Sleek, well-defined arms are incredibly attractive in man and woman. Having a nice “set of guns” is definitely an important part of looking fit and toned but also is very beneficial for your physical and mental health.
For example it improves muscle tone and strength, helps manage weight, helps prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and others, increases bone density and also leaves your feeling amazing amongst others
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Sadly, did you know that your arms are some of the hardest muscles to build? They’re fairly small compared to the muscles in your chest, back, and legs. This means that they will require a lot more effort to see visible progress. Thankfully, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best dumbbell exercises for your triceps and biceps. These 20 exercises will hit both the front and back of your arms like nothing else can, helping you to get shredded in no time!
For those of you who prefer working out at home, we recommend this great Adjustable Dumbbells kit with weights up to 200lbs!
The 10 Most Effective Biceps Workouts With Dumbbells
Here are the 10 best biceps workouts to perform with dumbbells:
Standing Curls — This is a basic movement that hits your arms very effectively! It’s a beginner-friendly bicep exercise for men, one that anyone can perform with any amount of weight. The beauty of this movement is that there are a lot of ways to perform it: one arm at a time, both arms together, slower for greater concentration, etc. It’s highly efficient and a good exercise to include in your workout
Here’s how it’s done:
Preacher Curls — This movement is best performed with a barbell but using dumbbells is a good alternative. The fact that your elbow is resting on a bench means that ALL of the strain is on your biceps. This isolation exercise is highly effective, and will help to work the short head (the part of the muscle near your elbow). Take the movement slowly and focus on your form, and you’ll see visible progress in no time!
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Here’s how it’s done:
Incline Curls — This exercise has effects similar to preacher curls, but it hits the upper bicep as effectively as the lower bicep. However, it’s a much easier movement than Preacher Curl, one that comes with a lower risk of injury. You can engage your shoulders to help lift the heavy weight, but otherwise, it’s an isolation movement that places all the strain on your arms. You’ll find that it’s one of the best exercises to include in your arm training.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Hammer Curls — If you want to have big arms, you can’t be content just to work out your biceps. You have to pay attention to your forearms as well! With hammer curls, you change the angle of the movement. Twisting your wrists places a lot of strain on your forearms, and you’ll find that it will help to strengthen your grip. It will also give you a WIDER bicep. For more well-rounded arm musculature, it’s the movement you definitely want to include.
Here’s how it’s done:
Concentration Curls — This is another beautiful exercise to isolate your arm muscles and remove your shoulders and back from the equation. It’s not an easy one to get right, and takes a bit of practice to isolate the muscle. But once you master the form, you’ll find that it’s one of the best to work the lower head of the bicep (the part of the bulge near your elbow).
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Here’s how it‘s done:
Drag Curls — This is a slightly unusual workout, but a very effective one. Instead of curling the weight out, you use your arms to drag the dumbbells up along the front of your chest. This places all the strain on the upper head of your biceps (the part near your shoulders), but engages your anterior deltoids (shoulders) and forearms. The result: bigger, stronger arms! Definitely, a movement you want to add to Arm Day.
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Here’s how it’s done:
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Cheat Curls — With a simple standing curl, you use only the strength of your arms to bring the weight to your shoulder. With Cheat Curls, however, you use the motion of your hips and back to lift the weight. The fact that you’re swinging a bit means you can handle a heavier load, making this one of the best arms exercises to increase your curl weight by 10 or 15 pounds. For serious muscle overloading, this is the exercise to try!
Here’s how it’s done:
Outside Curls — Regular bicep curls are highly effective, but they just hit your muscles from one angle. By turning your arms outward (perpendicular to your body), you take the weight off your shoulders and hit your biceps from another angle. It’s a great movement to help build the outside of your arm muscles, giving you the strength needed for Chin-Ups and Pull-Ups. Be warned: don’t use too much weight, or you risk injuring your shoulders or pulling a muscle!
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Here’s how it’s done:
Alternating Iso Hold Curl — This takes a difficult movement and doubles down on the awesome! With this exercise, you do so much more than just curl. While one arm is curling, the other is holding the position. This leads to a VERY effective isometric workout (muscle contractions without moving the muscle), which can seriously enhance your endurance. It’s a good “finisher” to perform at the end of your arm workout.
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Here’s how it’s done:
21 S — This exercise hits your arms from every angle, and it combines strength and endurance training for maximum results. Do it right, and you’ll feel the burn in no time!
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Here’s how it’s done: Grip a dumbbell in each hand. Perform 7 reps of half-curls, bringing the weights from your side up to chest level. Without taking a break, perform 7 reps of Reverse Curls, bringing the weights from shoulder level down to chest level and back up. Without pausing, move on to the final 7 reps of regular Standing Curls. That is 1 set!
These are the best effective dumbbell exercises to help you build bigger biceps. For the most efficient arm workout, perform no more than 8 sets of biceps exercises for men–picking and choosing from among the exercises listed above.
