Arm workout: 7 biceps and triceps exercises, a sample session and a weekly plan

• Frequency: one or two sessions a week is enough, often at the end of back and chest days, 10-20 minutes.
• Ratio: the triceps make up most of the upper arm, so give them at least as much work as the biceps.
• Load: 8-15 reps, with one or two reps in reserve at the end of each set. Strict reps beat heavy swinging.
• Elbow-friendly: if your elbows ache, change the grip or exercise (hammer curls or a cable, for example) and lower the weight.

Which muscles does an arm workout train?

On the front of the upper arm sits the biceps brachii, which bends the elbow and also rotates the forearm. On the back, the triceps brachii extends the elbow and makes up most of the upper arm’s size. The deeper brachialis and the forearm’s brachioradialis help with bending and are trained by hammer curls.

The arm muscles also get a lot of work during back exercises (rows, pulldowns, pull-ups) and pressing exercises (bench press, overhead press). That is why a weekly arm session does not need many sets: together with the indirect work, volume adds up fast.

Arm exercises: 7 moves, step by step

Pick two biceps and two triceps exercises per session and rotate them every few weeks. Progress comes in smaller steps here: an extra rep, 1 kg, a slower lowering.

1. Standing dumbbell curl

Suggested: 3 × 8-12 reps, 60-90 seconds rest

• The elbows stay at your sides and the shoulders do not swing forward.
• Curl the dumbbell towards your shoulder and squeeze the muscle briefly at the top.
• Lower slowly over 2-3 seconds.
• Easier: seated, with lighter dumbbells, or a band.
• Harder: heavier dumbbells, a slower lowering, or a barbell.

2. Hammer curl

Suggested: 3 × 8-12 reps

• Palms facing each other (neutral grip), elbows at your sides.
• Curl the dumbbell to your shoulder, keeping the wrist straight.
• Lower slowly, no swinging.
• Easier: lighter dumbbells, seated.
• Harder: heavier dumbbells, or a rope on a cable.

3. Incline dumbbell curl

Suggested: 2-3 × 10-12 reps

• Sit on a reclined bench with the arms hanging, so the biceps are stretched.
• Curl the dumbbell up with the elbow staying behind the body.
• Lower fully but do not drop into the bottom.
• Easier: a lighter weight and a smaller range.
• Harder: a heavier weight and a slow lowering.

4. Cable triceps pushdown

Suggested: 3 × 10-15 reps

• Elbows at your sides, shoulders still.
• Push the rope or bar down until the arm is straight and hold briefly.
• Let the handle rise slowly back to chest height.
• Easier: a lighter weight, or a band.
• Harder: a heavier weight, a pause at the bottom and a slow return.

5. Overhead triceps extension

Suggested: 3 × 10-12 reps

• Dumbbell or cable behind the head, elbows pointing up and close together.
• Extend the arms overhead with the ribs down.
• Lower slowly until the triceps are stretched.
• Easier: a lighter dumbbell, seated against a backrest.
• Harder: a heavier weight and a slower lowering.

6. Lying triceps extension (skull crusher)

Suggested: 3 × 8-12 reps

• On your back with arms above the chest, elbows leaning slightly back.
• Lower the weight (EZ-bar or dumbbells) behind your head while the upper arms stay still.
• Press back up, moving only the forearms.
• Easier: lighter dumbbells, or swap for the cable pushdown.
• Harder: a heavier bar and a slow lowering.

7. Close-grip push-up

Suggested: 3 × 6-15 reps

• Hands slightly narrower than shoulder width, elbows close to the body.
• Lower the chest toward the floor, body in one line.
• Push back up with the triceps.
• Easier: hands elevated on a bench, or from the knees.
• Harder: feet elevated, a slow lowering, or a backpack.

Sample arm session (20-30 minutes)

If you train arms on a separate day, three to five minutes of easy warm-up and a few light sets of the first exercise are enough. At the end of a chest or back day you are already warm.

To progress, once you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add 1-2 kg next time and restart from the bottom of the range. For small muscle groups, small steps work better.

How often should you do an arm workout?

One or two sessions a week is enough for most people, especially if your back and chest training is in place. In pooled research, training a muscle twice a week beat once a week, but at equal weekly volume the difference disappeared (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2016).

For muscle growth roughly 10-20 hard sets a week is the supported range (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2017), and rows and presses count towards it. Loads can be heavy or lighter: when sets are taken close to failure, muscle growth is similar (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2017, low versus high load). The ACSM 2009 position stand advises raising the load in steps of about 2-10%.

Common arm training mistakes

• Swinging: body momentum takes over the work. If you swing, the weight is too heavy.
• Shoulders rolling forward in curls: keep the elbows at your sides and the shoulders calm.
• Short range of motion: work from a full stretch to a full curl, otherwise the stretched muscle gets no stimulus.
• Biceps only: most of arm size is the triceps, so train them too.
• Too much arm work, too little of the big lifts: rows, presses and pull-ups build the arms as well, so do not neglect them.

What do the big lifts already give your arms?

Rows, pulldowns and pull-ups train the biceps, while the bench press, overhead press and dips train the triceps. So if you have two back and chest days a week, arm training really is a supplement: two or three exercises at the end are plenty. Find the pulling exercises on our back workout page and the pressing ones on chest workout and shoulder workout.

Elbow-friendly arm training

If you feel a pulling pain in the elbow, try another grip (hammer or an EZ-bar), a lighter weight and a slower tempo. The lying triceps extension (skull crusher) stresses the elbow for many people: cable pushdowns or overhead extensions are gentler. At home you can progress with a band and dumbbells, or even a backpack, as long as you take sets closer to failure. Ideas on our home workout page.

Arm growth needs enough protein too: for people who train, the ISSN suggests 1.4-2.0 g per kg of body weight a day. The protein calculator, high-protein foods and the weekly meal plan help, and protein powder and creatine can supplement.

What to eat with it

Arm training is short and works small muscles, so it needs little extra energy. What counts is enough protein daily and a balanced calorie target: the table works for maintenance or a small surplus (about 12%).

Daily targets for a 30-year-old training 3-5 times a week (Mifflin-St Jeor, as in The Fit Chef app)

Example	Goal	kcal	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Man, 70 kg, 175 cm	Maintenance	2,560	126	334	80
Man, 80 kg, 180 cm	Muscle gain	3,090	160	397	96
Woman, 55 kg, 162 cm	Maintenance	1,940	99	251	60
Woman, 65 kg, 168 cm	Muscle gain	2,410	130	304	75

Your own numbers come from the calorie calculator and the protein calculator. For people who train, the ISSN suggests 1.4-2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day; the high-protein foods chart and the weekly meal plan make it easy to actually hit it.

Recipes for before and after training

Per serving, calculated from the recipe data

Recipe	When	kcal	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)	Time
Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats	before	451	23	58	15	5 min
Mini Chicken Snack Wraps	before	350	40	31	7	10 min
Honey Sriracha Chicken Bowl	after	493	40	59	11	25 min
Steak Fajita Wrap	after	444	38	41	14	20 min

Breakfast · 5 minPeanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats451 kcal23 g proteinSnack · 10 minMini Chicken Snack Wraps350 kcal40 g proteinLunch · 25 minHoney Sriracha Chicken Bowl493 kcal40 g proteinLunch · 20 minSteak Fajita Wrap444 kcal38 g protein

A lighter carb-based breakfast or snack is enough before training, and a meal with about 40 g of protein afterwards. Arm growth comes from total daily protein and progression, not from timing. More on timing and more recipes on the pre and post-workout meals page; creatine and protein powder have their own guides.