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5-Minute Arm Workout

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | April 22, 2025

Build stronger arms in just 5 minutes! Sculpt and tone your shoulder, bicep, tricep, back and chest muscles with this quick and effective arm workout. Bonus: this workout is all standing, no repeats and has no push ups – making it a great routine for beginners or anyone short on time or workout motivation.

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Whether I’m in a serious time crunch or just lacking motivation to workout, I’ve found it so helpful to have quick home workouts available that I can knock out in just a few minutes.

One of my most-repeated fitness mantras is “ten minutes is better than no minutes.” But the reality of life as a working mom of three is that sometimes I truly don’t even have a full 10 minutes to dedicate to a workout.

Today’s workout is the perfect solution: hitting every major muscle group in the upper body in just 5 minutes and only using a set of dumbbells.

Consistency compounds, and even just a few minutes of strength training is enough to boost your mood, build strength and keep you on track to hit your fitness goals.

The key to making 5 minute workouts effective is to use weights that challenge you. The last 2-3 reps of each exercise should be challenging to complete, but allow you to maintain proper form.

If I have a little more time, I’ll add this 5-minute arm workout at home on to a walk or run or use it as a final burnout for a longer upper-body strength workout. But on days I truly only have a few minutes to workout, this is an effective upper-body burn on its own too!

Today’s workout is all standing and has no push ups, making it a great option if planks and push-ups cause you wrist pain.

two women performing standing chest flys as example of 5 minute arm workout exercises

Workout Overview

This upper-body workout is designed to build defined, strong arms in just 5 minutes at home.

If this is your first movement of the day, I recommend starting with this upper body warm up and ending with this quick cool-down.

Add upper-body strength training workouts like this to your home workout plan one to two times a week to increase muscle definition and strength in the arms, back and chest.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided 5-Minute Arm Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

5 Arm Exercises with Dumbbells
Timed Intervals (perform each exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed by a 20 second rest period)
No Repeat (performing each exercise x 1 set)

Workout Equipment:

Medium to Heavy Set of Dumbbells. I recommend between 5-30 lbs, depending on your fitness level. I’m using 15-20 lb dumbbells in today’s workout.

1. Bicep Curl

Targets: the bicep muscles (upper arms), brachialis (mid-arm) and brachioradialis (forearm).

standing women performing bicep curls as part of 5 minute arm workout

How to Do a Bicep Curl

Start standing with feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing toward each other (narrow grip or hammer curl grip).
Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder height. As you raise the weights, slowly rotate your hands so your palms face outward (underhand grip or supine curl). At the top of the movement, your palms face your shoulders.
With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides, flipping your grip so your palms face in towards each other again, returning to the starting position.

2. Neutral Shoulder Press

Targets: The shoulders, triceps, rear delts and upper back muscles.

two women demonstrating shoulder press with dumbbells as part of 5 minute arms workout

How to Do a Dumbbell Neutral Shoulder Press

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, holding dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip). Shoulder blades are pulled back and down.
Engage your core, slightly tucking your pelvis to protect your low back. Then push the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells down to the starting position at shoulder level and repeat.

3. Back Row

Targets: Latissimus dorsi (or lats; the largest back muscle known for its large, flat “V” shape).

women performing narrow grip back rows with dumbbells

How to Do a Narrow Back Row

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other (narrow grip).
Hinge forward 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.
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.
With control, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Think up on a one-count, down slow and controlled on a two-count.

Modification: if you feel tension in your lower back while in a bent over row position, try staggering your feet.

4. Overhead Tricep Extension

Targets: the long head of the triceps and all the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, glutes and lower back muscles.

women performing overhead tricep extensions as part of five minute arm workout

How to Do a Overhead Tricep Extension

Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and a soft bend in your knees.
Hold one dumbbell vertically overhead and activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
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).

Modification: If pressing the overhead press portion of this exercise isn’t comfortable for your shoulders, substitute standing tricep kickbacks.

5. Standing Chest Fly

Targets: The chest muscles; specifically, the larger pectoralis major and the smaller pectoralis minor.

How to Do a Standing Chest Fly

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides; palms face out away from the body (underhand grip). Shoulder blades pulled down towards your hips.
Squeeze your chest as you lift your right hand across your body bringing the dumbbell in the right hand parallel to your left shoulder. Think “right pinky finger to left shoulder”. Palm faces up towards the ceiling.
Keep a soft bend in your elbow as you lower the dumbbell back to starting position with control.
Repeat on the left arm, alternating arms with each rep.

FAQs

What arm workouts can you recommend for a female beginner?

Beginner-friendly arm workouts should focus on the foundations of strength training, and include exercises like bicep curls, back rows, chest presses and push-ups. Beginners may wish to perform upper-body exercises with no equipment initially to learn proper form of each exercise before adding more load.

What are the best dumbbell arm exercises?

The best arm exercises are compound dumbbell exercises such as the chest press, dips, renegade rows, and overhead presses. These exercises work multiple muscle groups at once, making them efficient and great for muscle-building.

How can I get more toned arms?

The key to toned arms is to increase muscle and decrease body fat. Although I don’t believe it’s possible to “spot tone” or specifically lose arm fat or back fat, reducing overall body fat and increasing muscle will make your arms appear more toned.