14 Dumbbell Exercises For Seriously Toned Arms
You may think toning your arms á la J.Lo or Jennifer Garner requires a gym full of equipment. But all you need to sculpt some seriously strong limbs is a pair of dumbbells, 15 minutes and these dumbbell exercises.
Below, Tatiana Lampa, a trainer at FitHouse and SLT, along with Michelle Marques, a trainer at Soho Strength Lab, share 14 different dumbbell exercises for arms you should start doing on the reg to add muscle definition to your upper body.
Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells
Good for: Arms, total body
Instructions: Choose six moves from the list of dumbbell exercises below and do each for 8 to 12 reps then continue to the next one. Do three to four sets of all six exercises to create a complete arm workout. Crank out this routine two to three times a week for some amazing results.
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1. Biceps Curl
How to: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your body. Keep your back straight, chest up, and biceps glued to your rib cage. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the weights toward your shoulders, palms facing up. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position, straightening your arms completely. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
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2. Curtsy Lunge With Biceps Curl
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand. Take a big step back with your left leg, crossing it behind your right but keeping your hips facing forward. Bend your knees and lower down until your back knee almost touches the floor. At the same time, bend your elbows and bring the weights toward your shoulders, elbows pointing down and forearms rotated to the sides. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps on one side then repeat on the other.
3. Upright Row
How to: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the weights, keeping them close to your body, by raising your elbows up and out to the sides until the dumbbells reach your chest. Slide them back down to your waist and repeat. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
4. Rear Delt Fly
How to: Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hinge at the hips and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing your body. Raise both arms, in a “W” shape, out to the sides as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
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5. Triceps Kickback
How to: Grab a set of dumbbells and stand with your feet two-fists-width apart. Hinge at the hips and bend your arms to 90 degrees. Press the dumbbells back, and as you straighten your arm, squeeze your triceps. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
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6. Overhead Triceps Extension
How to: Grip a dumbbell in each hand and lift the weights overhead, arms straight, feet hip-width apart. Keeping your upper arms by your ears and the weights pressed together, bend your elbows to lower the weights slowly behind your head. Pause, then straighten your arms, returning to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
7. Triceps Dips
How to: Sit down with you feet flat on the ground and knees bent. Place two dumbbells just behind your butt and rest one palm on top of each. Your hands should be facing toward you. Keeping your arms straight, hover your butt off the ground. Bend your arms and lower until your butt taps the ground. Push yourself back up to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
8. Plank With Biceps Curl
How to: With a dumbbell in each hand, get into a high-plank position. Keeping your body in one straight line and hips level, slowly curl one dumbbell toward your shoulder squeezing your bicep at the top. Lower it back down to the floor. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
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9. Plié Squat With Curl
How to: Stand with feet slightly wider than your shoulders, toes pointed out at 45 degrees, torso upright. Hold a set of dumbbells in your hands. Inhale as you bend your knees and sink your hips down aiming to get your thighs parallel to the floor, while curling the dumbbells toward your shoulders and squeezing your biceps at the top. Exhale and drive through your heels back to your starting position as you straighten your arms. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
10. Write Your Name
How to: Hold a single dumbbell in both hands. Extend your arms out in front of you at chest height. Slowly and with control, write your name in the air. Each letter is a rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
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11. Dumbbell Floor Press
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms upward over your chest, palms facing toward each other. With control, bend your arms and lower them to your sides until your triceps touch the floor. Your elbows should form a 45 degree angle with your body. Slowly reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
12. Lying Overhead Triceps Extension
How to: Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms reaching toward the ceiling at shoulder height. Slowly bend at the elbows to bring the weights to your temples; pause, then, slowly bring the weights back overhead. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
Want to take your dumbbell exercises to the next level? This dumbbell set has 8 x 1kg and 4 x 2.5kg weight plates so you can adjust the weights you’re using with ease.
13. Single-Arm Dumbbell Floor Press
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in left hand and extend your arm upward over your chest, palm facing away from you. Slowly bend your arm and lower it to the side until your elbow touches the ground. Your elbow should form a 45 degree angle with your body. Reverse the movement and return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 10 reps on your left side, then repeat on your right.
14. Alternating Dumbbell Floor Press
How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms upward over your chest, palms facing toward each other. Slowly bend your left arm and lower it to the side, until your elbow touches the ground. Your upper arm should form a 45 degree angle with your body. Reverse the movement and return to start. Repeat on the right side. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 reps.
Confident with these dumbbell exercises and want to give another piece of equipment a go? Try this 15-minute kettlebell workout that’ll give you major gains.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
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