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Arms · Dumbbells · 131 exercises

Arm workouts with dumbbells

A dumbbell arm workout for biceps and triceps, done as supersets with one pair of dumbbells.

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.

Dumbbells load each side on its own, so your stronger side can’t cover for your weaker one, and they let your wrists and elbows find their own path. A pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench covers every exercise below.

Dumbbell arm workout

Alternate a curl and an extension; rest after each pair.

  1. Bicep CurlSuperset with the next exercise.
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    10
    Rest
    —
  2. Dumbbell Seated Triceps Extension
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    10–12
    Rest
    90 s
  3. Dumbbell Hammer CurlSuperset with the next exercise.
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    12
    Rest
    —
  4. Dumbbell Kickback
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    12–15
    Rest
    90 s
  5. Dumbbell Concentration Curl
    Sets
    2
    Reps
    12–15 each side
    Rest
    —
  6. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
    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.
  • When dumbbells get too heavy to get into position, switch to a harder variation or more reps instead of fighting to set up.

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.

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131 arm exercises with dumbbells

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

All dumbbell exercises →

Questions

How many arm exercises can you do with dumbbells?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 131 arm exercises you can do with dumbbells, including Bicep Curl, Dumbbell Hammer Curl and Dumbbell Incline Curl. Each one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration.

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.

Can you build muscle with only dumbbells?

Yes. As long as you can keep adding weight or reps, dumbbells train every muscle well. A wide enough set of weights, or adjustable ones, is the main thing you need.

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