The 10 Most Effective Triceps Workouts With Dumbbells
Here are the 10 best exercises to help you push your triceps to their limits and beyond:
Overhead Extensions — This looks like a simple exercise, but it’s a lot harder than you’d think! The simple action of bending your elbows and lowering/raising the weight is fairly easy. The hard part is keeping your elbows in place. The movement feels unnatural at first, and your body will try to move your elbows to take the pressure off your triceps. Keep those elbows firmly in place, and it will place all the strain on your arm muscles.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Single-Arm Overhead Extensions — This is a one-arm alternative to the overhead extensions. It isolates each arm, meaning that it helps you to focus on the muscles one at a time. You’ll lift less than half of the weight you’d lift with the two-arm Overhead Extensions, but it will hit the muscle from a different angle. For more well-rounded musculature, it’s a good option to have to mix things up.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Skull Crushers — Be warned: if not done properly, this exercise can be as dangerous as it sounds! You are lowering a dumbbell toward your forehead, and if you don’t have proper control over the weight, you can smack yourself in the head or face. But, once you manage to get the form and weight right, you’ll find that this is one of the most effective of the triceps exercises. The isolation of the muscle helps to work both of the muscle heads, and it will help to round out the back of your arms.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Kickbacks — This isolation exercise is one of the best for your triceps, provided you do it correctly. Your instinct will be to swing the weight, but you have to focus on keeping the movement tightly controlled. By controlling the movement of the weight, you enhance the effectiveness of the workout. You’ll also need to keep your elbow tight to your side, and use ONLY the strength of your triceps to kick the weight out behind you. Do it right, and it’s a highly effective arm-building exercise!
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Here’s how it’s done:
Seated Triceps Press — This is a slight variation of the basic Overhead Extension. You perform the same movement, but sitting down rather than standing up. The bench at your back will provide spine and shoulder support, making it easier for you to lift heavier weights. The bench will also keep you conscious of your posture and reduce the amount of swing in the movement. It’s a good way to learn the proper form, which will translate into a more effective workout.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Half Military Press — The Military Press is one of the most effective shoulder exercises. The simple overhead dumbbell press hit your shoulders hard but did you know that your triceps do most of the work in the lower half of the exercise. Your triceps engage in lifting the weights from shoulder level to the level of your head, after which time most of the work is done by your shoulders. A Half Military Press will give your triceps a great workout, along with your delts.
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Here’s how it’s done: Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level, in the proper stance for Military Press. Lift the weights only half-way, no higher than the top of your head. Lower and repeat.
Lying Triceps Extension — This is a great exercise for those who want to hit their triceps hard especially for men! The fact that you’re lying down means that ALL of the strain is placed on your triceps, and your shoulders do very little of the work. It’s a beautifully simple movement, and a highly effective one provided you can keep those elbows steady.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Dumbbell Bench Press to Abs — The Bench Press hits your chest and triceps, but this variation of the bench press will place all the focus on your triceps. Instead of lowering the weights to your chest, you lower them to your abs. This movement hits your core, but it’s your triceps that get the most effective workout for men. With a few sets of this exercise, you can finish off your Chest Day with a killer arm workout.
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Here’s how it’s done: Grip the dumbbells in the Bench Press position (arms directly over shoulders). Lower the weight toward your abs, and stop them before they make contact. Press them back up and return them to their original position.
Dumbbell Tate Press — This is one of the best isolation exercises for your triceps! It’s very similar to Lying Triceps Extension, but with one noticeable difference: instead of lowering the weights over your head, you lower them to your chest. The fact that your arms are turned inward means that this hits your triceps from a new angle, giving you a more effective, better-rounded workout.
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Here’s how it’s done:
Close Grip Dumbbell Press — Yet another great exercise to add to the end of Chest Day! With this exercise, you use one very heavy dumbbell for a Close Grip Press. The close grip takes the weight off your chest and places it squarely on your triceps. It’s a workout that will hit your arms from a different angle, enhancing your musculature and giving you thick triceps.
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Here’s how it’s done:
These 20 exercises will be perfect to help you develop serious biceps and triceps. Add them to any upper body workout, and you’ll see progress in no time.
Just remember: focus on the larger muscle groups first (back, chest, and shoulders), and throw in the arm workouts AFTER. This will ensure maximum economy of strength, preventing you from tiring out too quickly.
Getting the best results will help you stay fit in the long run. Discipline is the key along with focus and determination to make a difference in your body and your life. Above all else, the benefits to your health are the most important thing to think of.
