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The upper arm is the top half of the arm, including the shoulder joint. While some exercises will specifically target the triceps and biceps—the two main muscles in the arms that we tend to think of as our "guns"—most others will hit all upper arms, from front to back.
No matter what kind of upper-body workout you're after, compound movements are the way to go. That said, which moves should you choose? Below is the list of what we think are the five most effective upper arm exercises you can do in just 20 minutes.
Five Best Upper Arm Exercises to Do in 20 Minutes or Less
You will need two sets of dumbbells, light, and medium. Pick a weight that is comfortable for you based on how much you can lift right now.
1) Overhead Press
The overhead press is a challenging upper-arm exercise. It strengthens your chest, shoulders, arms and upper back muscles. This builds more strength and muscle, which helps with other lifts such as clean and jerk or snatch.
How to do it:
- To start the movement, brace your abs and glutes, tilt your head back and drive the bar up toward the ceiling.
- Once it passes your forehead, return your head to neutral while fully straightening your arms overhead.
- At the top of the press make sure your abs, glutes, and lower back are all engaged.
- Slowly lower the bar back down to your shoulders while tilting your head back slightly to make room for the descent.
2) Bicep Curls
The biceps curl is a classic weight-training exercise that targets the upper arms and, to a lesser extent, the forearms. It's a great way to build strength and define your upper arms.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and keep your abdominal muscles engaged.
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand and let your arms relax down at the sides of your body.
- Your upper arms should stay stable, and your shoulders should be relaxed.
- Bend at the elbow and lift the weights so that the dumbbells approach your shoulders or eyes.
- Lower them to the starting position.
- Perform the desired number of reps, and stop doing any further repetitions when you feel you can't do another one correctly.
3) Push-ups
Push-ups are a classic upper-arm exercise that works with your chest, triceps, and core muscles. The best way to do a push-up is on the floor, but you can also do them on an exercise ball or a bench.
How to do it:
- To do a push-up, get onto the floor on all fours and position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Don't straighten your elbows. Keep them slightly bent.
- Extend your legs back so you are balanced on your hands and toes, with feet hip-width apart.
- Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until they form a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale while contracting your chest muscles and pushing back up to the start position.
4) Bent over-row
The bent-over row is the king of upper-arm exercises, and it deserves a place in your workout. The bent-over row works with your biceps, core, and upper and lower back. It's great for building strength and muscle mass—especially if you do it with heavy weights.
How to do it:
- Stand up straight, holding the bar with an overhand grip.
- Bend forward until your torso is parallel to the floor, or slightly higher, then drive your elbows behind you while pulling in your shoulder blades.
- Pull the bar toward your belly button until it touches and hold it there for a second.
- Slowly release the bar back to its original position. Repeat for as many times as you wish.
5) Reverse Fly
The reverse fly is a resistance exercise that works the major muscles of your upper arms and rear shoulders. It's a great addition to any basic strength-training workout, but it can also be done at home or in any basic gym with just a pair of dumbbells.
How to do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells at your sides.
- Hinge forward from your hips, bringing chest toward floor while keeping a straight back and slight bend in the knees.
- Let dumbbells hang straight down while you squeeze your shoulders together and pull them toward your spine.
- Then lower the weights back to starting position as you exhale.
Takeaway
As always, there are many upper arm exercises and variations that can be performed for a given muscle group. However, the bottom line is to work the muscle you're trying to target as hard as possible. Although you can't work for one muscle group in isolation all day, it just might help if you split your workout into two distinct muscle groups to maximize your time in the gym.
