Weighted Exercises to Tone Your Arms

Repeat: 3 to 4 times

Repetition: Each move should be completed 10 times in each round

Breaks: 30 seconds between each repetition

Choose a weight that works best for you or complete the moves with a resistance band. To add intensity, try increasing your weights or taking smaller breaks in between moves.

Warm-Up: 30-Second Plank

To get the blood pumping, start with a 30-second plank. Depending on your fitness level, you can do this in an elbow plank position, or on your hands in a high plank pose with arms fully extended.

Add intensity: Complete the plank for 1-minute in the high plank position.

Targets: Core, Deltoids, Entire Upper Arm

[30-second break!]

10 x Bicep Curls

1. Start with your arms resting down by your sides with a weighted dumbbell in each hand.
2. Slowly bend at your elbows and bring your arms up to your shoulders. Ensure you are keeping your elbows in the same position resting by your hips.
3. Then slowly using control, lower the weights back down to your starting position.

Add intensity: Increase weight size

Targets: Biceps and Forearms

[30-second break!]

10 x Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows

1. On a bench (or chair) get on one hand and one knee on the same side of your body.
2. In the opposite hand to the hand and knee resting on the bench, hold a dumbbell.
3. With the arm holding the dumbbell, bend your elbow slightly and squeeze your shoulders and core.
4. Lift the weight so your upper arm (and dumbbell) are parallel to the floor.
5. Complete again on the other side.

Add intensity: Increase weight size

Targets: Deltoids & Upper Back

[30-second break!]

10 x Dumbbell Kick-Back

1. Start standing with feet should-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. With a straight back lean forward slightly, with your core tight, and add a bend at the knee.
3. Bend at the elbow and hold your elbows up slightly higher than your torso, so your dumbbell is parallel to the floor.
4. Move from your elbow to your wrists backward. Hold.
5. Then bring back to starting position.

Add intensity: Increase weight size

Targets: Triceps

[30-second break!]

10 x Tricep Dips

1. Sit on a chair, step or ledge and grip the front edges with your hands.
2. Keeping your legs at 90 degrees and your arms straight, slide forward and let your sit bones hover just off the seat.
3. Lower down until your arms are at 90 degrees.
4. Engage your triceps to push back up to straight arms.

Add intensity: Increase weight size

Targets: Triceps

[30-second break!]

10 x Push Ups

Begin in a plank position.

1. Slowly, and with control, lower your body down to the floor until it is resting just above the ground.
2. Use your arms to push you back up to your starting position.

Add intensity: Do more repetitions or add a medicine ball.

Targets: Pectorals, Biceps & Deltoids

[30-second break!]

10 x Lateral Side Raises

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. On one side raise your arm straight to your shoulder height.
3. Bring the arm back to your starting position.
4. Repeat on the other arm.

Add intensity: Add more weight.

Targets: Upper Arms, Deltoids & Shoulders

[30-second break!]

Non-Weighted Exercises to Tone Your Arms

This workout is for those who don’t have weights but still want a killer arm workout! Perfect for workout out at home or down at the park.

Like above, complete the move and take a 30-second break in between each exercise. Complete each set up to 3 times.

30-Second Plank (Warm-Up)

1. To get the blood pumping, start with a 30-second plank. Depending on your fitness level you can do this in an elbow plank position or on your hands in a high plank position, arms fully extended.

Add intensity: Complete the plank for 1-minute in the high plank position.

Targets: Core, Deltoids, Entire Upper Arm

[30-second break!]

10 x Push Ups

1. Begin in a plank position.
2. Slowly and with control, lower your body down to the floor until it is resting just above the ground.
3. Use your arms to push you back up to your starting position.

Add intensity: Do more repetitions or add a medicine ball.

Targets: Pectorals, Biceps & Deltoids

[30-second break!]

10 x Tricep Dips

1. Sit on a chair, step or ledge and grip the front edges with your hands.
2. Keeping your legs at 90 degrees and your arms straight, slide forward and let your sit bones hover just off the seat.
3. Lower down until your arms are at 90 degrees.
4. Engage your triceps to push back up to straight arms.

Add intensity: Do more repetitions.

Targets: Triceps

[30-second break!]

10 x Cactus Arms

1. Stand upright with your feet in a resting state, around shoulder-width apart.
2. Bring both your arms in front of your chest. Keep your elbows together.
3. Separate your arms and in this L-shape bringing them back in line with both shoulders. When extended, your body should look take the form of a cactus shape!
4. Then, bring them back to your starting position.

Targets: Biceps and Triceps

[30-second break!]

30-Second Small Arm Circles

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Place both your arms out to your sides and in line with your shoulders.
3. Move your arms in small circular motions for 30-seconds.
4. Then, bring them back to your starting position.

Add intensity: Complete the move for 1-minute.

Targets: Entire Upper Arm & Deltoids

[30-second break!]

30-Second Big Arm Circles

Complete the same move as the small arm circles. Except make larger and more extended circle movements.

[30-second break!]

30-Second Hold Side Plank

1. Start in a regular plank position.
2. Then move your entire body to one side. With your feet on top of the other and your body facing the side you have chosen.
3. Place your hand in the air in line with your shoulder, while the other arm braces your body.
4. Hold for 30-seconds.
5. Complete on both sides.

Targets: Core, Deltoids, Biceps

[30-second break!]

10 x Plank with Alternative Arm Taps

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and feet hip-distance apart.
2. Tap your left shoulder with your right hand, then return it to the ground.
3. Repeat on the opposite side, tapping your right shoulder with your left hand. This is one rep.

Targets: Entire Upper Arm, Deltoids, Core & Glutes

[30-second break!]

10 x Up-Up Down-Down With Plank

1. Begin in a plank position with arms straight.
2. Move one arm at a time into an elbow plank position.
3. One arm at a time, move to straighten both arms into the starting plank position.

Targets: Entire Upper Arm, Deltoids, Core, Glutes, & Wrists

[30-second break!]

10 x Tringle Push-Ups

1. Start in a regular push-up stance (can be on your knees also).
2. Move your arms from their wider push-up position and make a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers.
3. Using your arms in this stance, like a push-up, press down with your hands in this triangle shape and then push up. Repeat 10 times.

Targets: Triceps

[30-second break!]

10 x Burpees with Push-Up

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Squat and place your hands on the floor.
3. Push your legs back into a push-up position.
4. Do a push-up.
5. Bring your legs back to the squat position.
6. Jump up and raise your hands above your head.
7. Land and repeat.

Targets: Pectorals, Deltoids, Biceps, & Hamstrings

[Finished!]

Weighted Arm Workout Summary

Non-Weighted Arm Workout Summary

Want to learn more? Here’s what muscles you should be targeting in your arm workouts:

When looking to tone up your arms, there are four muscle groups to target:

• Biceps Brachii (aka Biceps): These are the muscles at the front of your upper arm that you can see when you flex your guns in the mirror.
• Triceps Brachii (aka Triceps): These are the three muscles at the back of your upper arm which aren’t often used in daily activity.
• Latissimus Dorsi (aka Lats): These are the muscles that are used to connect your arms to your spine. They are located near your triceps on the back of your upper arm and connect to your back and spine.
• Deltoids (aka Delts): These are the muscles on the outer part of the shoulders and connect to your upper arm.

To tone your arms, you should complete an arm workout around 2 to 3 times a week for the most effective results. This is a great starting point too for those looking to begin incorporating arm workouts into their routine. For more intensity, try adding heavier weights or completing more repetitions.