7 Best Arm Workouts to Help You Get Stronger

This easy upper-body workout may help you feel (and look) stronger

Myatt Murphy,

AARP

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En español

Published January 06, 2023

/ Updated January 26, 2024

woman sitting on fitness ball doing at-home workout

Alvarez / Getty Images

If you’re a biker, hiker or walker, your lower body gets regular exercise. But everyday life doesn’t give us much chance to exercise our arms and shoulders. And that can impact us in a lot of ways.

“Any time you swing your arms, use them to throw or pull, or just reach for something, it’s your shoulders that decide how effectively your arms are able to rotate,” says Mike Mancias, athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. “Training your shoulders helps you move your arms much easier in any direction, giving them more mobility, power and speed.”

Stronger arms and shoulders make it easier to lift, press, carry or pull something (groceries, golf bags, grandkids). And don’t think that it’s too late to start. A recent study published in Human Kinetics Journal found that even men and women 85 and older who had never lifted weights before could increase both muscle size and strength by doing resistance training three times a week for 12 weeks. The study also found a younger group of 65- to 75-year-olds gained strength as well.

Having arms and shoulders that look inspired instead of retired just takes the right mix of moves that approach them from every possible angle. This seven-move series will help you build a stronger upper body at any age — in less time than you’d think.

How to do it: Use very light weights to start, or even no weights at all, to simply get the feel and understanding of the movements. Begin with the first exercise and run through each in order. Rest 60 seconds in between. Once you’ve completed the last exercise, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat the entire routine once more.

a man doing standing alternating shoulder presses with dumbbells

Rodrigo Damati

1. Standing alternating shoulder presses

Stand with a light dumbbell in each hand, hands at your shoulders, palms facing the sides of your head.
Slowly press the weight in your right hand toward the ceiling until your arm is almost straight above you.
Pause, then slowly lower the weight back down to your shoulder. Now press the weight in your left hand.
Continue to do the exercise one arm at a time. Repeat 10 to 15 times for each arm.

man in a chair doing seated scaptions with dumbbells

Rodrigo Damati

2. Seated scaptions

Sit on a chair, holding a light dumbbell in each hand, with your arms hanging straight down at your sides, palms facing in toward each other.
Keeping your arms straight (elbows slightly bent), slowly raise the weights out to your sides and slightly in front of you until just above parallel to the floor. You should be able to see your hands in your peripheral vision at all times.

Pro baller tip: Your arms should point to 10 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock at the top of the movement.

woman in chair doing seated bent over raises with dumbbells

Rodrigo Damati

3. Seated bent-over raises

Sit holding a light dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down at your sides, palms facing in.
Bend at the waist and lean forward as far as you comfortably can (at least 45 degrees). Keep your back flat.
Keeping your arms straight, slowly sweep your arms up and out to your sides until parallel to the floor.
Pause, then slowly lower your arms back down. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Pro baller tip: Keep your upper body still as you lift the weights. Jerking upward allows momentum and your lower back to do some of the work instead of your shoulders.

woman laying on a mat doing tricep extensions with dumbbells

Rodrigo Damati

4. Lying triceps extensions

Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand, and extend your arms straight above you.
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells until they reach your ears.
Pause, then press the weights back up above you by slowly straightening your elbows. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Pro baller tip: Your upper arms should always stay perpendicular to the floor — don’t let your elbows shift forward.

Rodrigo Damati

5. Seated hammer curls

Sit on a chair, holding a light dumbbell in each hand, with your arms hanging straight down at your sides, palms facing in toward each other.
Keeping your upper arms locked at your sides, bend your elbows and slowly curl the dumbbells up to the front of your shoulders. Keep your palms facing each other throughout.
Pause for a second, then slowly lower your arms back down until your arms are straight. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Pro baller tip: Keep your wrists straight. At the top, the ends of the dumbbells should be at your shoulders.

woman doing overhead triceps extensions with a dumbbell

Rodrigo Damati

6. Overhead triceps extensions

Stand and press a light dumbbell up over your head, holding it so both your palms are pressing against the inside of the dumbbell’s plate.
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and lower the weight behind your head as far as is comfortable.
Pause, then reverse the movement, straightening your elbows to press the weight back up over your head. Do not move your upper arms.
When the weight is again directly over your head, you’ve completed one repetition. Repeat 10 to 15 times, being careful to keep your upper arms motionless throughout.

Pro baller tip: Keep your neck as straight as possible, and don’t let your elbows sink back as you lower the weight.

Rodrigo Damati

7. Wall curls

Stand against a sturdy wall with a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward and arms hanging straight down at your sides. Your back, butt, the backs of your arms and your heels should all rest on the wall and stay there throughout the exercise.
Keeping your upper arms locked against the sides of your body, bend both elbows and slowly curl the dumbbells up until your palms reach the front of your shoulders.
Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down until your arms are straight. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Pro baller tip: Resist the urge to touch the weights to your shoulders. You may think you’re getting more benefit, but this actually removes some of the effort from your biceps.