If you’re new to strength training, arm workouts are a great place to start.
You don’t need complicated exercises or the heaviest dumbbells in the gym to build strength. A few basic movements can help you learn proper form, become more comfortable with weights, and begin strengthening your entire upper body.
The key is starting with a weight you can control and focusing on the movement rather than how much you’re lifting.
Ready to give it a try? Here are six beginner-friendly arm exercises you can put together for your next workout at Nick’s Fitness Club in Lubbock.
What Muscles Should an Arm Workout Target?
Your arms involve more than just your biceps.
A balanced beginner arm workout should include exercises that target several major muscle groups, including:
- Biceps: the muscles along the front of your upper arms
- Triceps: the muscles along the back of your upper arms
- Shoulders: including the deltoid muscles surrounding your shoulder
- Forearms: muscles involved in grip and many pulling movements
Your chest and back also contribute to many upper-body exercises, which is why building overall upper-body strength is important as you progress.
For this beginner workout, we’re keeping things simple and focusing primarily on your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
1. Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Bicep curls are one of the easiest arm exercises for beginners to learn.
How to do them:
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms down by your sides. Keep your elbows close to your body and slowly bend your elbows to bring the weights toward your shoulders.
Pause briefly before lowering the dumbbells back down with control.
Try to avoid swinging the weights or using momentum to complete the movement.
Beginner tip: If you have to rock your entire body to lift the dumbbells, try a lighter weight.
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
A shoulder press helps strengthen your shoulders while also bringing your triceps into the movement.
Start with a dumbbell in each hand at about shoulder height. Keep your core engaged and press the weights overhead until your arms are extended.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
You can perform shoulder presses standing or seated on a lifting bench.
3. Hammer Curls
Hammer curls are similar to traditional bicep curls, but changing your grip gives your arms a slightly different challenge.
Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing toward your body.
Keeping that neutral grip, bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Slowly lower them back down.
Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides throughout the exercise.
4. Cable Tricep Pushdowns
Now let’s work the back of your arms.
Stand facing a cable machine with the attachment positioned above you. Keep your elbows close to your sides and push the attachment downward until your arms are extended.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Try to keep your upper arms relatively still. Most of the movement should happen at your elbows.
Nick’s Fitness Club has a cable machine available along with other strength equipment, so this is an easy exercise to incorporate into your routine.
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Lateral raises target your shoulders and don’t require a lot of weight to feel challenging.
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms by your sides.
With a slight bend in your elbows, slowly raise your arms out to the sides until they’re around shoulder height. Then lower the weights with control.
Avoid shrugging your shoulders or swinging the weights upward.
This is another exercise where lighter weights and good form can go a long way.
6. Overhead Tricep Extensions
Finish your beginner arm workout with an exercise that focuses on your triceps.
Hold a dumbbell overhead with both hands. Keeping your upper arms relatively still, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.
Extend your elbows to bring the weight back overhead.
Keep your core engaged and avoid excessively arching your lower back.
Beginner Arm Workout to Try
Now let’s put everything together.
Start with a light weight that allows you to maintain good form throughout every repetition.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Hammer Curls: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Cable Tricep Pushdowns: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Overhead Tricep Extensions: 2 sets of 8–12 reps
Rest between sets as needed.
As you become more comfortable, you can gradually increase your weight or add another set.
For general muscle-strengthening activity, the CDC recommends working the major muscle groups at least two days each week. It also notes that 8 to 12 repetitions count as a set and that beginners can start with one set before progressing to two or three.
How Heavy Should Beginners Lift?
Don’t worry about finding the “perfect” dumbbell weight.
Choose a weight that allows you to complete your repetitions with good form while still feeling challenged near the end of your set.
If you could easily perform another 10 repetitions, you may be ready for a little more resistance.
If you can’t finish the set without swinging, rushing, or losing your form, go lighter.
There’s no prize for grabbing the heaviest dumbbells in the gym.
Building strength takes time.
How Often Should Beginners Train Arms?
You don’t need to train your arms every day.
Your muscles need recovery time after strength training, and your arms also work during exercises that target your chest, back, and shoulders.
Rather than focusing only on arms, work toward building a balanced weekly routine that trains all your major muscle groups.
The CDC recommends muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week that work the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.
What If You’ve Never Lifted Weights Before?
That’s okay.
Everyone in the weight room had a first workout.
Start light. Learn one exercise at a time. Give yourself time to get comfortable with the equipment.
Nick’s Fitness Club has dumbbells, kettlebells, lifting benches, a cable machine, Smith machine, preacher curl machine, pull-up bar, squat racks, and other equipment you can use as your strength routine progresses.
If you’d rather have someone show you where to begin, personal training is also available for members who want individualized workouts, guidance, and accountability.
Build Stronger Arms at Nick’s Fitness Club
Your first arm workout doesn’t need to be complicated.
Start with a few basic exercises, choose weights you can control, and focus on learning proper form. As you get stronger and more confident, you can gradually add weight, repetitions, and new exercises to your routine.
Nick’s Fitness Club in Lubbock has a complete free-weight area with dumbbells, kettlebells, benches, bars, squat racks, and more, giving beginners plenty of room to learn and experienced lifters plenty of ways to progress.
Don’t worry about lifting the most.
Start by getting stronger than you were yesterday.
Ready to get started? Visit Nick’s Fitness Club in Lubbock and claim your free 3-day trial.