You may have a great set of pecs and lats, but what about your arms? If you think they could use some extra attention, we’ve got just what you’re looking for.
In this article, we’ll cover a few dumbbell exercises for men that can help you tone your biceps and triceps.
Dumbbell Exercises to Tone Arms
Here’s a look at six such exercises for men:
#1 Dumbbell Curl
Dumbbell curls are a great way to tone the biceps. To do this exercise, you need two dumbbells and a bench or chair that you can place the weight on when it’s not in use.
Here’s how you do it:
- Start with both arms extended straight out in front of you at shoulder-height.
- With your palms facing forward, curl one dumbbell up towards your shoulder till it reaches chin height (or as close as possible).
- Once there, slowly lower back down till both arms are straight again.
- Repeat this movement 12–15 times on each arm before switching sides and repeating again.
To increase the difficulty of the move, hold heavier weights — a pair of 20-pounders will work well here. Focus on having strict form throughout the entire set, and avoid using momentum to lift heavier weights.
#2 Preacher Curl
To perform preacher curls, you need a preacher bench. If one isn’t available, you can use an incline bench. Nevertheless, set the seat to approximately 45 degrees, and adjust the backrest so that your arms are at about 90 degrees.
To engage your biceps and minimize cheating from other muscle groups during the exercise, keep your upper arms close to your sides throughout the movement. Don’t let them flare outward or upward. Additionally, don’t allow any movement at the elbow joint other than flexing and extending it: no bending or twisting.
When lifting the weight off of its rack or stepping into position on a stepper machine (for instance), don’t hold onto anything for support. Instead, take small steps till you’re ready for each rep. That will keep tension on the biceps throughout the entire movement as opposed to using momentum to get going off the rack or platform before letting go prematurely.
That’s especially important if using heavier weights. If they’re too heavy they won’t provide enough resistance while being moved around not only to prevent cheating but also to reduce the likelihood of injury and prevent poor form.
#3 Standing Overhead Triceps Extension
Overhead tricep extensions are a signature tricep workout. They target each head of the tricep and can help build a solid set of arms.
Here’s how you do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise your arms straight overhead, with your palms facing forward
- Lower the weights behind your head (your elbows should stay close to your ears).
- Perform the desired number of repetitions.
#4 Lying Dumbbell Pullover
This is a great exercise for the chest. To perform it, you will need a pair of dumbbells.
Proceed as follows:
- Lie back on a flat bench, and hold the dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest, with your palms facing away from you.
- Slowly lower the weights down behind you till they’re parallel to the floor, but don’t let them touch.
- Raise them back up again to an arm’s-length above your chest, keeping good posture throughout and making sure not to swing or use momentum. That should be a slow, controlled movement with no jerking motions.
#5 Tricep Kickback
Kickbacks are a great way to hit the triceps and feel that signature stretch without needing fancy equipment or any prior experience in the gym. It’s beginner-friendly, equipment-friendly, and has just about everything you could need in a starter arm workout.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Stand with your torso bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Grasp the dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- Raise the dumbbells up and out to your sides till they’re parallel to the floor.
- Lower them back down to your sides.
#6 Hammer Curl
Here’s how it’s done:
- Grab a dumbbell, and hold it by your side with your palm facing inward (this is called a neutral grip).
- Without moving your upper arm, bend it to bring the weight up to shoulder height.
- Make sure to keep your elbow pointed down towards the floor throughout the movement.
Beginners should start off using light weights and focus on good form rather than increasing their number of reps or going for heavy poundages too soon.
Begin by doing about 10-12 reps per set for 2-3 sets every other day when you first start out so that you can get used to doing the exercise correctly before progressing to heavier weights or more sets per workout session and longer rest periods between workouts.
Takeaway
The best biceps exercises for men to tone their arms are dumbbell curls, hammer curls, and everything in between. All these exercises use the muscles in different ways to help you develop upper body strength and definition.
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