arm exercises at home · arm workout routine · Jun 19, 2023

The Ultimate Guide To Get Toned And Strong Arms At Home

by Priya Samuel

Carrying your 3-year-old up a flight of stairs. Dunking a basketball. Wringing your clothes dry.

Can you imagine doing any of these things without strong arms? No, right?

Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a gym membership to train your arms. All you need is your own body! (Having a set of dumbbells or resistance bands wouldn’t hurt either 😉)

In this blog, we’ll share with you 15 of the best arm exercises at home that’ll sculpt your biceps, triceps, and shoulders. (Bonus: Your core will feel the burn too!!)

Let’s get to it!

15 Best Arm Exercises At Home

1. Up and down plank

While transitioning between the high plank and the forearm plank positions, your shoulders and triceps have to work extra hard to stabilize your body weight, thus making it one of the best exercises for arms at home.

arm exercises at home

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, wrists, core, glutes.

How to perform

Begin by getting into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly beneath your shoulders. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
Keeping your core and glutes engaged, bend your right arm so that your forearm is on the floor.
Repeat with your left arm. You will now be in a forearm plank position.
Return to the high plank position to complete one rep.
Repeat for reps.

2. Decline push-up

Since your feet are elevated in this arm exercise at home, more of your body weight is shifted onto your arms and shoulders thus helping to improve arm strength and muscle tone.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders.

How to perform

With your palms on the floor, lift your feet and place them on a chair or bench for support.
Your hands should be more than shoulder-width apart with your fingers pointed overhead.
Ensure that your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet. This is the starting position.
Keeping your elbows close to your body, lower down until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Raise yourself back to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

3. Plank tap

This is one of the best arm workouts to do at home as it not only actively targets your shoulders and arms, but also improves your flexibility, posture, and balance.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscles worked: Triceps, shoulders, biceps, lats, glutes, core.

How to perform

Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly beneath your shoulder. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
Keeping core and glutes engaged and hips stationary, tap your left hand to your right shoulder.
Now tap your right hand on your left shoulder. This is 1 rep.
Repeat for reps.

4. Wide to narrow push up

The combination of narrow and wide pushups is the perfect way to target both your triceps and shoulders making this one of the best arm workouts at home.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders, biceps, lats, core.

How to perform

Begin in a high plank position with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet around hip-width apart.
Engage your core and glutes and then slowly lower your chest toward the ground by bending your elbows out to the sides.
When your chest almost touches the floor, raise yourself back up to the starting position.
Now bring your hands together closer than shoulder-width apart and repeat the push-up. This is 1 rep.
Repeat for reps.

5. Eccentric push up

In this arm exercise at home, your muscles are subject to longer time under tension leading to greater gains in your upper body. They also help improve performance in your regular push-ups.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 4-5 reps

Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.

How to perform

Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly beneath your shoulder. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
Engaging your core and glutes, bend your elbows and lower down slowly towards the floor taking around 3-5 seconds to do so.
Once your chest almost touches the floor, push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

6. Forearm plank to dolphin

The blend of dolphin pose and forearm plank strengthens your shoulders, lengthens your spine, and builds immense upper body strength making it an excellent arm toning exercise.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, biceps, chest, core, lats.

How to perform

Begin in a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor, and elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Keep your core and glutes engaged.
Push through your forearms and shoulders, lifting your hips into an inverted “V” position such that your head is between your shoulders.
Pause for a few seconds and then slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

7. Lateral plank walk

This arm toning exercise not just works your arms, shoulders, and abs but also enhances your balance and coordination.

Muscles worked: Shoulders, lats, biceps, triceps, glutes, core.

How to perform

Begin in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
Keeping your core and glutes engaged, move your right arm and right leg about a foot to the right.
Now move your left arm and left foot towards your right limbs.
Keep moving in one direction and after a few steps change direction.

8. Inchworms

A full-body arm exercise at home that can strengthen and stretch various muscle groups and is also easy on your joints.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Muscles worked: Arms, shoulders, core, chest, back, hamstrings.

How to perform

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart on a mat.
Bend forward and lower your hands to the floor.
Now slowly walk your hands toward the front of the mat until you’re in a high plank position.
Pause and then walk your hands back to your feet, while engaging your core and keeping your back flat.
Now return to the starting position by slowly straightening up, one vertebra at a time.
Repeat for reps.

9. Incline push-ups

Finding it hard to perform a regular push-up? Try this arm exercise at home to build your upper body strength and improve your core stability.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscles worked: Shoulders, lats, chest, triceps, core.

How to perform

Stand a few feet away from a bench.
Now lean forward and place your palms on the bench such that your hands are shoulder-width apart.
Keep your heels lifted and your toes planted firmly on the ground.
Keep your body in a straight line with your glutes tightly squeezed. This is the starting position.
Now lower your chest towards the bench by bending your elbows.
Pause for a second before slowly returning to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

10. Dumbbell bicep curl

A must-do arm exercise for beginners, the bicep curl targets your biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis thus giving you more defined arms, stronger elbows, and excellent grip strength.

arm exercises at home

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Muscles worked: Biceps, forearms, wrist.

