By Marnie Kunz

The best arm workouts with dumbbells strengthen and sculpt your arms. Whether you're just starting with home workouts or are an avid gym-goer looking for new exercises, these exercises are my top picks as a trainer and fitness nerd. The key to getting strong, toned arms is to strength train, and weightlifting will give you the most dramatic results. Together these exercises work all your major arm muscles, so you'll have serious flexing power. Stronger arms will do more than make you look good in a tank top, though - you'll also enjoy significant health benefits.

Benefits of Strength Training Your Arms

Here are some benefits of strength training your arms:

Better upper body strength. Strength training your arms helps build and strengthen the muscles in your arms, including your triceps, biceps, forearms, and shoulders. This increased strength can help you in daily life. Tasks like carrying groceries, lifting children, opening jars, and performing household chores become more manageable with stronger arms.
Improved athletic performance. Strength training your arms will boost your performance in many sports and activities, from push-ups and pull-ups to sports like tennis, basketball, swimming, and even running.
Reduced risk of injury. Stronger arm muscles will help protect your bones and joints, preventing injuries.
Increased bone density. Strength training increases your bone mineral density. Stronger bones reduce your risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Higher metabolism. Regular strength training - including arm workouts with dumbbells - raises your metabolism. Building lean muscle mass through strength training increases your resting metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories even when resting. This is especially helpful if you have weight management or weight loss goals.

Check out our article 10 Reasons to Lift Weights for even more ways that weightlifting can improve your health.

Getting Started with Dumbbell Workouts

Before you begin a weightlifting program, get your doctor's approval. Then all you need is dumbbells and a small workout space. Dumbbells come in fixed weight amounts and adjustable weights. If you're working out at home, you may opt for adjustable dumbbells so you can easily change your weight without buying new weights whenever you want to increase your weight.

Start with a lower weight for each exercise until you master the correct form. Once you can maintain good form, you can slowly add more weight. You should feel like it's challenging to complete your last set of reps for each exercise but not so difficult that your form falls apart. Also, you'll find some exercises easier than others. Consider using lighter weights for more challenging movements and heavier weights for others.

10 Best Arm Workouts with Dumbbells

These are the most effective arm workouts with dumbbells to improve your arm and upper body strength. I've broken down the exercises based on their target muscle groups. I also included the exercises that target the most major muscle groups in bold. If you are short on time, do the bold exercises for the most efficient workout.

Chest Exercises

Chest press

The chest press - or bench press - is one of the most efficient arm workouts with dumbbells. The chest press targets the muscles of your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Lie on the floor or on a weight bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor or ground.
Hold each dumbbell with your palms facing away from you in an overhand grip.
Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height, positioning them just outside your chest. Your elbows will be bent, with your upper arms on the ground if you're on the floor or parallel to the ground if you're on a weight bench.
Take a deep breath, brace your core, and push the dumbbells upward simultaneously using both arms. As you press the dumbbells up, exhale and extend your arms fully without locking your elbows.
Pause briefly at the top, squeezing your chest muscles.
Bending your elbows, slowly lower the weights back to your starting position.

Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press - or military press - is one of the best arm workouts with dumbbells to strengthen your shoulders, arms, chest, and upper back muscles.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lift your arms to shoulder level and bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle.
Tighten your core and exhale as you push the dumbbells up overhead, straightening your arms.
Hold for 2 seconds, ensuring your arms are fully extended but your elbows are not locked.
Inhale and lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level.

Lateral Dumbbell Raises

Lateral dumbbell raises target your shoulder muscles and also work your triceps.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides.
Keep your posture upright and your core muscles engaged.
Exhale and raise the dumbbells to the sides until your arms parallel the ground. Keep your elbows slightly bent - not locked - throughout the movement.
Hold briefly and focus on squeezing your shoulder muscles.
Inhale and lower the weights back down.

Dumbbell Front raises

Dumbbell front raises strengthen your shoulders and chest muscles.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and head and neck in a neutral position.
Hold your dumbbells with an overhand grip (palms facing your body). Allow your arms to hang straight down in front of your thighs.
Exhale as you raise the dumbbells directly in front of you, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows. Raise your arms until they're parallel to the ground, slightly below shoulder level.
Hold briefly and focus on squeezing your shoulder muscles.
Inhale and lower your arms back down.

