A few sets of dumbbells might be all you need to perform free weight exercises to tone your arms. Achieving the look of tone arms requires developing the muscles under minimal body fat. You might think you will look bulky if you lift heavy weights with your arms, but this only tends to be the case if you build your muscle under too much body fat. If your body is lean, you can tone your arms by lifting free weights that allow you to complete eight to 12 repetitions.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises target your deltoids, or shoulder muscles. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your knees slightly bent and a small forward lean from your hips. Keep your palms facing down, and slowly raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height. Keep a small bend in your arms, and exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower.
Twenty-Ones
Twenty-ones are a form of bicep curl. You will break the regular bicep curl into three ranges-of-motion, performing seven repetitions in each range to equal 21. Hold the dumbbells by your sides with your hands turned out, so that when you curl your palms face up. Keep your elbows on the sides of your body, and curl the weight half-way up to a 90-degree bend. Complete seven reps, and begin the next range of motion from the 90-degree bend. Take the weights all the way up to your shoulders and back to the half-way point seven times. The final set of seven is the full range-of-motion, all the way up and down. Keep your core tight, and do not use momentum to lift.
Triceps Kickbacks
Triceps are at the backs of the arms, and toned triceps really improve the look of your arm. Triceps kickbacks can be completed on one arm at a time or both, by bending at the waist. To perform single-arm kickbacks, place your left knee and hand on a bench, and straighten your back. Your right hand holds the dumbbell, and you place the upper part of your arm along the side of your body, with a 90-degree bend. Keep your wrist straight, and extend your arm out to the back, keeping your elbow in place. Slowly return your arm to a 90-degree bend and repeat for eight to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.
Shoulder Press
The shoulder press will tone your shoulders and triceps. Lift the dumbbells to shoulder-height, palms facing forward. Your arms should be held out to the sides, while you stand or sit-up tall with a tight core. Exhale as you press the weights straight up and toward each other, over your head. Inhale as you slowly lower the weights to the starting position and repeat for eight to 12 reps.
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