4 Moves to Strengthen and Tone Your Arms

Arm day – one of my favorites! Help strengthen and tone your arms with these four exercises targeting your triceps and your biceps.

Working with weights is not only mentally stimulating and energizing; it also helps maintain healthy muscle groups. As we age, we begin to lose muscle, which is why your workout plan should include lifting weights as it can help combat early muscle loss.

2 Exercises to Tone Your Biceps

Your biceps are the front muscle in the upper arm, with its main purpose being to flex the arm. To give your biceps muscles the best workout, we will be doing pulling actions.

 

1. Standing Bicep Curls (3 sets, 10–12 reps)

For this workout, you’ll want to have two weights that feel moderate-to-heavy to you, and that you can lift 10–15 times.

1. Stand shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold weights in both hands at the sides of your body. Your elbows should never move, they should stay tight against your body and simply flex to bring the weights up.
2. When you flex your arms, bringing both weights up, your arm should stop when it’s bent at a 45 degrees angle before slowly lowering back to the start position.

If you get too tired doing both weights at once, you can alternate arms. For a visual representation of this exercise, watch How to Do Standing Dumbbell Curls.

2. 21s (3 sets, 21 reps)

1. Stand shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold weights in both hands at the sides of your body. Your elbows should never move, they should stay tight against your body and simply flex to bring the weights up.
2. When you flex your arms, bringing both weights up, your arm should stop when it’s bent at a 90 degrees angle. Do this movement for 7 reps.
3. Next: Start with the weights all the way up (arms bent), then lower to 90 degrees. Do this movement for 7 reps.
4. Next: Complete the movement in full. Do this movement for 7 reps.

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch How to do 21s

 

2 Exercises to Tone Your Triceps

Your triceps are the large muscle at the back of your arms. It’s primary purpose is arm extension. To give your triceps muscle the best workout, we will focus on executing pushing exercises.

 

Tricep Dips (3 sets, 8–12 reps)

For this exercise, you’ll want to find a bench, low table, or workout step up.

1. Position your back against the bench, arms extended shoulder width apart, and holding onto the edge of the bench.
2. Slowly lower your body till your arms are angled at 90 degrees before pushing back up again

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch Bench Dips.

2. Standing Dumbbell Extensions (3 reps, 15 reps)

You’ll only need one dumbbell to complete this exercise, so it should be a bit heavier than the ones you use when doing an exercise that involves two weights.

1. Hold the weight with two arms and lift above your head
2. Lower the weight behind your head (only bending at the elbow) to about 45 degrees before pushing your arms back up.

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension.

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