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Arm Exercises

Your arms have three main muscle groups. The biceps on the front of the upper arm bend the elbow and turn the palm up. The triceps on the back straighten the elbow, and they are the larger of the two. The forearm muscles control your wrist and fingers, so they decide how hard you can grip. Big lifts train your arms as helpers: pulls such as rows and chin-ups work the biceps and forearms, and presses such as push-ups and dips work the triceps. Curls and extensions isolate each muscle. Hammer curls, pull-ups and heavy holds also train your grip.

14 exercises with male and female illustrations.

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Beginner picks: easy to learn and easy to load.

Push-up: start and end position, male figure. Chest, triceps and shoulders highlighted. Push-up: start and end position, female figure. Chest, triceps and shoulders highlighted.

Push-Up

chest, triceps · No equipment · Beginner

Horizontal push

Push-up: start and end position, male figure. Chest, triceps and shoulders highlighted. Push-up: start and end position, female figure. Chest, triceps and shoulders highlighted.

Push-Up

chest, triceps · No equipment · Beginner

Vertical push

Pike push-up: start and end position, male figure. Shoulders and triceps highlighted. Pike push-up: start and end position, female figure. Shoulders and triceps highlighted.

Pike push-up

shoulders, triceps · No equipment · Intermediate

Arm isolation

Vertical pull

Chin-up: start and end position, male figure. Lats and biceps highlighted. Chin-up: start and end position, female figure. Lats and biceps highlighted.

Chin-up

lats, biceps · Bodyweight + pullup bar · Intermediate

Questions

Should I train biceps or triceps first?

The order matters less than the total work. The ACSM advises big multi-joint exercises before small single-joint exercises in a session, so do your presses and rows first. After that, start with the arm muscle you most want to improve, while you are fresh.

Can I train my arms every day?

You do not need to. A meta-analysis found that training a muscle twice a week gave more growth than once a week, and most programs give each muscle rest days between hard sessions. Your arms also work in every press and pull, so count that work too.

How do I train my forearms?

Hammer curls, pull-ups and hangs from a bar, and heavy deadlifts and rows all make your forearms work to hold the weight. Use a full grip and do not use straps on your lighter sets.