The 6 Best Arm Exercises for Muscle Definition & Strength

 No matter your fitness goals, adding some arm exercises to your routine is a great way to strengthen and tone your muscles. Check out our picks for the best arm exercises, whether you’re looking to add definition, strength, or both.

If you’re looking for the best arm workout to do at the gym, you’ve come to the right place. The biceps are one of the most popular body areas to train, so you’ve probably heard of a bicep curl before. It’s one of the most well-known arm workouts, whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer

But don’t let the focus on the two muscles of your forearm deceive you… The triceps have more muscle mass than the biceps, yet they’re often overshadowed in the journey for eye-catching arms.

Biceps Exercises 

Chances are, you’ll come across some odd and excellent workouts in the gym, with a lot of them trying to focus on the biceps in different ways. Although, trust us when we say that the most useful lifts are often the more straightforward ones. In your forthcoming arm workout, do these three biceps exercises

Barbell Bicep Curl

If you don’t already use the Barbell Bicep Curl in your arm routine, it’s time to start. The use of the barbell lets both arms work at the same time, meaning you can lift more weight during each rep. Consequently, it is one of the best exercises

Keep in mind that raising the volume by adding more weight and reps helps the targeted muscles groups to adapt, which leads to muscular growth and development

TIP: A common mistake people make when doing bicep curls is uncontrolled swinging at the bottom of the rep. To avoid this, keep a shoulder-width stride with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and elbows by your sides. Go for a strong contraction to the top of the rep, followed by a slow three-second eccentric movement.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl

The preacher curl is a go-to exercise for biceps brachii isolation. The EZ bar preacher curl is a widely used workout, but substituting dumbbells for the bar allows for unilateral training, ensuring that both arms are of equal strength.

One of the best biceps exercises to focus on the muscle is by using a preacher curl bench (or an incline bench) with dumbbells. This prevents the chance to 'cheat' while putting more emphasis on muscular contraction throughout the movement.

Pro tip: For a preacher hammer curl, switch to a preacher grip. This provides the same amount of isolation but focuses more on the forearm, Brachialis, and Brachioradialis.

Cable Bicep Curl

Cable bicep workouts are sometimes overlooked in favor of barbell or dumbbell exercises, but you don't have to follow this trend. The Cable Bicep Curl is a valuable tool for increasing training volume in arm workouts, and it's often used at the end of sessions with a higher repetition focus.

Using wires for bicep curls creates a 'continuous tension' environment for the biceps, making them work in a unique way.

TIP: The cable machine is perfect for drop sets and working to failure because of the weight pin system's quick and easy resistance adjustment.

Triceps Exercises 

If you're looking to work your arms, you've got to target the biceps and triceps. The triceps, which are made up of three muscles located on the back of the upper arm, is responsible for extending the elbow. The triceps are also engaged during other push motions like triceps dips and barbell bench presses. However, we're going to show you how to specifically target the triceps muscle with a few key exercises.

Skull Crusher

The Lying Triceps Extension, also known as the skull crusher exercise, should be a top priority if you want huge triceps. This triceps brachii exercise is commonly done with a barbell or EZ bar, which allows both triceps to work at the same time and target all three heads of the triceps brachii.

Before extending your arms and activating your triceps, concentrate on the slow eccentric movement.

Pro-tip: Don’t drop the weight, or you’ll understand why this workout is called the ‘skull crus

Cable Triceps Pushdown

The cable machine can be used for more than bicep exercises; by placing the attachment higher on the frame, you can do a bunch of different cable tricep extension exercises.

The Cable Tricep Pushdown, using the straight bar attachment, zeroes in on the triceps brachii while also focusing on the three heads of

The Cable Extension is a great tool for beginners to use before attempting more challenging workouts, as it helps with the growth of muscle conditioning and strength.

Experienced weightlifters can also use the cable system to focus on particular triceps areas by using different tricep extension attachments, like single-arm triceps exercises.

TIP: The key to working the triceps effectively is to maintain a stiff stance. Keep your posture balanced, your knees soft, and your shoulders back throughout the movement. Make sure your elbows stay close to your sides.

One Arm Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension

This exercise zeroes in on the triceps by having you raise your arm above your head to lengthen the muscle's long head, which puts more pressure

For this lift, you'll need to check your ego at the door. The weight you can shift with a single-arm overhead extension is limited, but it doesn't make it any less effective. Begin with a modest weight and gradually increase the weight as your stability and strength develop.

This dumbbell triceps workout is great for targeting and isolating the three heads of the muscle.

TIP: When you stand, make sure you are using your abs to stay still and keep your lower back from arching.

Try incorporating these exercises into your workout routine and see how your arms transform! And as always, let us know how it goes in the comments below.