It’s tough finding a balance between working long hours and working up the motivation to lift a finger after that. Enter our list of arm workouts for women that will help strengthen your arms as well as your motivation!
In the spirit of International Women’s Day, here are some arm workouts for women that you can do from the comfort of your own home!
Arm workouts for women
1. Chair Dips
Don’t have any gym equipment at home? No sweat! Make full use of your furniture and bid goodbye to couch potato days.
How to:
- Sit on the edge of your chair with your hands placed on either side of you
- Stretch your legs forward with your toes pointed upwards so you are balancing on your heels
- Assume starting position: move to the edge of the chair and lower yourself to the ground
- Raise yourself upwards with a full arm extension and dip back down without letting your bottom touch the floor
- Repeat the reps and make sure to not give in to the temptation of sitting back on the chair!
See the results!
Chair dips are one of the best arm exercises for women to do at home. They target the triceps and shoulders, giving you toned and sculpted arms so you can rock your favourite tank top with confidence!
2. Planking
Holding a plank position sure can be challenging but rewarding too. Not only will you love the satisfaction you get from being able to hold a plank for over two minutes but you’ll also love the strong core and toned arms that come with working hard!
How to:
- Begin with a pushup position on a yoga mat
- Lower yourself to your forearms and keep your elbows and arms parallel to your body at about shoulder width
- Hold this position, keeping your back straight, bottom lowered and your core engaged
Tip: If you’re new to planking, consider starting out at 30-second intervals and work your way up to a minute.
See the results!
While planking is most well known for strengthening the core, it also does an excellent job of toning and slimming your arms and biceps. Planking also makes a great arm workout for women looking to improve posture and attain a more defined waistline!
3. Push Ups
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Push ups are the perfect arm exercises for women at home as they can be done almost anywhere. If you’re new to push ups, consider trying simpler variants like an incline push up and work yourself up to a standard push up.
How to:
- Start on all fours, with your arms positioned slightly below your shoulders
- Straighten your arms and legs
- Lower your body down with your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body
- Pushing yourself back up to starting position — that’s one rep!
See the results!
Push ups help build upper body strength by engaging the triceps, pectoral muscles and shoulders. While push ups are on the more challenging end of arm workouts for women, the benefits are definitely worth the journey!
4. Inchworm
The inchworm exercise makes for a great warm up exercise as well as an arm workout for women. If you’re looking to do a bit of cardio, feel free to speed up the exercise but make sure to maintain good form!
How to:
- Begin in a standing position and place your hands in front of your feet
- Walk your hands forward at a steady pace, let your heels lift from the floor as you go forward, till your body straightens
- Reach a point where your body will be in a planking position
- Hold that position for a short bit before walking your hands back to your starting position
See the results!
The inchworm is a super versatile workout that helps to tone your arms as well as abs. The intensity of which can be adjusted to your liking with the inclusion of a push up when your body reaches the planking position.
Arm workouts for women — with weights!
5. Bicep Curl
Incorporating the use of dumbbells allows for a wider range of arm exercises for women at home! If you’re unsure of what weights to begin with, start out with lighter 2kg dumbbells and work your way up!
How to:
- Hold the weights at your side with your palms facing forwards, maintain a straight posture
- Bend your elbows and bring the weights up towards your shoulders with control
- Pause before bringing them down to starting position with your arms extended
Tip: Make sure to release the dumbbells slowly and keep your spine straight to prevent straining.
See the results!
Bicep curls work your bicep muscles and to a lesser degree, your lower arm muscles. You use these muscles on a daily basis to pull and pick things up, so it’s important to strengthen them!
6. Overhead Press
The overhead press may seem a bit daunting at first as it requires you to lift weights above your head. As safety is key, start with weights you are comfortable with.
How to:
- Stand upright, keeping your back straight
- With dumbbells in each hand, bend your elbows at 90-degrees and your knuckles facing towards you
- Raise the dumbbells above the head
- Press your arms upwards, till they are fully stretched out before returning back to your starting position
See the results!
This helps to work the deltoid muscles, located at your shoulders. And gives an extra boost of definition to your arms and shoulders, perfect if you’re looking to rock an off-shoulder top!
7. Hammer Curl
Unlike the bicep curl, weights are held in a vertical fashion for the hammer curl. It’s crucial to add variation to your arm exercises for an effective workout, hence consider doing your hammer curls with a couple of other arm workouts for women.
How to:
- Start with holding weights in each hand and at your sides
- Curl the weights upwards until your thumbs reach your shoulders
- Pause before lowering back to starting position
See the results!
Hammer curls are good for working out your biceps and your lower arm. As most workouts tend to focus on the biceps and triceps, this exercise targets the often overlooked forearm muscles!
8. Tricep Extension
Tricep extensions can be done with one or two weights, depending on what you’re comfortable with. If you’ve never done an overhead tricep extension, start with one weight first.
How to:
- Start with your weight held behind your head, you can do this exercise either sitting down or standing up
- Lower the weight behind your head without moving your upper arms
- Pause and return your arms back to the starting position without locking them
See the results!
The tricep extension is a great arm workout for women looking to strengthen their triceps and shoulders. Don’t forget to warm up your shoulders before this exercise — simple shoulder stretches will suffice.
Arm workouts for women with resistance bands
9. Band Bicep Curl
Resistance bands are a cost and space-saving alternative to weights. Portable and compact, they are also great for the travelling businesswomen to keep up with a workout routine. Start with a simple band bicep curl — it’s similar to the bicep curl with weights.
How to:
- Begin by standing in the middle of your resistance band and hold each end of the resistance band in each hand
- With your palm facing forwards, bring the resistance band up to your shoulders
- Lower your hands and forearms back down while keeping your elbows tucked to the sides
See the results!
Like the bicep curl, the band bicep curl targets the biceps and helps you achieve toned and sculpted arms.
10. Band Lateral Raise
How to:
- Place yourself in the middle of the resistance band and hold the ends of the resistance band with each hand
- Raise your arms from the side of your body until parallel to the floor
- Slowly lower your arms back down. Make sure to engage your core and avoid arching your back to prevent back strain.
See the results!
The band lateral raise targets the deltoid muscles and the abs, to a smaller extent. Stronger deltoids help to reduce hunching. A better posture can do wonders for the way you carry yourself, giving you a more elongated and slimmer appearance.
Start your arm workout routine today!
Manifest the best version of yourself this International Women’s Day and every day after! All it takes is motivation and diligence to give a kickstart to your fitness routine. With these easy arm workouts for women at home, you’ll have your arms looking toned in no time. If you’re too busy to head to the gym, consider building your own home gym! You can also check out our list of gym studios for ladies if you’re looking for a motivational workout environment.
