With summer just around the corner, it’s time to shed the long sleeves and show the world how hard
you’ve been working! Despite popular belief, you don’t need an expensive gym membership or a star
personal trainer to get yourself a set of beautifully toned arms. The best arm workouts for women can be
done anytime and anywhere, whether it’s in your backyard, your living room or in the park with your girl
gang.
Haven’t committed to the home gym set up? We won’t let that stop you! You can do these arm workouts with
weights or without. If you don’t have a set of dumbbells, get creative and substitute them for anything
in the kitchen cupboard, like canned goods, wine or water bottles.
What are good arm workouts to get you strong and sculpted for summer? We’ve listed nine of our
favourites below, targeting biceps, triceps and shoulders, along with your core, back and chest as an
added bonus. Challenge yourself by completing them all, use them to create your own workout or pepper
them into your full body workouts.
Push-ups with Medicine Ball
Targets your shoulders, chest and core.
Steps:
-
Begin in a plank position and place your right hand on the medicine ball and your left on the
floor.
- Do a lopsided push-up, while engaging your core and keeping your hips stable.
-
Roll the medicine ball from your right hand to your left and repeat on the other side. This counts
as one rep.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
If you don’t have a medicine ball you can do regular push-ups on your feet or your knees!
Front Raise to Lateral Raise
Targets your triceps, biceps, upper back, chest and shoulders.
Steps:
-
Take two light to medium weights and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms relaxed with
weights resting on your quads.
- With straight arms and an engaged core, lift the weights straight out in front of you up to shoulder
height.
-
Lower back down, then lift the weights straight out to the side up to shoulder height. This counts
as one rep.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Tricep Dips
Targets your triceps, chest and shoulders.
Steps:
-
Sit on a chair, step or ledge and grip the front edges with your hands.
- Keeping your legs at 90 degrees and your arms straight, slide forward and let your sit bones hover
just off the seat.
-
Lower down until your arms are at 90 degrees.
- Engage your triceps to push back up to straight arms.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Plank with Alternating Shoulder Taps
Targets your shoulders, abs and obliques.
Steps:
-
Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and feet hip distance
apart.
- Tap your left shoulder with your right hand, then return it to the ground.
-
Repeat on the opposite side, tapping your right shoulder with your left hand. This is one rep.
Reps: 10
Sets: 2-3 with a 30 second break between sets
Chest Presses
Targets your biceps, triceps, shoulders and chest.
Steps:
-
Start on your back with your feet flat on the floor and a slight bend in your knees. Tuck your
pelvis to keep your lower back flat on the ground for this entire exercise.
- Hold a medium to heavy weight in both hands, resting them just beside your shoulders with your palms
facing your feet.
-
Press the weights up to the ceiling, extending your elbows until your arms are straight.
- Slowly and with control, lower the weights back down to the starting position.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Bent Over Rows
Targets your lats, traps, rotator cuffs and upper back.
Steps:
-
Start standing with your feet shoulder distance apart, holding a medium to heavy weight in both
hands.
-
Bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight and hinge forward at the hips until your torso
faces the ground.
-
Push your elbows back until the weights reach your torso or slightly above.
- When you reach this position, pretend you’re squeezing something between your shoulder blades.
- Slowly and with control, release and lower the weights back down to the starting position.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Shoulder Press
Targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and upper back.
Steps:
-
Start standing with your feet shoulder distance apart with a slight bend in your knees.
-
Hold a medium to heavy weight in both hands, bending at the elbow and bringing the weights to
shoulder height.
-
Press the weights towards the ceiling until your arms are straight.
-
Hold this position for a second, then slowly and with control, lower the weights back down to the
starting position.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Upright Rows
Targets your traps, biceps and shoulders.
Steps:
-
Start standing with your feet shoulder distance apart, holding a medium to heavy weight in both
hands.
-
Rest your arms in front of your body with your palms facing in.
-
Bend your elbows as you lift the weights to chest height.
-
Slowly and with control, lower the weights back down to the starting position.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Bicep Curls
Targets the muscles in the front of your arms.
Steps:
-
Start standing with your feet shoulder distance apart, holding a medium to heavy weight in both
hands.
-
Rest your arms next to your body with your palms facing out.
-
Keeping your core engaged and your upper arms stable, bend at your elbows and curl the weights
towards your shoulders.
-
Slowly and with control, lower the weights back down to the starting position.
Reps: 12
Sets: 3-4 with a 30 second break between sets
Worried about arm workouts being too easy or too advanced? The beauty of these exercises is that they
can be modified to suit your level of fitness by simply lowering or increasing your weights and reps. If
3-4 sets is too much, start with 2 and gradually increase as you become stronger.
Complete these arm workouts 2-3 times per week to start seeing results!