Arm workouts
Two arm workouts that pair biceps and triceps exercises as supersets, so a full arm session takes about 40 minutes.
An arm workout trains the biceps and triceps together, usually by alternating them. Pairing a curl with a triceps exercise as a superset saves time, because each muscle rests while the other works, and the triceps is the bigger muscle, so give it at least as much work as the biceps.
Arm workout (supersets)
Do each pair back to back, then rest 60–90 seconds.
Barbell Close-grip Bench PressDo on its own first.- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 6–8
- Rest
- 2 min
Barbell CurlSuperset with the next exercise.- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8–10
- Rest
- —
Cable Pushdown (With Rope Attachment)- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10–15
- Rest
- 90 s
Dumbbell Incline CurlSuperset with the next exercise.- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10–12
- Rest
- —
Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (Rope Attachment)- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12
- Rest
- 90 s
Dumbbell Hammer Curl- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 12
- Rest
- 60 s
Can’t do one of these?
Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.
Tips
- Superset biceps and triceps exercises and rest 60 to 90 seconds after each pair. You get the same work done in about half the time.
- Start with the heaviest moves, a close-grip press and a barbell or EZ-bar curl, while you are fresh.
- Arms recover quickly. Training them two or three times a week tends to work better than one long arm day.
Run this workout in SPLYT
Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.
319 arm exercises
Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.
Questions
How many arm exercises are there?
SPLYT’s exercise library has 319 arm exercises, including Bicep Curl, Cable Curl and Barbell Curl, each with step-by-step instructions, a demonstration and the muscles it works.
How do I make my arms bigger?
Train the triceps as hard as the biceps (it is two thirds of the arm), use a full range of motion, and add a little weight or a rep most weeks. Eating enough to gain weight matters as much as the exercises.
Is one arm day a week enough?
It can be, if your back and pushing days already train the arms. Most people grow faster splitting the same sets over two or three shorter sessions.