7 Compound Arm Exercises

How to Do an Alternating Arnold Press

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, shoulders stacked over hips and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at eye level, palms facing in towards your face.
2. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes to protect your low back as you slowly raise the weight in your right hand overhead. As you raise the dumbbell, rotate your wrist so that the palm of your hand is facing outward (away from the body) when your arm is fully extended.
3. Then slowly reverse the movement, rotating your wrist as you lower the dumbbell to return to starting position, palm facing in towards your body.
4. Repeat, this time raising the dumbbell in your left hand overhead, rotating your wrist so that your left palm is facing outward when your arm is fully extended.
5. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbell and reverse the rotation, returning to the starting position.

How to Do an Alternating Bent Over Back Row

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other (narrow grip).
2. Hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor, neutral spine (neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button and rib cage pulled in). Inhale to prepare.
3. On an exhale, pull your left elbow back towards your left hip. Think about squeezing your shoulder blades back and down your back.
4. With control, lower the dumbbell, returning to the starting position.
5. Repeat, this time alternating sides: pulling the dumbbell in your right hand back towards your right hip before releasing with control.
6. Continue this pattern, alternating sides with each rep.

How to Do a Overhead Tricep Extension

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees. Option to stagger your feet for more stability and support.
2. Hold 1 dumbbell vertically overhead. Activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
4. Then, squeeze through the back of your upper arm to straighten the elbows, extending the arms and pressing the dumbbell overhead.

How to Do a Alternating Bicep Curl

1. Start standing with feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip). outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
2. Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, squeeze your right bicep to curl the weight in your right hand up to your right shoulder. As you raise the dumbbell, rotate your hands so your right palm is facing in towards your body (supine curl grip).
3. With control, slowly lower the dumbbell down to your right side, returning to the starting position.
4. Repeat, this time curling the dumbbell in your left hand up to your left shoulder before lowering it with control.

How to Do a Push-Up and Back Row (Renegade Row)

1. Start in a high plank position, both hands on your dumbbells, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged. Feet can be wider than hips for extra stability. 
2. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips (keep elbows tight to the body).
3. Once at the bottom of your push-up, exhale as you push back up into a high plank position (top of your push-up position).
4. Then, hold a high plank position as you pull your right elbow towards your right hip, squeezing your back muscles to lift the dumbbell in your right hand, performing a plank and row.
5. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbell to the ground, returning to the starting position.
6. Repeat, performing another push-up before performing a plank row on the left side.

Modification: Perform modified push-ups from your knees or at an incline. If push-ups hurt your wrists, try placing your hands on a set of dumbbells.

How to Do a Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Lay flat on your back (on the ground, on a bench, incline bench, or on a stability ball) with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing knees (overhand grip), elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Exhale as you push both dumbbells overhead at the same time; dumbbells stacked over your shoulders at the top of the press. Make sure your wrists are strong and in line with your shoulders.
3. Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest with control, hovering your triceps off the mat. Feel the stretch through your chest as you work through the full range of motion.

How to Do a Tricep Dip

1. Start seated with your knees bent at 90-degrees and feet planted on the mat in front of you. Place a set of dumbbells behind your glutes.
2. Reach behind you, placing your palms on the head of each dumbbell. Press evenly through your hands and heels to lift your hips off the ground. Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists.
3. Inhale as you slightly bend your elbows, dipping your hips down 2-3 inches but keeping them hovering off the mat.
4. Exhale as you press through the palms of your hands and squeeze the back of your arms to straighten your elbows, lifting your hips.

Modification: Perform skull crushers if tricep dips are uncomfortable for your shoulders.