Tip. To tone your arm muscles, consider starting with 2- to 3-pound dumbbells, all the way up to 5- to 10-pound dumbbells for women and 10- to 20-pound dumbbells for men. Once you can do 12 to 15 repetitions with little effort, it's time to increase the weights.
You don't have to lift heavy barbells to strengthen and tone your arms (though bigger weights can supercharge your sculpting). This lightweight arm workout uses 1- to 3-pound weights and still produces big changes over time.
Durable 10 lb dumbbells provide the perfect amount of resistance to help you build strength and tone your muscles effectively. Whether you're targeting your arms, shoulders, or even your core, these dumbbells offer the versatility to work multiple muscle groups.
A 5 pound weight in each arm will certainly help you tone your arms- you just have to work all the different muscles adequately and with enough sets and reps to make those muscles grow. Bicep curls, shoulder press, tricep extensions, lateral raises, upright rows, bent over rows- you can get a lot done.
Like most things, it depends. Short answer: you should use a weight for which you can perform between 8 and 12 reps (roughly) and no more and you should strive to add to this weight little and often. For example, if you can curl 20 lbs for 3 sets ...
Medium vs. Heavy Weights. For beginners, Ben recommends trying five to 10 pounds for light weights, 10 to 20 pounds for medium weights, and 15 to 30 pounds for heavy weights—or simply starting with five-pound weights for each exercise and working up from there.
Use small to medium dumbbells for your biceps, triceps and deltoids, and medium to large weights for working your chest, leg, and back muscles.
Here's some good news. Even if you have arms that are out of shape with flabby underarms, you can get them back into shape. However, you first need to do targeted arm exercises to build muscle. Adding more muscle is essential, and it can help your arms get nice and toned.
If losing arm fat and toning the arms is one of your goals, here are 9 effective exercises to start with. For the strength-training moves, start with 3-5 pound dumbbells and increase the weight as you build strength.
Lifting weights is a great way to lose fat in your arms, while toning the muscles at the same time. This helps your arms look slimmer, because of the increased muscle mass. Muscle is also a great way to burn fat.
Plan workouts with heavy sets at the start of your session and early in the week. Follow heavy sets with lighter, higher-rep work for hypertrophy, performance and injury prevention. Use extra rest days after lighter sessions to recover for the next heavy training block.
Rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise.
If you are training arms twice a week, eating enough protein, and (if weight loss is required) following a moderate calorie deficit (find out how many calories you should be eating to lose weight here), you should begin to see improvements in around 4-6 weeks.
If you're new to using dumbbells, starting with lower weights, such as 3 or 5 pounds, is advisable. This allows you to adjust to the dumbbell's shape, get comfortable with holding them, and master the correct form and technique before moving on to heavier weights.
Forget the gym — you only need 15 minutes and a pair of dumbbells to build full-body muscle. Full-body home workouts are ideal if you haven't got much time or motivation. These sessions, like this personal trainer's 15-minute dumbbell routine, are designed to work several muscles simultaneously for maximum efficiency.
The Science of Fat Loss
Think of it like a balloon losing air—it deflates, but doesn't disappear immediately. Over time, your body adjusts, but the jiggly feeling can be a temporary step along the way.
The workout structure
2-in-1 arm routine: Do these exercises to tighten, tone and chisel your arms and shoulders. I recommend starting with 5-pound weights. Halfway through the month, do a check-in with your body to see if they feel too light. If so, you can move up to 7.5- or 8-pound weights.
Including aerobic exercise in your routine aids in burning calories and promotes the loss of body fat overall, including that of the arms. Exercises like jogging, cycling, jumping rope, and brisk walking can be beneficial.
Targeted arm exercises can help address this concern by toning and strengthening the muscles in the arms. By incorporating exercises such as bicep curls, tricep dips, arm circles, overhead presses, and modified push-ups into their fitness routine, seniors can target the specific muscles responsible for flabby arms.
A bicep size that is considered big is subjective to personal opinion and preference. However, as we saw above, young adult men's average biceps range from 13–15 inches, and women's range from 12–13 inches. By these standards, biceps measuring 15+ inches for men and 13+ inches for women are generally classified as big.
While 3 lbs may seem light compared to heavier weights, exercises with 3lb dumbbells can still be highly effective for toning, especially if you perform them with high repetitions and proper form.
Reps For An Arm Workout
Aim for a moderate rep range of around 8-12 reps per set for optimal muscle growth, strength, and hypertrophy in the biceps, triceps, and other arm muscles.