Arm Muscle Anatomy Review
Before we get started with arm exercises, let’s review arm anatomy. It’s important for us to understand the muscle groups of the arm being targeted during each exercise.
Note: This isn’t an exhaustive list of all arm muscles, just some of the major arm muscles, including:
- Biceps Brachii
- Triceps Brachii
- Brachioradialis
- Brachialis
Biceps Brachii
- Location: The biceps brachii (or biceps for short) are located on the anterior (front) part of your upper arm between your elbow and shoulder. Your biceps contain two different “heads” or muscle bellies — a short head, and a long head — each with different attachment sites.
- Function: Your biceps accelerate elbow flexion (bending your arm at the elbow), supination (moving from a palm down to palm up position) and assist with shoulder flexion (raising your arm in front of your body).
- Best exercises for biceps: Dumbbell biceps curls, hammer curls, preacher curls.
Triceps Brachii
- Location: The triceps brachii (or triceps for short) are located on the posterior (back) part of your upper arm between your elbow and shoulder. Your triceps contain three different “heads” — a short head, a medial head, and a long head — each with different attachment sites.
- Function: Your triceps accelerate elbow extension (straightening your arm at the elbow) and shoulder extension (moving your arm toward your backside — the exact opposite of shoulder flexion).
- Best exercises for triceps: Triceps pushdowns, narrow-grip bench press, narrow-grip push-up, triceps kickbacks, supine triceps extensions (skull crushers)
Brachioradialis
- Location: Your brachioradialis is a primary muscle of your lateral (thumb-side) forearm. It attaches slightly above the elbow on your humerus (upper arm bone) and near your wrist.
- Function: Your brachioradialis accelerates elbow flexion and assists with supination and pronation of your forearm (moving from a palm down to palm up position and vice versa).
- Best exercises for brachioradialis: Hammer curls, reverse curls, preacher curls.
Brachialis
- Location: Your brachialis lies underneath your biceps brachii on the anterior portion of your arm. It attaches slightly above the elbow on your humerus and slightly below your elbow on your ulna (one of your two forearm bones).
- Function: Your brachioradialis accelerates elbow flexion.
- Best exercises for brachialis: Dumbbell biceps curls, hammer curls, preacher curls.
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Arm Workout: Tips, Sets and Reps
Tips Before You Start...
- Remember, the body has numerous muscles, including those in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
- Use a variety of movements at each joint for a well-rounded routine.
- Pick exercises that target both upper and lower portions of the arms.
- Do whatever works for you! The examples provided are just suggestions.
Reps For An Arm Workout
Aim for a moderate rep range of around 8-12 reps per set for optimal muscle growth, strength, and hypertrophy in the biceps, triceps, and other arm muscles.
You’ll want enough weight to ensure that you reach muscle fatigue within that rep range while maintaining proper form and technique throughout each set.
Use moderate loads and repetitions to improve both muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth) and muscular endurance. Increase your sets and reps as your fitness and strength improve.
Want to take the guesswork out of your strength training? Try using a one-rep calculator. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned lifter, this handy tool can help you determine your estimated one-rep max (1RM) based on your current lifting performance.
Sets For An Arm Workout
Three-five sets per exercise is enough to give you a challenging arm workout. These sets help you target the arm muscles from different angles and provide an adequate stimulus for muscle growth and strength development.
Do each set until you reach muscular fatigue. The last few reps should be hard, but you should still be able to keep the ideal form, posture, and technique throughout the entire set.
You can also adjust the number of sets based on your fitness level, time, and overall workout.
Arm Workouts: What You Need to Know
What Are The Best Arm Exercises?
When it comes to arm workouts, it's important to target different muscle groups of the arm for overall arm strength and development.
Below we will review some of the best arm workouts that target various muscles in the arms including:
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Best arm workouts for biceps
1. Barbell biceps curls
2. Dumbbell hammer curls
3. Cable biceps curls with shoulder flexed
Best arm workouts for triceps
1. Cable triceps extensions
2. Bench dumbbell triceps extensions
3. Cable triceps extensions with shoulder flexed
Best arm workouts for forearms
1. Wrist flexion
2. Wrist extension
3. Wrist supination/pronation
1. Barbell Bicep Curls
Preparation
1. Stand while holding a barbell in both hands
Movement
1. Flex both elbows, keeping your shoulder blades retracted.
2. Curl bar up to about chest level. Do not allow your lower back to arch. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
3. Slowly lower the bar back to the original position by extending your elbows.
4. Do 6–12 repetitions and 3–5 sets.
Technique Tips
- To decrease stress on your elbows, don’t grip too close or too wide on the bar.
- To determine grip width, extend your elbows so your hands fall naturally to your sides, palms facing forward.
- Where your hands fall at your sides is the position they should be in when they grip the bar.
2. Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Preparation
1. Stand with your feet flat on the floor, pointing straight ahead.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides, palms facing each other.
Movement
1. Flex your elbows while keeping your palms facing each other.
2. Keep your shoulder blades retracted throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly return dumbbells to their original position.
4. Do 6–12 repetitions and 3–5 sets.
3. Cable Biceps Curls With Shoulder Flexed
Preperation
1. Stand while holding the handle of a cable attachment with your shoulder flexed.
Movement
1. Flex your elbow, keeping your shoulder blade retracted. Curl until your elbow is fully flexed.
2. Slowly return to the original position by extending your elbows.
3. Do 6-12 repetitions and 3-5 sets.
Best Arm Workouts For Triceps
1. Cable Triceps Extension
Preperation
1. Sit upright with feet shoulder-width apart and pointed straight ahead.
2. Grasp two cable handles with your elbows flexed.
3. Keep your shoulder blades retracted and depressed.
Movement
1. Push your hands toward the ground until your arms are fully extended. Don’t allow your shoulders to elevate toward your ears during the exercise.
2. Hold.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.
4. Do 6–12 repetitions and 3–5 sets.
Technique Tips
- Using a cable attachment when performing cable pushdowns will allow your elbows to track through their natural path of motion instead of having your hands closely fixed on a bar. This may help decrease stress on your elbows.
2. Bench Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Preparation
1. Lie on a flat bench.
2. Put your feet flat on the floor with toes pointing straight ahead.
3. Hold dumbbells in both hands with elbows flexed.
Movement
1. Extend your elbows until your arms are straight.
2. Hold.
3. Slowly lower each dumbbell toward your forehead by flexing your elbows. Be sure to keep your low-back in a neutral position throughout the exercise. Do not let it excessively arch off the bench.
4. Repeat.
5. Do 3-5 sets and 6-12 repetitions.
Technique Tips
- Opt to have your hands shoulder-width apart to decrease joint stress on your elbows.
3. Cable Triceps Extension With Shoulder Flexed
Preparation
1. Stand while holding a handle to a cable attachment, (your back to the machine) with your shoulder flexed.
Movement
1. Perform a triceps extension by extending your elbow until your arm is straight. The only movement that occurs should be at the elbow— avoid flexing or extending your shoulder.
2. Slowly return to the original position by flexing your elbow.
3. Do 3-5 sets and 6-12 repetitions.
Best Arm Workouts For Forearms
1. Wrist Flexion
Preparation
1. Sit on a bench or stability ball with one arm comfortably rested on a table or other sturdy object.
2. Hold a light dumbbell with your palm facing upward and slightly hanging off the table.
Movement
1. Perform wrist flexion through a comfortable range of motion.
2. Hold.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.
4. Do 3-5 sets and 6-12 repetitions.
2. Wrist Extension
Preparation
1. Sit on a bench or stability ball with one arm comfortably rested on a table or other sturdy object.
2. Hold a light dumbbell with your palm facing downward and slightly hanging off the table.
Movement
1. Perform wrist extension through a comfortable range of motion.
2. Hold.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.
4. Do 3-5 sets and 6-12 repetitions.
3. Wrist Supination/Pronation
Preparation
1. Sit on a bench or stability ball with one arm comfortably rested on a table or other sturdy object.
2. Hold a lightweight object with your palm facing upward and slightly hanging off the table.
Movement
1. Perform wrist pronation by turning your lower arm from a palm-up position to a palm-down position.
2. Reverse the movement to perform wrist supination.
3. Do 3-5 sets and 6-12 repetitions.
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Best Arm Workouts For Men
Although men’s arm muscles tend to be bigger than women’s, they’re also typically less flexible. So, to get the best arm workout, men should warm up properly, not overtrain, and do exercises that target all the important muscles and joints.
Men tend to achieve hypertrophy (increase in muscle size) more easily than women. They have larger and longer bones with more surface area for muscle to attach. Men’s muscles are also generally bigger because of differences in genetics and hormones (i.e., higher testosterone levels) (3).
But men also have stiffer muscles and tendons, which means they can potentially injure themselves more easily. Technically, men and women have the same capacity to improve their flexibility, but women’s baseline muscle flexibility and pliability are much greater on average.
A common mistake men make in arm workouts is focusing on increasing muscle size as much as possible and overtraining certain muscle groups over others (usually the ones that look larger such as the biceps) and ignoring the small muscles that stabilize the joints (5). For instance, some men may spend many sets and reps on the deltoids or biceps while ignoring the rotator cuff, potentially leading to injury.
A complete arm workout for men should include a warmup and exercises that target all of the arm muscles, including the triceps, biceps, forearms, and shoulders (the deltoids as well as rotator cuff muscles for stability).
