Arm Workout: The Best Biceps and Triceps Exercises

This page covers the best biceps and triceps exercises, an arm workout for the gym, a version with dumbbells at home and what changes, or does not, in an arm workout for women. Tap any exercise to see it from every angle.

The biceps on the front of the upper arm bend the elbow and turn the palm up. The brachialis sits under the biceps and also bends the elbow. The triceps on the back of the arm straighten the elbow and make up about two thirds of the upper arm, so they matter most for arm size. One of the three triceps heads crosses the shoulder, which is why overhead extensions train it in a longer stretch. The forearms work in every curl and grip.

Start with pull-ups to load the biceps and back with a heavy compound move. Then train biceps and triceps directly. To save time, pair the curl and the pushdown: one set of curls, rest 45 seconds, one set of pushdowns, rest 45 seconds, and repeat. Train arms one or two times a week with about 6 to 12 hard sets each for the biceps and triceps.

Start with the dumbbell curl. Add the hammer curl, with your palms facing each other, to train the brachialis and forearms. Pull-ups and barbell rows also load the biceps heavily, especially with an underhand grip. If you already do those for your back, two or three sets of curls on top are often enough for good biceps growth. Keep your elbows still and lower the weight slowly.

• Dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 8 to 12
• Hammer curl: 3 sets of 10 to 12
• Pull-up or barbell row: counts toward biceps work

The rope pushdown is the easiest triceps move to learn. The close grip bench press lets you go heavy with the triceps doing most of the work. Dips train the triceps hard with body weight, so keep your torso upright to focus on the arms. An overhead extension with a dumbbell or cable stretches the long head of the triceps. A good plan uses one heavy press and one isolation move.

• Rope pushdown: 3 sets of 10 to 15
• Close grip bench press: 3 sets of 6 to 10
• Dips: 3 sets of 6 to 12
• Overhead dumbbell extension: 3 sets of 10 to 12

You can build your arms with just dumbbells. Curls and hammer curls cover the biceps. Overhead dumbbell extensions and dumbbell kickbacks cover the triceps. Push ups with your hands close together and dips between two sturdy chairs add body weight triceps work. With limited weights, add reps, slow down the lowering part and pause at the hardest point before you buy heavier dumbbells.

• Dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 10 to 12
• Overhead dumbbell extension: 3 sets of 10 to 12
• Hammer curl: 2 sets of 12 to 15
• Close grip push ups: 2 sets close to failure

Women train arms with the same exercises and the same rep ranges as men. The muscles respond the same way. You may start with lighter dumbbells, which is fine. Add reps first, then weight. Lifting weights will not make your arms bulky by accident. Muscle grows slowly and only with steady effort. You also cannot burn fat from one spot. Arm training makes the muscle firmer and stronger, and your overall diet decides how lean your arms look.

There is no shortcut, but steady progress comes quickly for beginners. Train biceps and triceps directly two times a week, keep doing heavy rows and presses, eat enough protein and add weight or reps over time.

Yes. Curls, hammer curls and overhead extensions cover the biceps and triceps well. Add reps or slow down each rep when your dumbbells get too light.

About 6 to 12 hard direct sets each for the biceps and triceps. Rows and presses already train them, so you need less direct work than for bigger muscles.

Three sets of dumbbell curls and three sets of rope pushdowns, two times a week, on top of a full body plan. Learn clean form first, then add weight.

Dumbbell curls, hammer curls, overhead dumbbell extensions, close grip push ups and dips between two sturdy chairs.