6 Easy Exercises For Toned Arms That Actually Work
All you need are a set of dumbbells — or your own body weight.
By Shazrina Shamsudin -
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Want sculpted arms like Miley Cyrus? The kind that look just as good in a tank top as they do wrapped around a cute bag? While the star has credited her amazing physique to Pilates, there are other ways to sculpt, shape and tone your body, like these exercises for toned arms.
Credit: Getty Images
Whether you’re aiming for strength, definition, or just want to feel more powerful in your own skin, these easy dumbbell exercises are your go-to for toning your arms — whether you’re at the gym or squeezing in a quick set at home. No fancy equipment, no complicated routines—just simple, effective moves that work.
But here’s the thing: toned arms aren’t just the result of strength training alone. What you eat and how much cardio you do play a big part too. While lifting weights builds muscle, it’s a combo of a balanced diet and regular cardio that helps reveal those sculpted lines. Think of it as a team effort — fuel, movement, and consistency working together to get you closer to that dream bod.
1. Bicep Curls
Bicep curls are a must for building your arm muscles. It’s one of the classic exercises that have proven to be effective in not only building your strength but also in sculpting your muscles.
All you need to do is grab a dumbbell in each hand, keep your elbows close to your body, and curl those weights up towards your shoulders. Focus on descending slowly (the eccentric phase), while also keeping the ascending phase (the concentric phase) controlled. Increasing the time under the tension can lead to greater muscle growth.
2. Overhead tricep extension
With both hands, hold a heavier dumbbell and raise it above your head. Then, slowly bend your elbows to lower the weight behind you and repeat by lifting it above your head again. This focuses on strengthening your triceps and tones them so you’ll have toned and sculpted arms.
3. Hammer Curls
While many tend to confuse hammer curls with bicep curls, the former has a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and targets different muscle groups like the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. Aside from the muscles, it also helps to improve your grip strength.
4. Lateral Raises
This is one of our favourite exercises when it comes to sculpting our arms. Start with a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, and keep a slight bend in your elbows. Engage your core, keep your back nice and straight, and lift your arms out to the sides—stop once they’re at shoulder height. Then, lower them back down slowly and with control. You’ll definitely feel the burn in your shoulders (in the best way), and over time, this move helps give your arms that toned, defined look we all love.
However, if you’re doing this exercise, it’s important to note that you avoid two things: (1) shrugging your shoulders and (2) using momentum and jerking or swinging the weights to lift them up.
5. Tricep Dips
No dumbbells? No problem. For this exercise, all you need is a flat surface like a bench and position your hands away from the ground. Now, using your body weight, you’ll want to slowly bend your elbows and let your arms descend. Then, follow up by pushing your body up to its original position with your triceps.
6. Arnold Press
The Arnold press is much like a shoulder press, but with a little extra flair. You start with the dumbbells in front of you, palms facing in, and as you press them overhead, you rotate your wrists so your palms face out at the top. Then just reverse the move on the way down.
This works your biceps, shoulders and triceps in one smooth move. Plus, that twisty motion makes your muscles work a bit harder, which means more definition over time.
This article was originally published on Her World.