The internet is full of trendy upper-arm routines, but which moves do professional trainers actually recommend for building real strength? Here are seven they say really work.
The half-kneeling single-arm kettlebell overhead press “is very effective for those who want stronger, fuller arms,” said Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, founder of Stretch Mode. Another perk is that it targets one shoulder at a time, helping to avoid “jamming” the shoulder with weaker mobility, as can happen when using a barbell, he added.
Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, core, and biceps
How to do it:
- Start in a half-kneeling position by stepping your right foot forward and bending it to 90 degrees. Your back knee should be bent on the ground with your toes tucked.
- Hold a kettlebell in your left hand, keeping your right arm down by your side.
- Lift the kettlebell to shoulder height—this is your starting position.
- Press the kettlebell overhead by straightening your left arm completely.
- Pause, then lower the kettlebell back down to shoulder height.
- Do three sets of five to seven reps on each side.
Another effective move is the standing dumbbell shoulder press, Wickham said. Not only does this exercise give you “a big shoulder and arm pump,” he explained, but it also improves postural control, balance, and coordination.
Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, and upper back
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in, arms down by your sides.
- Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height.
- Press the dumbbells overhead by straightening your arms completely.
- Pause, then lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height.
- Perform four sets of 12 to 15 reps.
This exercise stretches your triceps while providing smooth, uninterrupted resistance—something you don’t always get with free weights, according to Wickham. “Overhead triceps work covers both ends of the range of motion in a way people really feel,” he told Health.
It’s also easy to progress, he added, because cable machines offer small weight increments and a consistent setup each time.
Muscles worked: Triceps
How to do it:
- Attach a rope to the low pulley on a cable machine.
- Stand facing away from the machine and grab the rope with both hands.
- Step forward slightly to create tension in the cable. You may want to put one foot in front of the other for balance.
- Raise your arms overhead, keeping your elbows bent and as close to your head as possible.
- Extend your arms up toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause, then lower the rope back to the starting position.
- Do three sets of 10 reps.
What’s great about the next exercise—the flat dumbbell neutral-grip floor chest press—is that both arms have to work equally, said Noam Tamir, CSCS, founder and CEO of TS Fitness. “Each arm has to work independently without relying on the stronger side to help,” she told Health. Pressing from the floor also “gives you stability, keeps the range controlled, and lets you generate power without relying on momentum.”
Another perk: the exercise’s simplicity. “All you need is a pair of dumbbells,” Tamir said. “No bench, no cable machine, no barbell.”
Muscles worked: Triceps, biceps, chest, and back
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in toward each other, just above your chest.
- Press the dumbbells upward by fully extending your arms up toward the ceiling.
- Lower the dumbbells back to your chest with control.
- Do three sets of eight to 10 reps.
Tamir said that one of her go-to arm exercises is the dumbbell hammer curl, which helps “target the muscles that make your arms look thicker and stronger” by keeping the wrists in a neutral position. “This move is simple, effective, and you can do it anywhere as long as you have a pair of dumbbells,” she added.
Muscles worked: Biceps and forearms
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in, arms down by your sides.
- Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the weights up to your shoulders without moving the position of your hands or wrists.
- Lower the weights back down to the starting position.
- Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
The push-up matrix—performing push-ups from multiple positions and angles—stands out because it gives the arms and shoulders a wide variety “of actions and positions to develop comprehensive strength,” said Rocky Snyder, CSCS, author of the training guide Return to Center. “This routine explores the three-dimensionality of strength and encourages the body to find its weak links in the chain,” he told Health.
Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, back, and core
How to do it:
Do two to four sets of six to 15 reps of push-ups with your hands in as many positions as possible, such as:
- One hand forward and one hand back
- Hands positioned wide, neutral, or narrow
- Hands turned inward or turned outward
While the dumbbell lateral raise is challenging for Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, founder of Nourish Move Love, (“it’s a very humbling strength exercise that has taken me years to increase weights on”), she said it’s worth the effort. “It’s a great way to train and strengthen the shoulder, which is the most prone to injury in the upper body,” she told Health.
Muscles worked: Shoulders
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in, arms down by your sides.
- Lift the dumbbells out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor.
- Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbells down to the starting position.
- Repeat for 40 seconds.
- Do three sets.
