7 Dumbbell Exercises for Arms (25-Minute Workout)

How To Do Around the World Shoulder Raises

1. Start with feet under hips, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms face outward (underhand grip or supinated grip).
2. Keeping your arms as straight as possible, lift both dumbbells in wide arcs out to the side, slowly raising your arms until the dumbbells are straight overhead. Imagine you are drawing a large circle with your dumbbells.
3. Slowly and with control, reverse the motion, lowering your dumbbells to return to the starting position.

Modification: Reduce range of motion and raise your arms only as high as feels comfortable. Alternatively, sub a lateral raise.

How To Do Hammer Bicep Curls to Wide Bicep Curls

1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, core engaged. Hold the dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip, or neutral grip).
2. Squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder height, keeping the elbows locked into your sides as you curl the dumbbells up.
3. Then, keeping elbows bent, open through the chest as you slightly rotate the dumbbells out towards the corners of the room, each palm about 45 degrees away from your body.
4. Hold this external rotation as you slowly lower the dumbbells to your hips, before squeezing the front of your arm to curl the dumbbells up to shoulder height (performing a wide bicep curl).
5. At the top of your bicep curl, rotate your palms in towards each other, finding a neutral grip.
6. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells to your hips, returning to the starting position.

How To Do Reverse Grip Back Rows and Narrow Grip Back Rows

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-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 body is in a straight line, neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button pulled back towards your spine. 
3. As you pull the weights back towards your hips in a rowing movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your elbows are in line with your hips.
4. With control, slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, arms straight. Think up on a 1-count, down slow and controlled on a 2-count. Repeat the bent-over row 3 times.
5. Then, rotate the dumbbells so your palms are facing away from your body (reverse grip).
6. Perform 3 more back rows, pulling the weights back towards your hips before lowering slowly and with control.

How To Do Standard Dumbbell Chest Presses and Narrow Dumbbell Chest Presses

1. Lie 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 a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing knees), 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. Repeat 3 times, performing 3 standard dumbbell chest presses.
4. At the top of your third standard chest press, rotate your palms in to face each other, finding a narrow grip.
5. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells down towards your chest. Repeat 3 times, performing 3 narrow chest presses.

How To Do Skull Crushers

1. Lie flat on the ground or on a bench or stability ball; legs bent at 90 degrees.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms, dumbbells stacked over your shoulders.
3. Bending at the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head (just bending at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells towards your temples).
4. Pause at the bottom, then squeeze through the back of your arms to straighten your elbows, pressing the dumbbells back overhead and returning to the starting position.

How To Do V-Sit Crunches, Bicep Curls and Shoulder Presses

1. Start sitting flat on your mat, sending the legs straight out in front of you, forming a “V” shape with your legs. Place a pair of dumbbells on the ground between your legs within easy reach.
2. Engaging your core, slowly roll down the length of your spine, lowering until you are flat on the ground. For an extra challenge, keep your arms extended in front of you.
3. Squeeze through your abs to perform a sit-up, pulling your torso up until you are seated upright, back straight.
4. Then, grab a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip) and curl the weights up towards your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
5. At the top of the bicep curl, press the weights straight overhead, performing a neutral shoulder press.
6. Slowly and with control, return the dumbbells to your shoulders before reversing the curl, lowering the dumbbells to the floor between your legs and returning to starting position.

Modification: Omit the crunch, performing alternating seated bicep curls and shoulder presses instead.

How To Do Push-Ups and Plank Back Rows (Renegade Rows)

1. Start in a high plank position, both hands on your dumbbells, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged.
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. Repeat, performing 2 renegade rows.
6. Continue this pattern, alternating 1 push-up with 2 renegade rows.

Modification: Perform modified push-ups from your knees or at an incline. If you want to get better at push-ups, check out my free Push-Up Program! If push-ups hurt your wrists, try placing your hands on a set of dumbbells.

Pro Tip: Perform Negative Reps

A negative rep focuses specifically on the “lowering” part of the exercise, also known as the eccentric portion of the movement. Focusing on a slow, controlled descent will maximize muscle engagement, which is where true muscle growth happens.

Eccentric bicep curls and overhead tricep extensions offer good opportunities to focus on negative reps. During a negative rep, you’ll focus on slowly lowering the weight during the “negative” part of the movement (typically lowering on a 2-count or 3-count). Challenge yourself to reach for heavier weights during negative reps.

Proper form is important, particularly if you’re increasing the weights you’re using. Focus on core engagement and mind-muscle connection. You may perform fewer negative reps in a set to maximize muscle engagement and avoid risk of injury.