Whether it’s a celebrity on the red carpet or an influencer on social media, some people are blessed with beautifully toned and sculpted arms. However, while genetics always plays a small role in determining the shape of your body, shaping your upper arms requires patience and consistency at the gym.
As a personal trainer, I often have people asking me how they can shape their upper arms. My answer? Lift weights. But what moves are best? To help you on your way to shapely arms, here’s my five-move dumbbell workout that you can do at home or the gym. Grab a set of adjustable dumbbells, and let's get started.
Before I share my upper-arm sculpting workout, it’s worth getting to grips with the various muscles in the upper arms. These muscles can be split into anterior (front) and posterior (back).
The most well-known muscles at the front of the arms are the biceps; underneath the biceps is the brachialis, a strong but less visible muscle; next to this is the smaller coracobrachialis, which helps move your arm forward and inward at the shoulder.
At the back of the upper arms are the triceps. Then, there are the shoulder muscles known as the deltoids — the rounded caps at the tops of your shoulders. They’re split into three sections: front, middle and back. Together, all these muscles let you lift, push, pull and rotate your arms, so working them consistently is how you create that sculpted upper-arm look.
How to shape your upper arms
Hours of cardio, such as running or cycling, won’t build your upper arm muscles; however, cardio will help you burn the fat that lies on top so your muscles can shine through. This is essentially what toning is: burning fat and building muscle, known as body recomposition.
Resistance training is the best way to build strength in the arms. This means lifting weights and challenging the muscles. To grow muscle, research in the journal Sports suggests that it’s best to work in sets of eight to 12 reps, working between 60-80% of your one-rep max, which is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single rep of a specific exercise with good form.
Alongside lifting weights, eating the right foods goes a long way in helping to burn fat and build lean muscle. Processed foods such as ready meals, crisps, pastries, cakes and sugary cereals are fine every so often, but they won’t support your toning goals as they’re usually packed with fats and sugar.
Instead, include plenty of muscle-building protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, eggs and tofu, alongside whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables.
If you can include two to three upper-body workouts into your routine each week while following a diet that’s 80% whole foods, you’ll be well on your way to the lean, toned arms you’re after.
The five-move dumbbell routine to shape your upper arms
Try the exercises below, following the given sets and reps. Try to make sure the last rep or two in any set is a struggle. This might mean adjusting your weight. Over time, aim to increase the weight you use or add an extra rep or two to each set.
1. Dumbbell Arnold press
- Start with your dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you.
- As you press the weights overhead, rotate your palms to face forward.
- Pause here, then slowly lower back down, rotating palms back toward you.
- 4 sets, 10 reps.
2. Dumbbell side raises
- Stand or sit with your dumbbells by your sides, palms facing inward towards your body.
- Lift your arms straight out to the sides until they’re at shoulder height. Try to lead with your elbow.
- Slowly lower back down.
- 4 sets, 10 reps.
3. Dumbbell biceps curls
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Bend your elbows to lift the weights toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms locked to your side.
- Lower slowly, controlling the movement.
- 4 sets, 10 reps. If you struggle with the weight, alternate sides until you’ve completed 20 reps.
4. Dumbbell triceps extensions
- Hold one heavy dumbbell in both hands with arms extended overhead.
- Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your upper arms still, close to your ears.
- Press back up to straighten the arms.
- 4 sets, 10 reps.
5. Dumbbell 90-degree open and close
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with arms at 90-degree angles and elbows in line with your face. Dumbbells should face in towards each other.
- Maintaining a 90-degree angle, rotate your elbows out so your dumbbells face forward.
- Then, rotate back to the start.
- 4 sets, 10 reps.
More from Tom's Guide
- 4 reasons you’re not building muscle in the gym — according to a strength and conditioning coach
- Forget sit-ups — you only need 10 minutes and 3 moves to build a stronger core and boost your posture
- No Weights Needed: Build Strength and Tone in Just 20 Minutes with This 5-Move Routine
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