Having strong, toned arms can make all the difference to our appearance and body confidence. With the festive period in full swing and Christmas parties just around the corner, you might be wondering how to tone your arms fast.
Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The following are some of the most effective exercises to include in your at-home arm workouts. For best results, repeat each exercise for three sets of 12 reps. And don’t forget to rest in between sets!
1. Bicep curl
This is a classic arm exercise that is great for targeting your biceps on the front of your upper arm.
How to do it:
- Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands at your sides, palms facing forward.
- Keeping your arms tucked into your sides, bend your elbows to bring the weights to your shoulders.
- Lower back down and repeat.
2. Triceps kickback
This exercise targets your triceps which are located at the back of your upper arm. They help stabilize your shoulders and support movements that involves extending your arms.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing each other.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the waist.
- Keeping your arms close to your sides, straighten your arms and push the dumbbells backwards so that they are behind you.
- Hold and slowly bring your arms back to starting position.
- Repeat.
3. Chest press
Chest presses target multiple muscles in your upper body at once including your triceps, pectorals (chest muscles) and deltoids (shoulder muscles).
How to do it:
- Lie on an exercise mat on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing the floor.
- Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and hold the dumbbells wider than your chest. You are now in the starting position.
- Keep your elbows bent and push the dumbbells up above you until your arms are straight - don’t lock your elbows!
- Slowly lower back down to the starting position and repeat your reps.
4. Front and lateral raises
Lateral raises are great at working out your shoulder muscles and triceps, while front raises target shoulder and chest muscles as well as your biceps.
How to do a lateral raise:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing towards your body.
- With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor.
- Slowly lower to starting position and repeat.
How to do a front raise:
- Get into the same starting position as with a lateral raise, but hold your dumbbells in front of your legs and palms facing your thighs.
- Keeping your arms straight, raise them out in front of you so that they are parallel to the ground.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
The perfect arm workout accessories
Ready to get cracking but don’t have the right equipment? Our 4kg dumbbell strength bars are the perfect match for the exercises above. They are easy to hold and add just the right amount of resistance to your movements to help tone, sculpt and strengthen.
If you’re just getting started and looking for something lighter, try our 6lb fitness bars instead. Again, these are easy to hold and help you achieve toned and lean looking arms.
Let us know how you get on, we'd love to know what you think!
What are your favourite arm exercises? Tell us in the comments below.