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Jump to 5 BEST Arm Workouts At Home
We’ve published several upper body workouts over the past 5 years. But this post highlights our 5 BEST Arm Workouts At Home!
Ranging from quick, 10 minute arm workouts to intense, 45 minute upper body strength training — there’s an arm workout for all fitness levels in this round up.
If you want arm toning exercises for women, these are the 5 BEST Arm Workouts At Home with weights (and full, follow along workout videos on YouTube).
NO. Lifting weights will make you strong, not bulky.
Women getting ‘bulky’ from strength training is a fitness myth. Lifting weights will NOT make you bulky — just stronger!
Trust me, I’d LOVE to bulk up a little. I’m striving for muscle hypertrophy in my upper body, but it takes a lot of work.
If you want toned, defined arms, lift weights.
Each arm workout will include a recommended weight range, as well as the weights I used during filming. Normally, this will range from 8 pound dumbbells to 15-25 pound dumbbells.
If your goal is to improve definition in your arms, and you reach the end of a working set and feel that you’re capable of performing a few more reps, that’s a sign you can (and should) reach for heavier weights next time (The American Council on Exercise).
In order to build muscle, you have to first “break down” existing muscle fibers, so that your body responds by triggering new muscle growth.
That’s accomplished by reaching “muscle fatigue”. Muscle fatigue means that you are not physically capable of performing one more rep with proper form.
To reach muscle fatigue you can:
There are plenty of effective arm exercises without weights:
Here are 10 Arm Exercises Without Weights.
I personally have a variety of dumbbell sizes from 3 lbs (for barre workouts) to 30 lbs for strength training. I also have these Adjustable Power Block Dumbbells. A great investment if you want a variety of weights.
DIY Dumbbell Substitutions:
Five arm workouts that anyone can do at home with weights or dumbbells.
Each arm workout includes a full-length, guided workout video you can follow along with, OR written directions so you can work at your own pace.
These five arm workouts hit every muscle group in the upper body — biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back and core.
From tried and true classic at home arm exercises like:
To more complex dumbbell arm exercises like:
Do this Arm Workout if: you want a quick, strength-focused upper body burnout.
Workout Format: Rep-Drop! Five arm exercises done in a 12-10-8-6-4 rep-drop forma. So you decrease the number of reps for each each set.
Workout Focus: Upper arms (biceps, shoulders, triceps), chest and back.
Arm Exercises Included:
Beginner and Pregnancy-Friendly? Yes, with modifications. If being flat on the floor on your back isn’t comfortable, sub overhead tricep extensions from a kneeling position for the skull crushers. You also have the option to take push ups from an incline using a bench or chair for incline push ups.
Do this Arm Workout if: you want a complete upper body workout that will also raise your heart rate.
Workout Format: Timed-interval circuits! Nine arm exercises performed for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest. This workout is made up of 3 circuits — each targeting a different muscle group in the upper body.
Workout Focus: The entire upper body: biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back.
Arm Exercises Included:
Pregnancy-Friendly? Yes, with modifications. Take low impact modifications for the cardio exercises as needed. If being on your back isn’t comfortable, you can perform the rows and tricep extensions from a standing position.
Do this Arm Workout if: you want a strength-focused upper body workout. Six unique, upper body exercises targeting multiple muscles groups with each exercise; and some bonus ab exercises.
Workout Format: Timed-Intervals! This workout is made up of 6 upper body exercises – each is a compound movement, that targets multiple muscle groups in the upper body. Each exercise is performed for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest. Repeat x3 sets.
Workout Focus: The entire upper body: biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back AND abs.
Arm Exercises Included:
Pregnancy-Friendly? Yes, with modifications. If being on your back isn’t comfortable, you can perform the rows, chest fly, and tricep extensions from a standing position. I also suggest skipping exercise number six, sit up.
Do this Arm Workout if: you want a strength-focused upper body workout. Beginner, prenatal arm workout.
Workout Format: Counted reps. This workout is made up of 4 circuits — each targeting a different part of the upper body. You’ll perform between 10 and 12 reps of each arm exercise, repeating each circuit x 2 sets before closing it out and moving on to the next circuit.
Workout Focus: The entire upper body: biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back. This is a strength focused workout, but it also moves at a fast pace to keep your heart rate up as well.
Arm Exercises Included:
Pregnancy-Friendly? Yes, I filmed this in my second trimester of pregnancy, so many of the moves are designed to be pregnancy-friendly, but you can always modify as needed.
Do this Arm Workout if: you want to challenge your muscular strength and endurance. This is the hardest arm workout on this list; challenging you to lift heavy. The best arm workout for building upper body strength at home.
Workout Format: Drop Set. We’ll drop reps with each set, so you’ll be performing fewer repetitions as your arm muscles fatigue. The goal is to continue using heavy weights throughout the workout.
Workout Focus: The entire upper body: biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back AND a large emphasis also on core. There are several unilateral arm exercises (focusing on one arm at a time). This workout is designed for you to lift heavy.
Arm Exercises Included:
Ab Exercises Included:
Pregnancy-Friendly? No, this is a high-intensity arm workout that requires a lot of advanced core and ab exercises.
If you’d like more muscle-specific, upper body split training workouts, try these arm workouts:
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Hi Lindsey,
I just wanted to say a very big thank you for your workouts and the devotionals which are making great difference in my life.
May God richly bless you and make you business flourish.
Thank you.
V.
Victoria! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the workouts + devos! Thank you for following along! -Lindsey