AKHADA

Arm Workout for Biceps and Triceps

  • Intermediate
  • 1 or 2 days a week
  • About 30 min
  • Gym or dumbbells

Updated

A young man curling a barbell in a gym

About this routine

Six exercises that alternate biceps and triceps: three curls and three triceps moves. The Gym version uses a barbell, cables and dumbbells, and the Dumbbells version needs a pair of dumbbells and a bench.

For lifters with a few months of training who want more arm work than presses and rows give. If you are new, presses, rows and pull ups already train your arms, so start with a full body routine.

The week

Once a week

Rest here means no arm day. Your arms still work on chest, back and shoulder days.

  1. MRest
  2. TRest
  3. WRest
  4. TRest
  5. FGym
  6. SRest
  7. SRest

Twice a week

Research finds twice a week builds more muscle than once. Keep at least two days between arm sessions, and away from a heavy back day.

  1. MGym
  2. TRest
  3. WRest
  4. TGym
  5. FRest
  6. SRest
  7. SRest

The workouts

Before you start

If you have a medical condition or an injury, check with a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

Stop any exercise that causes pain, dizziness, or strain somewhere you don't expect it.

6 exercisesAbout 30 minIntermediate

Warm-up, about 5 minSee moves
  • Spot jog45 seconds
  • Jumping jacks30 seconds
  • Arm circles10 each way
  • Shoulder circles10 reps
  • Cat-cow8 slow reps
  • Light practice set of Barbell Curl1 to 2 sets
  1. 1

    Barbell Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, barbell at arm's length with palms facing forward.
    2. Keep elbows pinned to your sides throughout the movement.
    3. Curl the bar upward by bending at the elbows until the barbell reaches chest height.
    4. Pause briefly at the top with biceps fully contracted.
    5. Lower the barbell with control back to the starting position without locking elbows.
  2. 2

    Cable Pushdown

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand facing the machine with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
    2. Grip the rope or bar at upper chest height with elbows tucked close to your ribs.
    3. Press downward by extending your elbows, driving your hands toward your thighs.
    4. Pause briefly at full elbow extension with triceps fully contracted.
    5. Control the weight back to chest height, stopping short of full elbow flexion.
  3. 3

    Dumbbell Hammer Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand upright with dumbbells at sides, palms facing inward.
    2. Keep elbows fixed at your sides throughout the movement.
    3. Curl dumbbells up by bending elbows, maintaining neutral grip.
    4. Raise until forearms approach shoulder height.
    5. Lower with control back to full arm extension.
  4. 4

    Barbell Skull Crusher

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Lie flat on a bench with feet planted on the floor, dumbbell or barbell held at arm's length above your chest.
    2. Lower the weight by bending elbows, keeping upper arms nearly vertical and stationary throughout.
    3. Descend until the bar approaches your forehead or just past the top of your head.
    4. Press back to the starting position by extending elbows, maintaining control at the top without locking out.
  5. 5

    Cable Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand facing the machine with feet shoulder-width apart, slight knee bend.
    2. Grip the handle with both hands at waist level, elbows tucked to your sides.
    3. Curl the handle upward by flexing your elbows, keeping upper arms stationary.
    4. Bring the handle to chest height, pause briefly at the top.
    5. Lower the handle back to starting position with control.
  6. 6

    Dumbbell Kickback

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Set one knee on the bench, opposite foot on the ground for stability.
    2. Grip a dumbbell with one hand, upper arm parallel to the torso, elbow bent at 90 degrees.
    3. Extend the elbow fully, driving the dumbbell straight back until the arm is locked.
    4. Lower the weight with control, returning to 90 degrees without moving the upper arm.
    5. Complete all reps on one side before switching arms.
Cool-down, about 3 minSee moves
  • Easy walk1 minute
  • Chest stretch30 seconds
  • Triceps stretch30 seconds each side
  • Child's pose30 seconds

6 exercisesAbout 30 minIntermediate

Warm-up, about 5 minSee moves
  • Spot jog45 seconds
  • Jumping jacks30 seconds
  • Arm circles10 each way
  • Shoulder circles10 reps
  • Cat-cow8 slow reps
  • Light practice set of Dumbbell Biceps Curl1 to 2 sets
  1. 1

    Dumbbell Biceps Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight, palms facing forward.
    2. Keep your elbows by your sides and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
    3. Pause at the top, then lower slowly until your arms are straight.
    4. Do not swing your body to lift the weight. If you have to, go lighter.
  2. 2

    Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Lie supine on a flat bench with feet planted on the floor.
    2. Hold a dumbbell in both hands, arms extended perpendicular to your body.
    3. Lower the dumbbell by bending at the elbows, tracking behind your head in an arc.
    4. Keep upper arms stationary and elbows tucked at a constant angle.
    5. Extend your elbows to return the dumbbell to the starting position.
  3. 3

