7 Best Arm Exercises For Increasing Strength (2024)

Many benefits to arm exercises go beyond the obvious. Toned arms might look attractive, but what’s most important is how they make you strong and capable in everyday life, says Trish Stallone, DPT, physical therapist and owner of Evolve PT in New York City. Whether carrying your groceries, taking your luggage down from the overhead rack, hoisting yourself out of the pool or picking up a child, strong arms are “a sign of health, easy mobility and self-reliance,” she says.

Here are three additional benefits of having strong arms:

• Improved bone density and reduced risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Strengthening your upper body with weight-bearing and resistance exercises can improve bone density. While bone health is important for everyone, it is particularly important for women over 50, who begin to experience a rapid loss in bone density after hormonal changes brought on by menopause. Weight-bearing exercises like pushups and planks, for example, can strengthen the bones in the wrists, shoulders and upper back, aiding in preventing osteoporosis and reducing your risk of fractures there, says Dr. Stallone.
• Improved functional strength. Functional strength training is training the body for regular activities, and arms that are both mobile and strong will help you perform the wide variety of tasks required for everyday life. “Muscle memory,” is an additional functional strength benefit, notes Olayi Oyekanmi, DPT, a board certified specialist in orthopedic physical therapy based in Atlanta. “The more an individual performs an activity, the better they get at said activity,” he says. Strong muscles help ensure good movement while supporting lifting, pulling, carrying, pushing and more.
• Reduced risk of injury to your back. While strong and stable arms and shoulders can help prevent upper body injuries, upper body strengthening with good form can even prevent low back pain by re-training the body to avoid using momentum or leverage to replace arm strength during everyday lifting tasks, notes Dr. Stallone. A 2014 meta-analysis found that strength training can reduce both acute and overuse injuries by as much as one third.^[2]Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jun;48(11):871-7.

Primary Muscles of the Arm

In order to get the most out of your arm workout, it’s good to understand your own anatomy. Below, Dr. Stallone describes some of the primary muscles of the arm:

• Pectoralis Major: Located on the front of the chest, the pectoralis major attaches to the top of the upper arm and is responsible for supporting the weight of the body during weight-bearing exercises. It is the main mover in pushing motions—both pushing straight ahead or across your body.
• Latissimus Dorsi: Located on the lower half of the back and attached to the upper arm, the latissimus dorsi muscle is responsible for most pulling motions—either from an overhead position or from straight in front of you.
• Deltoids: This triangular shaped muscle located at the top of the arm has three sections. Together, they function to raise the humerus (upper arm bone) away from the body and over the head.
• Biceps: Located on the front of the upper arm above the elbow, the biceps is probably the most famous arm muscle. It has two sections and is primarily responsible for elbow flexion (bending) and supination (rotating the palm upwards). Along with elbow flexion, the biceps muscle is also partly responsible for shoulder flexion and helping stabilize the shoulder joint.
• Brachialis: Located under the biceps on the upper arm, the brachialis enables elbow flexion.
• Triceps: Located on the back of the upper arm above the elbow, the triceps is mainly responsible for elbow extension (straightening). It is also partly responsible for shoulder stability due to its attachment within the shoulder joint.
• Rotator Cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor): These four small muscles located on the shoulder blade attach to the front and back of the upper humerus. The rotator cuff is nicknamed this because its muscles are used for rotation of the humerus in the shoulder joint. When working together, these muscles play an important role in helping hold the humerus firmly inside the joint, giving the shoulder a dynamic stability—the ability to be both mobile and stable at the same time.

According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, it’s best to do strength training two to three days per week with rest days in between to allow for recovery and rebuilding of the musculature. But that number can vary, based on experience and goals.

Beginner lifters and multi-sport exercisers often do best with a total body strength routine that includes some upper body and lower body exercises in the same workout, says Dr. Stallone. For best results, she recommends adding the arm exercises listed below to a comprehensive exercise program that targets the whole body two to three days per week.

More advanced lifters who are ready to dedicate more time to advancing strength can perform a split routine that separates body parts onto three different days followed by a rest day, according to Dr. Stallone. “Workout days are split into one day for training legs, one day for chest, triceps and deltoids, and one day for back, biceps and rotator cuff, followed by a rest day.” This schedule then repeats.

Risks of Arm Exercises

“Unfortunately, no exercise is without risk,” says Dr. Oyekanmi. However, the risks of not strengthening your arms outweigh them.

“As a physical therapist who has treated bodybuilders, Crossfitters and everyday gym goers with various injuries, I have seen a wide range of both acute and chronic shoulder injuries from gym exercise. However, I believe most can be prevented if shoulder health, not just strength, is kept a priority,” says Dr. Stallone. She emphasizes focusing on mobility before resistance training, using bodyweight first, mastering modified positions before attempting harder ones, and understanding your limits when you feel yourself becoming fatigued.

While the list below is a great starting point, it’s important to know that the “best” exercises for one person may be different for another person. Make sure to speak with your doctor or a qualified, certified personal trainer before starting any kind of new exercise routine.

Push-Ups

“Push-ups are my absolute favorite exercise for all genders and ages,” says Dr. Stallone. This exercise addresses upper body strength, core control, bone density and breath control when performed properly, she says. There are also modifications for people who can’t do a full push-up and are working to build up to that point.

Dr. Oyekanmi says this exercise can be made progressively more challenging. “Depending on a person’s strength level, [push-ups] can be performed with arms on the wall, on the kitchen counter, on the seat portion of a couch/bed or on the floor,” says Dr. Oyekanmi.

