7 Arm Exercises Trainers Swear By for a Stronger Upper Body
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The internet is full of trendy upper arm routines, but what moves do professional trainers actually recommend for building real strength? Here are seven they think really work.
The one-arm, half-kneeling kettlebell overhead press “is very effective for those who want stronger, fuller arms,” says Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, founder of Stretch Mode. Another benefit is that it targets one shoulder at a time, which helps avoid “stuck” the shoulder with poorer mobility, as can happen when using a barbell, he added.
Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, core and biceps
How to do it:
- Start in a half-kneeling position by stepping your right foot forward and bending it 90 degrees. Your back knee should be bent on the floor with your toes tucked in.
- Hold a kettlebell in your left hand, keeping your right arm at your side.
- Lift the kettlebell to shoulder height: this is your starting position.
- Press the kettlebell overhead, fully straightening your left arm.
- Pause, then lower the kettlebell to shoulder height.
- Do three sets of five to seven repetitions on each side.
Another effective movement is the standing dumbbell shoulder press, Wickham said. Not only does this exercise give you “a big pump in your shoulders and arms,” he explained, but it also improves postural control, balance and coordination.
Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps and upper back
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inward, arms down at your sides.
- Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height.
- Press the dumbbells overhead, fully straightening your arms.
- Pause, then lower the dumbbells to shoulder height.
- Perform four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
This exercise stretches your triceps while providing gentle, uninterrupted resistance, something you don’t always get with free weights, according to Wickham. “Overhead triceps work covers both ends of the range of motion in a way that people actually feel,” he said. Health.
It’s also easy to progress, he added, because cable machines offer small weight increments and a consistent setup every time.
Muscles worked: Triceps
How to do it:
- Attach a rope to the low pulley of a cable machine.
- Stand facing the machine and grab the rope with both hands.
- Move forward slightly to create tension in the cable. You may want to put one foot in front of the other for balance.
- Raise your arms above your head, keeping your elbows bent and as close to your head as possible.
- Extend your arms toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause, then lower the rope to the starting position.
- Do three sets of 10 repetitions.
What’s great about the next exercise — the neutral-grip flat dumbbell floor chest press — is that both arms should work equally, says Noam Tamir, CSCS, founder and CEO of TS Fitness. “Each arm must work independently without relying on the stronger side to help,” she explained. Health. Pressing from the ground also “gives you stability, keeps the reach controlled, and allows you to generate power without relying on momentum.”
Another advantage: the simplicity of the exercise. “All you need is a pair of dumbbells,” Tamir said. “No bench, no cable machine, no dumbbells.”
Muscles worked: Triceps, biceps, chest and back
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, just above your chest.
- Press the dumbbells upward, fully extending your arms toward the ceiling.
- Lower the dumbbells to your chest with control.
- Do three sets of eight to 10 repetitions.
Tamir said one of his favorite arm exercises is the dumbbell hammer curl, which helps “target the muscles that make your arms thicker and stronger” by keeping the wrists in a neutral position. “This move is simple, effective and you can do it anywhere as long as you have a pair of dumbbells,” she added.
Muscles worked: Biceps and forearms
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inward, arms lowered at your sides.
- Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the weights up to your shoulders without moving the position of your hands or wrists.
- Lower the weights to the starting position.
- Do three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
The push-up matrix, which involves performing push-ups from multiple positions and angles, is notable for giving the arms and shoulders a wide variety of “actions and positions to build overall strength,” said Rocky Snyder, CSCS, author of the Return to Center workout guide. “This routine explores the three-dimensionality of strength and encourages the body to find its weak links in the chain,” he said. Health.
Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back and core
How to do it:
Do two to four sets of six to 15 repetitions of push-ups with your hands in as many positions as possible, such as:
- One hand forward and one hand back
- Hands positioned wide, neutral or narrow
- Hands facing in or facing out
Although the dumbbell lateral raise is a challenge for Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, founder of Nourish Move Love, (“it’s a very humbling strength exercise that took me years to build up to the weights”), she said it’s worth it. “It’s a great way to train and strengthen the shoulder, which is the most injury-prone part of the upper body,” she said. Health.
Muscles worked: Shoulders
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inward, arms down at your sides.
- Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the floor.
- Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
- Repeat for 40 seconds.
- Do three sets.
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