Build stronger, sculpted arms at home with this six-move dumbbell workout

The biceps and triceps will be poppin'

a man performing bicep curls in the gym
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Aside from the fact that they can make lugging heavy items around a hell of a lot easier, a strong, sculpted pair of arms also looks great in a short-sleeved tee or dress shirt. Do you need cables, barbells, or fancy machines to get started? Absolutely not – just a pair of dumbbells and these six exercises from Sweat App trainer, Britany Williams.

Had a heavy leg day? Not to worry, most of these exercises are performed either kneeling or seated, rather than standing. That means no cheating your way through any of the exercises using your lower body for that extra bit of momentum. But what it does mean is that you’ll be isolating your working muscles more, which will lead to more gains.

Perform 6 to 10 reps for each of the exercises below, per arm, resting for 1 minute between sets. “To maximize results in this workout, complete 3 rounds of each exercise before moving to the next!”, says Britany. Weight-wise, opt for something that’s challenging, but still leaves you with one to two reps in the tank (you've got three sets to get through, remember). Here’s the workout:

  • Z press
  • Zottman curl
  • Skull crusher with hold
  • Upright row to raise
  • Concentration curl with a hold

Upper body ticked, now time for lower body. Keep hold of those dumbbells, as that’s all you’ll need for this 20-minute workout. It may only be simple and consist of three exercises, but it’s still 100% spicy, and will leave your quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes feeling worked. Finish things off with this 8-minute standing core workout, some static stretches, and that's you done.

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. She is a certified personal trainer and also a part-time fitness instructor. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.

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