15 minute bicep exercises for men plus a circular workout for men15 minutes, which will seem like 2 hours. Cool, quick bicep exercises for men workout, without equipment, with only its own weight.When you first start with bicep exercises for men training , experience, how do you find strength, and every day you can do more daring things with your body is addictive. The first few months running up performance. Each next workout is better than the last. The euphoria of that to feel every muscle in your body is fierce!Suddenly something happens, change the time of the seasons, children suffer, exams, new job, start a new project … can not get enough sleep – the first day, second day, week, two weeks … fatigue accumulates. bicep exercises for men training you have previously done with ease, now seem overwhelming, your heart taps, do not have enough air … Your body says “I want rest.”For men If you can constantly go up, we would not limit performance. Physical preparation is cyclical, there are periods of rise, plateau, fall, rise, plateau … When you are in a period of decline, but enjoy it as bicep exercises for men training and support do not bother why not improve performance Since listening to your body, not traumatized and I am satisfied with my bicep exercises for men training. In a moment of fatigue decrease workouts to 10-15 minutes a day (typically train 20-30 minutes). During the day, find a job to do something and keep walking for men.Bicep exercises for men workout – the exercises are performed one after another. The aim for men is to implement a maximum number of rounds in 15 minutes.1. Bicep exercises for men workout: Arm pushup + support + rebound: this is a repeat – 10 timesThis exercise is the chest, triceps, abdomen, lower back, shoulders, hips.2. Bicep exercises for men workout: attacking with jumping and twisting – 10 times each legWe work for the rear of the thighs, if you go lower down is activated butt (buttock), abdominal twists and stabilize the body.3. Bicep exercises for men workout :Abdominal diagonals – 10 timesExercise stomach. The legs are raised to not load the lower back.4. Side Bicep exercises for men workout : bunny hop – 10 timesAerobic exercises for men , hamstrings load.How To Create An Effective Workout Program for menWhile the rest of the fitness industry is stuck on burning as many calories in as little time as possible, or getting your heart rate in the target zone, or using the latest and greatest cool new object to test out on their clients, I focus on bicep exercises for men.The start of this is understanding the difference between delivering a workout, and delivering a training program.The biggest difference being, that it’s not just the bicep exercises for men workout that matters. It’s the chain of events that happens after the workout is completed that matters.For men Delivering one super calorie-burning workout is one thing. It’s simple and anyone can do it. But delivering a systematic goal-specific bicep exercises for men workout program that consistently stresses the body so that it doesn’t ever plateau is another. People underestimate the body’s ability to adapt to stress, so if your plan of attack is a 30 minute run 3x/week, bicep exercises for men or a combination of Zumba exercises for men, spin, and yoga classes, yeah you might get some quick short-term results, but it’s only a matter of time before you stop seeing results. Once your body gets used to the bicep exercises for men workout , then you can never do the workout again. To solve this problem, you have to be able to continuously stress the body so that its never able to adapt. This is known in the bicep exercises for men training world as “progressive overload.”Let’s take a 3 step approach to creating a workout program that delivers results.Bicep exercises for men Step 1: Know your goals.Obviously the first step to getting to where you want to go, is knowing where you want to go. For the sake of argument, let’s assume your main goal is fat loss. Now we know that we want to create a bicep exercises for men program that burns the most fat for the longest period of time.Bicep exercises for men Step 2: Understand what each bicep exercises for men workout must entail.So now we know our bicep exercises for men goal is to burn as many calories for as long as possible. This is completely different from the usual mindset of burning as many calories in the shortest time possible. Here are some steps to creating a fat loss workout:1. Bicep exercises for men- It must incorporate resistance bicep exercises for mentraining. While most programs stress doing cardio for fat loss, this simply isn’t enough. In order to get your metabolism up, you have to be able to stress the body enough to create a metabolic disturbance. This means effecting as many of the body’s systems as possible. So while a cardio bicep exercises for men workout will only stress the cardiovascular system, a resistance training exercised for men workout stresses the cardiovascular, muscular, and central nervous systems. 2. Bicep exercises for men- It must stress as much muscle as possible. Most cardio workouts rarely work the muscles through a full range of motion, let alone even use up more muscles than just the legs. Think about your traditional Zumba class, spin class, or cardio equipment. 3. Bicep exercises for men- It must involve a proper warmup. While this isn’t necessarily for the point of burning maximal calories, properly warming up and priming the body for an intense bicep exercises for men workout ensures you not only get the best bang for your buck, but you reduce your risk of injury. And nothing stops results like taking 2-6 weeks out because of a tweaked back or messed up ankle. And when I mean proper warmup, I don’t mean 50 jumping jacks and a 10 minute jog. This only warms up one system, your heart. But remember, we’re working on 3 bicep exercises for men systems, cardiovascular, muscular, and central nervous system. I prefer to warm up with soft tissue work with a foam roller to break up any tight muscle tissue, followed by joint mobility drills, then a muscular warmup through all three planes of motion. I can get into all that in a separate post though Bicep exercises for men Step 3: Knowing how to progress in your bicep exercises for men workouts.So once you’ve put together and performed an intense, full body workout, what next?The next move is to make sure you continue delivering tougher bicep exercises for men, more difficult bicep exercises for men workouts for your body so that it never stalls out. So just remember, if you’re serious about reaching your fat loss goals, don’t think that the same old workout day in and day out will keep giving you bicep exercises for men results. Always strive for pushing past your body’s comfort levels and you’ll be rewarded with the body of your dreams
