5 Arm Workouts with Weights for Men to Build Muscle

Arm workouts help build biceps, triceps and forearms. (Photo via Unsplash/Bastien Plu)
Arm workouts help build biceps, triceps and forearms. (Photo via Unsplash/Bastien Plu)

Toned and strong arm muscles do more than just look good and make you feel more muscular and confident in your appearance. There are also health benefits that come from doing regular arm workouts.

Having stronger arms helps you with everything – from boosting your sports performance and crushing your exercise sessions to carrying groceries and moving furniture. Moreover, stronger arms also help stabilize the joints and protect the bones from injuries.

Fortunately, training the arms doesn’t require much. Just a set of simple arm workouts using the appropriate weight can get you the desired results.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the most productive arm workouts for men. These exercises target the biceps, triceps, and forearms and help develop your arm’s size and strength.


Arm Workouts with Weights

Check out the following five most effective arm exercises to strengthen and tone the muscles:

1) Overhand Curl

Overhand bicep curls are one of the best arm workouts that target the forearms and biceps at the same time and help develop total arm strength.

To perform this exercise:

  • Hold a dumbbell in both hands, and position them at your sides. Keep your palms facing towards your thighs and the arms straight down.
  • Stand straight with your feet at shoulder width, and bend your knees slightly.
  • Tighten your core muscles, and drive your heels into the floor as you lift one dumbbell towards your shoulder. Simultaneously, rotate your arm as it moves up so that your palm faces forward.
  • Lower the dumbbell to the side, and repeat the movement with your other arm.
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2) Triceps Kickback

Triceps kickbacks are another very effective arm exercise that helps build upper body strength and also improves movement in the elbows and shoulders. This exercise brings stability to the arms and shoulders, enhances range of motion, and improves flexibility as well.

To perform this exercise:

  • Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle, palms facing each other, and slightly bend your knees.
  • Engage your abs, and hinge at your waist. Slightly tilt your torso forward.
  • Keep your spine neutral. There should be no rounding or arching of the back. Keeping your arms close to your body, push the dumbbells back behind you while straightening your arms.
  • As you push the weight back, do not move your upper arms or elbows.
  • Pause before reversing the movement to bring the dumbbells back to the starting point.
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3) Front Raise

The front raise is one of the fundamental strength training arm workouts that helps develop strength and increase definition in the arms.

To perform this exercise:

  • Stand upright with your feet at shoulder width. Keep a slight bend in your knees, and hold the dumbbells using an overhand grip. Position the dumbbells in front of your thighs.
  • Keeping your arms straight and stable, lift the dumbbells up and out till they reach shoulder level. As you lift the weights, make sure to keep your abs tight and not lean back.
  • Slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position, and repeat.
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4) Barbell Reverse Curl

The barbell reverse curl is also one of the most productive arm workouts that increases the strength and size of the forearms and biceps. It's one of the best arm builders that can help you achieve impressive arm size.

To perform this exercise:

  • Stand tall, and grab a barbell with both hands. Position your hands at shoulder width, and hold the barbell using an overhand grip.
  • Flex your elbows, and slowly rotate the barbell up using only your forearms. Continue to move the barbell up till the palms face out, and the barbell gets in line with your shoulders.
  • Return the weight back down slowly to the starting position. Repeat.
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5) Prone Dumbbell Spider Curl

Spider curls isolate the arm muscles and help build bigger biceps. This exercise targets both heads of the biceps, namely the long and short heads, and also allows for a full range of motion.

To perform this exercise:

  • Lie down on an incline bench. Hold a dumbbell in both hands, and allow them to hang under your shoulders.
  • Keeping your upper body stable and using just your biceps, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders.
  • Return the dumbbells to their starting position, and repeat.
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Takeaway

To prevent injuries while performing the aforementioned arm workouts, make sure to use the correct form, and avoid using a weight that’s too heavy.

For exercises that require you to move the weight over your head, be extra careful and, if possible, have a spotter to help you lower the weights. If you're unsure how to perform these arm workouts safely, the best you can do is work with a fitness trainer till you can perform them correctly on your own.

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