Exercises to Tone Arms

The triceps and biceps get most of the attention when people perform arm exercises, but you shouldn't forget about the forearms. There are many muscles in the forearm that extend the hand, fingers and wrists -- as well as flex the wrist and elbow. There are exercises you can do to strengthen all of these muscles, and they are some of the least complicated resistance training exercises.

Bodyweight Dips

Dips target the triceps to tone the rear upper arm, reports the American Council Exercise. Bodyweight dips have no additional weight. A dip bar is the only equipment necessary, though parallel bars work too. A medicine ball or weighted plate can be held between the legs for extra weight. To perform dips, hold yourself in the air with your arms straight and your palms facing inward holding the bars. Bend your arms no more than 90 degrees before pushing yourself up again. Slow, controlled movements are the most effective. This exercise may not be suitable for people with weak arms or wrists. A supported dip exercise on a machine bearing the same name is an alternative. These can be found at gyms.

Machine Biceps Curl

The machine bicep curl exercise targets the biceps to tone the front of the upper arm, according to ChangingShape. The arm pad supports the elbows to isolate the biceps. Exercisers can lift heavier weights this way than if performing an unsupported exercise. To do machine bicep curls, grab the handles with your palms up and arms straight -- rest the elbows on the pad. The elbows align with the arm joint, or fulcrum, of the machine when they are in correct position. A red dot indicates this spot on most machines. Flex the elbows to bring the bar toward your chest. Lower the bar back to the start position.

Machine Reverse Preacher Curl

The machine reverse preacher curl uses the same machine and set up as the machine bicep curls. The difference lies in the hand position. Turning the palms face down activates the brachoradialis of the forearm, according to ExRx.net.

Dumbbell Wrist Curl Extension

The dumbbell wrist curl extension targets the wrist extensor muscles. There are many small muscles in the forearm that extend the wrist and fingers as well as move them sideways, reports ExRx.net. To perform this exercise, kneel at a bench and rest your forearms across it with your hands off the edge holding dumbbells. Palms are face down with the wrists bent toward the floor. Extend the wrists until they are straight.

Toning Repetitions

Although it is popular in weight training to perform a few repetitions of arm exercises with heavy weights, this will increase power and maximal strength but won't do a lot for arm toning. Two to three days a week of eight to 12 repetitions is ideal for increasing muscle tone. Perform two to three sets per workout.