Here are some examples of the best arm exercises for men:
- Triceps extensions
- Shoulder presses
- Front and lateral raises
- Rear delt flys
- Cable face pulls
- Biceps curls
- Heavy carries emphasizing grip strength
- Banded external rotations
- Blackburn T/Y
- Cuban presses
Best Arm Workouts For Women
Women, in general, have smaller muscles, less testosterone, and less upper body strength compared to their size than men. But technically, women and men have the same potential for strength and muscle gains through resistance training. So, the best arm exercises for women and the best arm exercises for men will be very similar.
Women also tend to have higher flexibility and endurance levels than men. For example, women weightlifters can typically handle much higher volumes, recover faster in between sets, and require less rest and recovery time between lifts. Because they’re more flexible, women athletes are less likely to get sprains and strains than men.
Just like men, the best arm workout for women should include a warm-up and exercises that target all the major and minor arm muscles. There’s also currently some research being done that suggests that women might see better muscle gains increasing volume rather than lifting to failure (1, 2).
Here are some examples of the best arm exercises for women:
- Triceps extensions
- Shoulder presses
- Front and lateral raises
- Rear delt flys
- Cable face pulls
- Biceps curls
- Heavy carries emphasizing grip strength
- Banded external rotations
- Blackburn T/Y
- Cuban presses
Best Arm Stretches Before And After An Arm Workout
Stretching (static or dynamic) and warming up can reduce the risk of injuries and get you mentally ready for training (4). You should also always stretch out your muscles after working out.
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Here are some arm stretches and warm-ups you can do before and after an arm workout:
Arm Swings
Preparation
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and extend both arms out to the sides.
Movement
- Reach your arms behind you and cross them in front of your body.
- Do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions.
Technique Tips
- Don’t move too quickly.
- Move your arms in a controlled, steady fashion, slowly increasing range of motion with each repetition.
Arm Circles
Preparation
- Stand up with your knees slightly bent.
- Feet should be about hip-width apart.
- Fully extend your arms out to the side (elbows should be straightened and shoulders raised to about 90 degrees from your torso).
Movement
- Rotate your arms and wrists so the top of your hand moves forward and then back to neutral.
- Do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions.
- Reverse the direction and allow the palms of the hands to come forward.
- Do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions.
Technique Tips
- Make sure your movements are steady and controlled.
Wrist Pulls
Preparation
- Sit or stand and extend one arm forward.
- Supinate your wrist until the palm of your hand is facing upwards.
- Grab 3–4 fingers (excluding the thumb) with the opposite hand.
Movement
- Gently pull on the fingers, allowing the wrist to extend until you feel a stretch.
- Hold this position for a static stretch or do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions for an active stretch.
- Repeat movement with the other arm.
Technique Tips
- Only pull to the point of stretching without pain or discomfort. Don’t hyperextend the wrist.
- Move slowly and steadily if you’re doing the active version of the stretch.
Biceps Stretch (Seated or Standing)
Preparation
- Stand near a wall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Extend your arm to the side with the elbow fully extended and shoulder abducted to 90 degrees.
- Turn your wrist forward until the palm of your hand is parallel with the floor.
- Place the side of your hand up against the wall.
Movement
- Extend the elbow gently against the traction taking care not to open the shoulder.
- Ensure that the tension from the stretch is on the bicep.
- Hold this position for a static stretch or do 1 set of 8–10 repetitions for an active stretch.
- Repeat movement with the other arm.
Technique Tips
- You might feel this stretch in your shoulder at first. Adjust as needed until you feel it in the biceps instead.
Want to keep building your upper body? Here are some back exercises and shoulder workouts to add next!
At-Home Arm Workouts
A lot of the arm workouts we’ve shown so far are done with gym equipment, but it’s totally possible to do arm workouts at home. Are you ready to take your fitness to the next level from the comfort of your own home?
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Arm Workout FAQs
Is It Okay To Train Arms Everyday?
You can safely train your arms between 2 and 6 times per week. But as the frequency increases, the recommended number of exercises per day decreases. For instance, if you train arms twice a week, it is advisable to perform 2 to 3 exercises per session, 3 to 4 sets total. On the other hand, if you choose to train arms 6 days a week, focusing on one exercise per muscle group each day is recommended, with just 2 sets per workout.
Are 5 Exercises Enough For Arms?
Yes, five exercises are enough for arms. Experts recommend 15 to 25 sets total for your workout. Each exercise should consist of 2 to 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions. So if you do 3 sets per exercise, you should aim to include approximately 5 to 8 different exercises in your workout session.
Are Shorter Workouts Still Effective?
Absolutely. In fact, 10-15-minute workouts are highly effective for not only breaking a sweat but challenging yourself during workouts. At NASM, we have plenty of short workout tips to help you get in a challenging arm workout to help you stay moving.
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