Bent-Over Rows

Bent-over rows work your back muscles, shoulders, biceps, and forearms.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold your dumbbells in each hand with palms facing each other, with your arms extended shoulder-width apart.
Bend your upper body forward to a 45-degree angle and take a deep breath.
Exhale as you pull the dumbbells upward toward the sides of your chest. Lift the dumbbells to the point where your range of motion allows while keeping your wrists as stable as possible.
Inhale and lower the weights back down. Maintain the bent-over position until you have completed all repetitions.

Triceps Exercises

Triceps extensions

Triceps extensions target your triceps muscles.

Start by standing or sitting on a bench with your back straight. Hold a dumbbell with both hands extended above your head.
Bend your elbow, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. Your upper arm should remain close to your head and perpendicular to the ground.
Keep your core engaged and exhale as you extend your arms, raising the dumbbell back to the starting position, fully extending your elbow.
Inhale as you lower the dumbbell back down behind your head, bending your elbows.

Triceps Kickbacks

Triceps kickbacks with dumbbells activate your triceps muscles, which run along the back of your upper arms.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your core muscles engaged. Hold your dumbbells in each hand with an overhand grip (palms facing your body). Bend your knees slightly for stability.
Keep your back straight and hinge forward from your hips so your body is parallel to the ground.
Engage your core, exhale, and bring your upper arms close to your sides. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle with the dumbbells near your hips.
Extend your arms backward in a controlled manner, straightening your elbows while keeping them close to your sides.
Pause briefly, focusing on squeezing your tricep muscles.
Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells.

Biceps Exercises

Bicep Curls

Their name says it all for biceps curls - they target the biceps, the muscles along the front of your mid to upper arms.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the dumbbells by your sides with an underhand grip (palms facing upward).
Keeping your upper arms close to your sides, engage your core. Exhale as you curl the dumbbells upward toward your shoulders, rotating your palms to face your shoulders as you lift.
Continue curling until your forearms are nearly vertical and you feel a contraction in your bicep muscles. Hold this position briefly.
Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells, extending your arms fully and allowing your elbows to straighten.

Forearm Exercises

Palms-Up Wrist Curls

These curls target the underside of your forearm muscles.

Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Use an underhand grip with your palms facing upward.
Rest your forearms on your thighs or a flat surface such as a bench, allowing your wrists to extend just beyond your knees.
Exhale and curl your wrists upward, lifting the dumbbells as high as possible while keeping your forearms in place.
Hold for 2 seconds, feeling the contraction in your forearms.
Inhale and bring the dumbbells back down to the starting position, allowing your wrists to extend fully.

Palms-Down Wrist Curls

The palms-down wrist curl strengthens the muscles along the top of your forearms.

Sit on a chair or bench with your core engaged and feet flat on the floor.
Hold your dumbbells with an overhand grip, ensuring your palms face downward.
Rest your forearms on your thighs or a flat surface, such as a bench, and allow your wrists to extend just beyond your knees.
Exhale and curl your wrists downward, lowering the dumbbells as far as possible while keeping your forearms in place.
Hold briefly at the bottom of the movement to feel the stretch in your forearms.
Inhale and slowly raise the dumbbells to the starting position, flexing your wrists and contracting your forearm muscles.

How Many Reps, Sets, and Sessions

In weightlifting, reps - or repetitions - means the number of complete exercise movements. So if you do a bicep curl, for instance, when you raise the weight and lower it back to the start position, this is one rep. Sets mean the number of reps in a row that you do.

When starting with a strength training program, I recommend doing 2 sets of 10. Then, you can work up to 3 sets of 10 as you get stronger. Each strength training workout is also called a session.

As for how many workouts you need to do to get strong arms, aim for at least twice a week. The general exercise guidelines for Americans advise doing at least two strength sessions a week for optimal health rewards. This will strengthen and tone your arms. In addition, you can do up to 3 upper-body weightlifting sessions a week, allowing for at least a day of rest or "easy" workouts between each strength session.

Have you tried any of these arm workouts with dumbbells? Tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your workouts and get cheered on. Also, remember to sign up for our Wellness Wednesday newsletter to get exclusive fitness tips and encouragement delivered to your inbox weekly.

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, a dog lover and Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.

10 Best Arm Workouts with Dumbbells to Sculpt Your Arms