordination and hip flexor mobility.
Position a handle on a cable and set it to about knee height. Put a mat on the floor behind you. Position yourself in a half kneeling position, with hips square and neutral spine. Position your weight in the hand corresponding to the knee on the ground. Keeping your hips square, row by retracting your shoulder blade and squeezing your upper back. Pause, and then return weight to start position. Try two to four sets of eight to twelve.
Renegade Row
This a challenging core, back and arm exercise.
Position yourself in a push up position with hands on weights. Keeping back flat, pull one weight up to your rib cage by retracting your shoulder blade and squeezing your back. Pause before returning to the start. Switch sides. Try two or three sets of six to eight reps per side. Make sure you keep your back straight throughout. If you notice your core sagging, drop the weight and the reps.
Overhead Press
This exercise builds beautiful shoulders and triceps muscles.
Position one dumbbell in each hand. Lift elbows so they are level with shoulders. Positon palms facing each other. Press up until your weights are overhead, with arms straight. Pull weights back to starting position. Keep core tight throughout. This exercise can also be done with a barbell for heavier loading. Try two to four sets of six to twelve reps.
Handstand Push up
This calisthenics exercise is a great choice for building your shoulders and arms.
Position yourself in a handstand against a wall or freestanding. Bend elbows until head touches the floor (Without putting pressure on your skull, brain or cervical spine) and then push back to start. Try two to four sets of three to eight reps.
Seated Overhead Press
This exercise builds nice shoulders and arms while proving back support.
Sit up straight with legs right in front of you, with feet flat and knees bent to ninety degrees. Perform an overhead press with dumbbells or a barbell. Try two or three sets of six to twelve reps.
½ Kneeling Overhead Press
This exercise builds great arms and shoulders while improving core stability.
Position yourself on one knee, in a ½ kneeling position. With weight in the hand that corresponds to the “down” knee, perform an overhead press while keeping glute and abdominals tight. Return to start. Try two or three sets of eight to twelve reps.
Pull ups
Pull ups build your arms and back. Plus, they also impress your friends.
Hang from a bar with shoulders relaxed and core tight. Retract your scapula, bend arms and pull you chest to the bar. Return to start. Try two to five sets of two to ten reps.
Chin ups
This exercise trains the biceps a bit more than the normal pull up, making it a great arm builder.
Hang from a bar with an underhand grip. Perform a pull up by retracting shoulder blades and bending arms. Return to start. Try two to five sets of 2 to ten reps.
½ Kneeling Cable One Arm Pulldown
This exercise builds your arms and back while also improving core stability and hip mobility. Try two to three sets of eight to fifteen reps.
Underhand Grip Pulldown
This is a great substitute for the chin up that still builds great arms.
Using a lat pulldown machine, position your hands in an underhand grip and place your hands at shoulder width. Sit up tall with good posture. Pull the bar into your clavicle, bringing elbows back and down. Try two or three sets of eight to fifteen reps.
Face Pull
The face pull builds beautiful shoulders and a gorgeous upper back for tank top season and is one of the best arm exercises out there.
Hook a rope up to the top of the cable pulley system. Hold on near the handles. Pull the weight off the system and pull handles near your ears by bending your arms and squeezing your shoulders together. Keep elbows level with your shoulders. Try two to four sets of twelve to twenty reps.
Rear Delt Fly
This exercise also builds a great upper back and set of shoulders.
Perform a hip hinge while holding light weights. Let weights hang down in line with shoulders. With palms facing each other, pull arms out to the side until they are level with your body. Hold one count and then return to start. Try two to three sets of twelve to twenty reps.
Band Pull Apart
This exercise is one of my favorites for a beautiful back and shoulders.
Hold a band at shoulder height with straight arms. Pull band across your chest with straight arms by pulling the band apart. Return to start. Try two or three sets of twelve to twenty reps.
Triceps Push down
This simple exercise will target your triceps. This is one of the best arm exercises.
With a rope set at the top of the cable pulley system, grab on near the end of the rope. Then bend your arms so your upper arms are in close to your body. Press hands down until arms are straight, squeezing triceps. Return to start. Try two or three sets of eight to twenty reps.
Overhead Triceps Extension
This exercise targets the long head of the triceps for beautiful arms. Honestly, this move is one of the best arm exercises.
Set a rope at the top of the cable pulley system. Position yourself away from the rope, hands near the end of the rope. Position your feet in a split stance. Pull the rope off the cable with straight arms, keep your upper arms stationary and bend the lower portion of your arms to a 90 degree angle, so your hands touch the back of your neck. Straighten arms. Continue to bend and straighten arms to finish the set. Try two to three sets of eight to twelve reps.
Skull Crusher
This exercise is seriously underrated for tank top arms.
Position yourself flat on your back. Lift weights over your shoulders. Arms should be straight. Keeping elbows in, bend lower arm until weights nearly touch your ears. Then return to straight arms. Try two or three sets of twelve to twenty reps.
Biceps Curl
This simple exercise is great for building your bicep muscles.
With weights by your sides, curl lower arms until your hands are level with your mid chest. Slowly return to straight arms. Keep upper arms into your body. Try two or three sets of eight to fifteen reps.
TRX Bicep Curl
This exercise builds great arms while improving core strength and body awareness.
Position yourself on an incline with a TRX, holding onto handles with arms straight and hands at shoulder height. Bend at the elbows, keeping upper arms still. Return to start. As you get stronger, you can decrease the angle of your body to the floor. Try two or three sets of six to fifteen reps.
Final Thoughts
What did you think about these twenty seven exercises? Hopefully this list taught you that building great arms for tank top season means more than just bicep curls and triceps extensions. Building a beautiful set of arms and shoulders requires you to perform many different types of exercises as part of a fully balanced program. Please feel free to comment your favorite exercises from this list below.
