Arm Workout with Dumbbells, Bands or at the Gym
Pick where you train and your level: at home with dumbbells, with a resistance band or at the gym. You get an arm workout with sets, reps and rest times. Below are arm exercises with video and technique.
In short
An arm workout is 5 exercises for biceps, triceps and shoulders after an upper-body warm-up. Train arms 2 times a week with 48 hours between sessions: a beginner does 3 sets of 10–12 reps and rests 75 seconds. The generator below builds an arm workout at home with dumbbells, with a band or at the gym.
AtletIQ · Arm Workout with Dumbbells, Bands or at the Gym · At home with dumbbells · Beginner · atletiq.com/en/exercises/arms/
Estimated time
about35minutes
5 exercises in the main part plus a warm-up of about 5 minutes.
- Total 15 sets
- Set ≈40 sec
Go down the list from top to bottom. In “3 × 10–12” the first number is sets and the second is reps per set. Rest between sets for the time shown.
Warm-up of about 5 minutes
Main part5 exercises
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1
Tate PressTate press · Triceps
3 × 10–12rest 75 sec
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2
Seated Dumbbell CurlBiceps curl
3 × 10–12rest 75 sec
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3
Standing Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionTriceps extension
3 × 10–12rest 75 sec
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4
Hammer CurlsHammer curl · Biceps
3 × 10–12rest 75 sec
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5
Dumbbell Lateral RaiseLateral raise · Shoulders
3 × 12–15rest 60 sec
Exercises by muscle
Dumbbell curls, hammer curls and the EZ-bar curl
Cable pushdowns, French presses and parallel bar dips
Dumbbell lateral raises, band presses and the low-cable lateral raise
Wrist curls on a cable and with dumbbells on a bench
Popular arm exercises
24 exercises
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Video Triceps Pushdown Triceps -
Video Barbell Curl Biceps -
Video Standing EZ Bar Curl Biceps -
Video Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press Triceps -
Video Dips — Triceps Version Triceps -
Video Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl Biceps -
Video Lying Barbell Triceps Extension (French Press) Triceps -
Video Alternate Hammer Curl Biceps -
Video Standing Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension Triceps -
Video Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension Triceps -
Video Bench Dips Triceps -
Video Dip Machine Triceps -
Video Preacher Curl Biceps -
Video Concentration Curls Biceps -
Video One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl Biceps -
Video Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl Biceps -
Video Dumbbell One-Arm Triceps Extension Triceps -
Video Decline EZ Bar Triceps Extension Triceps - Video Hammer Curls Biceps
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Video JM Press Triceps -
Video Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension Triceps -
Video Seated Triceps Press Triceps -
Video Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension Triceps -
Video Standing Biceps Cable Curl Biceps
No exercises match these filters.
How to train
How the workout is built
Start with an upper-body warm-up (shoulders and wrists) of about 5 minutes, then do the 5 exercises in order. At home with dumbbells: Tate press, seated biceps curl (alternating with experience), standing triceps extension (lying with experience), hammer curl (Zottman curl with experience) and lateral raise. With a band: reverse push-up (close-grip with experience), biceps curl, triceps extension (lying triceps extension with experience), overhead press and lateral raise. At the gym a beginner does the machine dip, EZ-bar curl, cable pushdown, hammer curl and dumbbell lateral raise; with experience: parallel bar dips, barbell curl, rope pushdown, incline dumbbell curl and the low-cable lateral raise.
Do dumbbell curls seated on a chair with your elbows against your body. Do the Tate press lying on the floor or a bench, elbows out to the sides, lowering the dumbbells to your chest; in the lying triceps extension lower the dumbbells toward your ears. For the band biceps curl anchor the loop under your feet; for the overhead press and the lateral raise stand on the band in the middle. Do the band triceps extension standing, with the loop anchored to a door or a pull-up bar; do the band lying triceps extension on the floor with the band anchored low to a sofa leg or a door. Do the low-cable lateral raise standing sideways to the machine, one arm at a time.
Weight and progression
Train arms 2 times a week and leave 48 hours between sessions. A beginner does 3 sets of 10–12 reps, the last exercise, for the shoulders, 12–15. Reverse and close-grip push-ups with no weight are done for 10–15 reps at any level.
With experience the first two exercises get 4 sets of 8–10 reps, the rest 3 sets of 10–12, and the last, for the shoulders, 12–15. Choose a weight that leaves 2 reps in reserve at the end of a set. When you reach the top of the rep range in every set, add dumbbell weight, take a stiffer band or move to a harder variation: from reverse push-ups to close-grip ones.
Time and rest
The estimated time includes the warm-up and rest between sets. A set takes about 40 seconds, and a one-arm exercise twice as long.
A beginner rests 75 seconds, and 60 seconds after the last exercise, for the shoulders. With experience rest is 90 seconds after the first two exercises and 60 seconds after the rest. Between sets of push-ups with no weight rest 60 seconds at any level.
Log weights and sets in the AtletIQ app
AtletIQ saves the weight and reps of every set, calculates your working weight and shows your progress on each exercise.
- Working weight for your goal and fitness level
- Sets, reps and rest in your workout log
- Progress for every exercise
| Workout | Weight | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35.5 kg | 3 × 10 |
| 2 | 40 kg | 3 × 8 |
| 3 | 33 kg | 4 × 12 |
FAQ
Why do my arms hurt after a workout and what should I do?
Soreness for 1–3 days after a new or heavy workout is normal: triceps ache after push-ups and presses, biceps after curls. Light walking, stretching your arms and shoulders after the workout and sleep help; train arms again once the pain has gone. If you have sharp pain in an elbow or wrist, or swelling, stop the workout and see a doctor.
Can I build my arms without dumbbells?
With no weight the triceps work: close-grip and reverse push-ups. The biceps work in reverse-grip pull-ups, but without those and without weight they get almost no load, so you need a band or dumbbells. Choose “With a resistance band” or “At home with dumbbells”.
How many times a week should I train arms?
Twice a week, with at least 48 hours between arm workouts.
How do I lose fat on my arms?
You cannot burn fat from your arms alone: it goes from the whole body during an overall calorie deficit. Arm training builds the muscles, and the shape of your arms shows more as fat drops. Combine it with full-body workouts, walking and a moderate calorie deficit.
Which is better: an arm day or arms together with back and chest?
The triceps work in presses and the biceps in rows, so arms fit well into chest and back workouts. A separate arm day makes sense when the main lifts are heavy and the arms lag behind. To start, take a full-body workout and add an arm day later.
AtletIQ app
A workout log with working weight calculation: program, sets and progress on your phone.