The Best Dumbbell Arm Workouts for Strength, Size and Time-Saving

Wanting big, strong arms is somewhere on the list of goals for just about anyone who hits the iron regularly. From filling out a t-shirt to supporting your entire body on a push-up or plank to helping with that last rep on the bench press, your arms do a lot of work during your workout.

If you're after a big total at a powerlifting platform or a weightlifting meet, the barbell is king. This means you don't have to strap yourself to the bar to raise your arms. Dumbbells offer many of the same benefits and even have their own unique benefits.

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We've rounded up some of the best arm workouts for any goal that you can do at the gym or at home. All you need is some dumbbells and a work ethic to get it done.

The best dumbbell arm exercises for size

No matter what your tools of the trade are, the rules for muscle hypertrophy are the same – work hard enough, get adequate rest, and build up over time. Whether you train with a dumbbell, or a pair of dumbbells is entirely up to you.

If you're interested in the latter, this dumbbell-only arm workout will leave you burning and sore the next morning or your money back.

Exercises

Dumbbells are great for hypertrophy because they allow you to work each arm independently. With a barbell, your dominant arm can take some of the stress off your weaker side, which needs it more. You can work around this and ensure maximum stimulation, and thus maximum growth, by working with independent loads.

Dumbbell Cheat Curl: 3 x 6

Hammer downs: 3 x 8 – 10

Dumbbell Spider Curl*

Barbell on the floor: 3 x 8

Dumbbell overhead extension: 4 x 10-12

Barbell kickback: 2 x 12 – 15

The best barbell arm exercises

For most people, the barbell is the best tool to get the most strength. Although you can work with the heaviest weight if you use a barbell, even barbells are no small feat for developing strength.

Exercises

Dumbbell arm exercises that are good for building strength rely on compound movements that allow you to overload your biceps and triceps over time. Furthermore, certain arm isolation movements are naturally better suited for lifting heavier weights than others.

Underarm Row: 4 x 6

Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3 x 8

Dumbbell bench with grip: 4 x 8

One-arm dumbbell overhead press: 2 x 6

Farmer’s Carry: 3 sets of maximum distance walks.

The best dumbbell arm exercises for beginners

Beginners are blessed with the gift of simplicity. Advanced exercisers who have been in the gym for a while may need fancy training techniques or complex programs to make gains. If you're just starting out, you can do a lot with a little.

10-minute, two light dumbbells and this home workout to build muscle in your arms

Exercises

If you're new to the gym looking to build your arms, there's no reason to overcomplicate things. In fact, almost any type of strength training will work for you as long as you stick with it. That said, if you have dumbbells, these basic moves can get you by.

· Seated dumbbell curl: 2 x 8

· Hammer Down: 2 x 10

· Dumbbell Hex Press: 2 x 8

· Dumbbell Kickback: 2 x 10

The best arm workout with a barbell for comfort

Sometimes you just need to hit the gym and get your work done as quickly as possible. Or maybe you don't have access to a gym at all. In either scenario, the barbell arm workout can be tailored to be quick, dirty, and quite effective with limited time or resources.

Exercises

The most important component in designing an effective workout that also saves time is the order of the exercises. By minimizing your transitions between movements and choosing exercises that naturally complement each other, you can do more work in less time.

· Dumbbell Hammer: 4 x 8

· Dumbbell overhead extension: 4 x 8

· Dumbbell Spider Curl Superset

· Kickback: 3 rounds of 10 reps.

· Wrist curls: 2 x 15

The best single barbell arm workout

Dumbbells allow you to work each arm separately, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all dumbbell exercises are unilateral. Two weights with one in each hand still count as loading both sides of your body at the same time.

However, you can work with one weight at a time to get some of the basic benefits of unilateral training while laser-targeting a weak spot in one of your arms.

 Exercises

If you only have one dumbbell or want to give your core some extra love, you can still get a good arm workout. Some exercises are actually designed to use only one weight at a time. The only caveat is that since you're working each arm in sequence, the workout may take a little longer than usual.

· Dumbbell squat: 3 x 8

· Arnold Standing Single Arm Press: 3 x 8

· Concentration curl: 2 x 10 – 12

· Barbell overhead extension: 2 x 10 – 12

· One-handed Farmer’s Carry: 3 sets of max distance walking.

Anatomy of the arm

When it comes to arm exercises, the magic happens in the elbow joint. Both of your main arm muscles affect the opening and closing of the elbow, although the biceps and triceps also work the forearm and shoulder.

Biceps

Your biceps start at the top end of your humerus—your upper arm bone—and cross over your elbow to tuck it into your forearm. Their main function is to close the elbow joint. Every twist variation under the sun will work your biceps.

There is also a brachialis muscle that sits below the biceps brachii and performs the same function of flexing the elbow. Your brachialis is stimulated by performing elbows with a neutral wrist position, and when developed, gives the appearance of stronger arms when viewed from the front.

Triceps

This means that to fully stimulate the triceps, part of the exercises should include extending the elbow while the arm is raised overhead. This puts more stretch on the long head, allowing it to carry more load.

Forearm

Your forearm contains several small, complex muscles that perform supportive tasks during arm training. While you can specifically target your forearms for growth, most arm exercises stimulate them sufficiently by holding a pair of dumbbells as tightly as you can.

Exercises like reverse curls, with the palm facing the floor, put more tension on the forearm and wrist extensors overall.

Addressing imbalances

As such, your left and right arms may not have exactly the same range of motion or ideal paths of motion.

When you're working with one tool like a barbell, there's no way to adapt. Although usually not a big deal, dumbbells completely bypass this problem and allow your limbs to move in their natural range.

Save space

Unless you're a training minimalist, barbell work requires a rack to store and remove it from.

If you're designing a home gym, a good squat rack or platform to pull up on can take up quite a bit of space.

Dumbbells are much more compact and generally take up less physical space. If you have a large collection of different weights, you may need some large garage space, but a solid pair of adjustable dumbbells will hide neatly in any corner of the room.

Easily adjustable

Taking off or adding plates to a barbell can take up valuable time if you're trying to grind through a drop set. Dumbbells are good to go as long as another pair is within reach. Being comfortable with rotating the weights you work with can help you save time in the gym overall and make quicker adjustments if you find you're lifting too heavy (or too light).

Arm yourself

There's no reason to be ashamed of wanting big arms—grabbing a pump after a solid workout at the gym is one of the most rewarding feelings. Your arms physically hold every barbell you bench or throw overhead, so why neglect them?

A good arm routine is essential for the physical competitor and integral to the strength athlete. Even if you don't have a barbell available, you can still lift your arms. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a willingness to go for it.