Muscles targeted: pectoralis major, triceps, abdominals
How to do it:

• Lie face down with your palms on the floor just below the shoulders, elbows pointing out.
• Open your chest, draw in your abdominal muscles and exhale as you straighten your elbows, lifting your torso up off the floor. Hold this plank position with elbows straight, shoulders engaged and spine straight. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your torso close to the floor without touching it.
• Straighten your elbows to repeat the push-up. Aim for three sets of 10 reps; for beginners three sets of five reps may be more realistic.

Bodyweight Rows

“This is another favorite exercise for people looking to increase their upper body strength and work on posture at the same time,” says Dr. Stallone.

Muscles targeted: lats, middle trapezius, biceps, abdominals, glutes
How to do it:

• This can be done with a suspension trainer, rings, parallel bars, a squat rack bar or any bar that has enough space and is sturdy.
• Using the equipment mentioned above, position your body at a 45- to 60-degree angle to the floor, holding onto the bar with hands positioned slightly wider than shoulder width or holding handles straight in front of you.
• Squeeze your glutes to maintain a straight torso and draw in your upper abdominals to prevent the ribs from opening up.
• Pull your elbows back behind you at a 45-degree angle and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Keep your chin tucked in and make sure the effort is coming from your upper back.
• As you straighten your arms, allow the shoulder blades to relax.
• Repeat this movement.
• Like a push-up, the more parallel your body is to the ground, the more difficult the exercise will be. For advanced lifters, prop your feet up onto a bench if you want to make the exercise even harder.
• Aim for three sets of six to eight reps. If you can perform 10 reps easily, make it more difficult by lowering the bar.

Lateral Raises

This isolation exercise targets the deltoid muscle, says Dr. Stallone. “This muscle is often overlooked in exercisers who prefer compound [multi-joint] exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups.” While it isn’t the main arm muscle, the deltoid needs to be strong in order to assist and protect the shoulder joint during upper body movements.

Muscles targeted: deltoids
How to do it:

• Stand with your arms straight down by your sides, holding a weight in each hand (weights should be heavy enough so that shoulder effort is required without the need to arch your back), palms facing in.
• Keep your chest lifted.
• Next, raise your arms out and up to shoulder height, as if you’re making a snow angel, keeping elbows straight and your arms slightly in front of your torso (about 30-degrees away from your body).
• Hold this position for one second, then slowly lower your arms back down to your sides.
• If you notice discomfort or sounds in the shoulders when performing a lateral raise, try doing it with your hands slightly more in front of you.
• Aim for three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Rotator Cuff with a Catch

The benefit of this exercise is that it trains the rotator cuff to work in ways it’s most needed.

Muscles targeted: rotator cuff
How to do it:

• Grab a tennis ball, softball or three- to five-pound weighted mini ball.
• Lie on your left side holding the ball in your right hand, with your right elbow bent at your waist and your right shoulder blade down and back (do not let the shoulder protrude forward).
• Rotate your upper arm quickly to create momentum; open your fingers and release the ball in the air.
• Try to catch the ball in midair then slowly lower your forearm back to your waist in one smooth motion.
• Aim for three sets of 15 to 20 reps. Lie on your right side and repeat.

Skullcrushers

“One of the reasons people have limited range of motion overhead is because their posterior musculature is often very tight,” says Dr. Stallone. In other words, when the muscles in the back of your shoulder are tight, they limit how your arm moves above your head. This exercise increases mobility in the posterior muscles while strengthening the triceps and improving shoulder stability.

Muscles targeted: triceps
How to do it:

• Lie face up on a bench or on the floor, holding a three- to five-pound free weight in each hand (or whatever weight feels right for you).
• Start with arms straight above your shoulders, hands holding weights and palms facing each other.
• Without moving your shoulders, bend the elbows so that the weights graze the side of your head close to your ears; you should feel the effort in your triceps.
• Straighten your elbows to raise the weights back up above your head; repeat. Don’t make the common mistake of allowing the weights to touch your shoulders.
• Aim for three sets of eight to 10 reps.

Farmer’s Carry

Dr. Oyekanmi recommends this exercise for anyone who has difficulty carrying filled grocery bags for any distance. This exercise targets the muscles in the shoulder blades and arms while also connecting to the hand with a focus on grip strength.

Muscles targeted: wrist, upper traps, wrist flexors, triceps
How to do it:

• Stand holding a five- to 20-pound free weight or kettlebell in one or both hands (choose a weight that replicates that which you’re used to carrying).
• Stand up tall, bringing your shoulder blades back and down; do not slouch.
• Walk 10 to 20 feet, or according to a distance or time frame you want, keeping the upper body as stable as possible, avoiding excessive swaying of the weight/s and slouching.
• Aim for about five reps of the specific distance or time frame that’s required to perform the activity in your everyday life.

Forward Raises

Dr. Oyekanmi recommends this shoulder and arm exercise because “lifting overhead is usually [required for] putting dishes away or hanging up clothes after laundry,” he says. He explains that the goal of this exercise is to improve the endurance of these muscles so that such activities can be performed comfortably for longer periods of time.

Muscles targeted: deltoids
How to do it:

• Stand or sit with your arms at your sides.
• Hold one small weight in each hand (or do this without weight if necessary); palms facing in toward your body.
• Keeping your arms straight, lift them forward and overhead as high as is tolerable.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• This exercise can be made more challenging by progressively increasing the amount of weight.
• Aim for three to five sets of 12 to 15 reps.