How to perform

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold one dumbbell in each hand by your sides using a neutral grip. This is the starting position.
Now twist your wrists so that your palms are facing upward and then curl the dumbbell up towards your chest.
Pause for a moment and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

11. Dumbbell lateral raise

This arm exercise for beginners should be in your routine if you want toned shoulders and upper arms, and also improve your shoulder mobility and range of motion.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps.

How to perform

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold one dumbbell in each hand by your sides using a neutral grip. This is the starting position.
Keeping your core engaged, slowly raise the dumbbells to your sides until they reach shoulder height.
Pause for a moment and then slowly lower them to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

12. Overhead Tricep Extension with resistance band

Since resistance bands provide variable resistance, the tension in the band will be maximum at the top of the movement that challenges your triceps effectively, making this a fantastic arm exercise at home.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps

Muscles worked: Triceps.

How to perform

Place a resistance tube under one foot and take a slight forward step with the opposite foot.
With palms facing each other, grasp the handles of the resistance tube with a neutral grip (thumbs facing down).
Your hands should be bent at the elbows at 90 degrees and close to your ears. This is the starting position.
Now slowly extend the handles towards the ceiling.
Pause for a second before returning to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

13. Staggered-stance row with resistance band

A great arm muscle exercise at home to strengthen and tone your upper body.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps.

How to perform

Assume a staggered position with your right foot in front of your left.
Place a resistance band beneath your right foot and grasp one end of the band in each hand.
Gently flex your knees and lean forward at the hips, activating your core and maintaining a straight back.
Stretch your arms toward your right foot while maintaining a slight resistance on the band.
Now pull the band towards your body as far as you can go until your elbows are behind your back.
Pause for a second before returning to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.

14. Seated Biceps Preacher Curls with resistance band

Using a resistance band stabilizes your arm position and hones in on your biceps, thus making this a fabulous at-home arm workout.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Take a resistance tube and secure it under a door with a door anchor.
Sit on the floor with your feet 2 to 3 feet from the door with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor at hip-distance apart.
Hold each handle in one hand with an underhand grip.
Your elbows should be resting firmly on your knees.
Keeping your back straight and your chest up, slowly curl the band towards you and squeeze your biceps until your hands almost touch your face.
Now bring your arms back down until they are fully extended.
Repeat for reps.

15. Dumbbell upright row

The upright row has been proven to be one of the best arm workouts at home for developing shoulder strength and stability.

Reps: 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps

Muscles worked: Shoulders, trapezius, biceps.

How to perform

Stand with a hip-width stance and grab a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Begin by placing the dumbbells at the top of your thighs with your arms extended and your shoulder blades pinned back.
Exhale as you use your deltoids to raise the dumbbells vertically while bending your arms up and moving your elbows out to the sides until the dumbbells reach chest level.
The dumbbells should be close to your torso as you do so.
Squeeze your deltoids, pause for a second, and then return to the starting position.

Tips to remember while doing arm exercises at home

1. Start with a warm-up

Whether you’re doing bodyweight arm exercises or arm exercises with equipment, don’t forget to include a warm-up. You could try jumping jacks, on-the-spot jogging, and even a few dynamic stretches to get your blood flowing.

2. Form is crucial

Maintain good posture and alignment throughout the arm muscle exercises at home. Keep your core engaged, back straight, and shoulders down and back.

arm exercises at home

While using dumbbells or resistance bands, avoid slumping forward as this causes your shoulders to internally rotate resulting in rotator cuff injuries.

3. Train consistently

Ensure that you train your arm muscles at least twice a week for good strength gains.

4. Challenge yourself gradually

While doing arm workouts at home without equipment, ensure that you gradually increase the intensity either by practicing advanced variations or increasing the number of reps and sets.

arm exercises at home

For home arm workout routines with equipment, you could intensify either by increasing the volume (sets and reps) or the weight.

5. Focus on the eccentric phases

Science suggests that having an eccentric phase that is twice the length of the concentric phase has a positive effect on muscle growth.

For instance, while doing a dumbbell bicep curl, if you take 2 seconds to curl the dumbbell up, ensure you take 4 seconds to bring the dumbbell back down for optimal muscle growth.

6. Recovery is super-important

Give at least 48 hours of rest between two consecutive home arm workout routines to allow your muscles to repair and recover.

Conclusion

If you’ve been neglecting your arms because of a lack of time or equipment, now’s the time to change that! Try these arm muscle exercises at home now and watch those flabby arms transform into super-toned muscles!

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Which of these arm workouts at home is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!