How To Build Arm Muscles With Dumbbells

Developing toned and defined arms is possible without hours and hours of weight training in the gym. The key is training all of the muscles in the arms efficiently from all angles. One of the benefits of training with dumbbells is freedom of motion, which gives you the ability to hit smaller muscles that cannot be reached with traditional weight machines. Try dumbbell training and you will be showing off a pair of new guns in no time.

Step 1

Pereform exercises that work the largest muscles first, then work your way to the smaller muscles. Training the smaller muscles first fatigues them too soon, so when they need to be engaged while working the larger muscles, you will begin to fatigue prior to true muscle failure. The training order should be: biceps, triceps, shoulders.

Step 2

Do dumbbell hammer curls. Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Hold the dumbbells at your side with palms facing each other. Exhale and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Inhale and release the weights down to the starting position. Make sure to keep your back straight the entire time. Choose a challenging weight. If you begin to lean backward or rock to raise the weight, it is too heavy. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions.

Step 3

Perform triceps overhead press. Begin in a standing position with your chest elevated and back straight. Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands and arms straight. Inhale and bend your arms to a 90 degree angle with elbows facing forward. Exhale and press the dumbbell back up to the starting position. If you cannot complete the full range of motion, the weight is too heavy. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions.

Step 4

Do the overhead shoulder press. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. With dumbbells in both hands, raise the weights until both elbows are at 90 degrees with palms facing forward. Elbows should be even with the shoulders. Exhale and press the weights straight up overhead together. Inhale and lower the weights back to 90 degrees. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions. You should be close to failure on the last set.