    Dumbbell Hammer Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Stand upright with dumbbells at sides, palms facing inward.
    2. Keep elbows fixed at your sides throughout the movement.
    3. Curl dumbbells up by bending elbows, maintaining neutral grip.
    4. Raise until forearms approach shoulder height.
    5. Lower with control back to full arm extension.
  4. 4

    Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl

    3 × 10 to 15 repsBiceps

    How to do it
    1. Sit on an incline bench set to 45 degrees, back fully supported, feet flat on floor.
    2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended down at sides, palms facing forward.
    3. Curl the dumbbells up by bending your elbows, keeping upper arms stationary against the bench.
    4. Lift until forearms near vertical and biceps fully contracted.
    5. Lower under control to full elbow extension without locking out.
  5. 5

    Dumbbell Kickback

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Set one knee on the bench, opposite foot on the ground for stability.
    2. Grip a dumbbell with one hand, upper arm parallel to the torso, elbow bent at 90 degrees.
    3. Extend the elbow fully, driving the dumbbell straight back until the arm is locked.
    4. Lower the weight with control, returning to 90 degrees without moving the upper arm.
    5. Complete all reps on one side before switching arms.
  6. 6

    Dumbbell Seated Triceps Extension

    3 × 10 to 15 repsTriceps

    How to do it
    1. Sit upright on a bench with feet flat, holding one dumbbell with both hands.
    2. Press the dumbbell overhead until arms are nearly straight, elbows slightly bent.
    3. Lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending at the elbows, keeping upper arms stationary.
    4. Stop when forearms reach near-horizontal or slightly below, maintaining tension in the triceps.
    5. Extend through the elbows to drive the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Cool-down, about 3 minSee moves
  • Easy walk1 minute
  • Chest stretch30 seconds
  • Triceps stretch30 seconds each side
  • Child's pose30 seconds

Rest and progress

Rest between sets

  • Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
  • The exercises alternate biceps and triceps, so one muscle rests while the other works. If time is short, do a curl and the triceps move after it back to back, then rest.

How to progress

  1. Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with one or two reps left in the tank.
  2. Add a rep each session. When every set reaches the top of the range, add the smallest weight step you have. Arms are small muscles, so a small jump is a real one.
  3. Keep the reps strict. If you start swinging the weight to finish a set, it is too heavy.

Swaps

Barbell Skull Crusher hurts your elbows
Cable Pushdown or Dumbbell Seated Triceps Extension.
Barbell Curl hurts your wrists
Dumbbell Hammer Curl or Dumbbell Biceps Curl.
Cable station busy
Dumbbell Biceps Curl in place of the Cable Curl, and Dumbbell Kickback in place of the Cable Pushdown.
Triceps Dip (Volume version)
Dip Bent Knees with Chair, feet on the floor, or another set of pushdowns.
Preacher bench taken (Volume version)
Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl or Cable Curl.

When it gets easy: the Volume version

Seven exercises with 4 sets on the first curl and the first pushdown, adding triceps dips and a preacher curl. Same rest and progression rules.

Gym · about 40 min

Barbell Curl4 × 10 to 12 reps
Cable Pushdown4 × 10 to 12 reps
Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curl3 × 10 to 12 reps
Barbell Skull Crusher3 × 10 to 12 reps
Cable Curl3 × 10 to 12 reps
Triceps Dip3 × 12 to 20 reps
Barbell Preacher Curl3 × 10 to 12 reps

In the Akhada app: Arms · Volume.

Questions

How often should I train arms?

Once or twice a week on their own day. Research finds training a muscle at least twice a week gives more growth than once, and your arms already get some work on every pressing and pulling day.

How long does an arm workout take?

About 30 minutes including rest, after a 5 minute warm-up. The Volume version takes about 40.

Should I train biceps and triceps on the same day?

It works well. They sit on opposite sides of the arm, so one can rest while the other works. That is why the exercises here alternate.

Can I do this arm workout at home?

The Dumbbells version works at home if you have a pair of dumbbells and a bench. The lying triceps extension and the incline curl need the bench.

Why 10 to 15 reps?

Muscle growth was similar with light and heavy loads when sets were taken to failure. So a moderate weight you can lift with strict form works, as long as the last reps of each set are hard.

More routines

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Sources

The Akhada team picked these exercises from our catalog of 7,000+ demonstrated movements. A strength coach reviewed the step-by-step cues for every exercise in our starter routines. The schedule, rep ranges and progression follow the research below.

  1. Training each muscle twice a week builds more muscle than once a week. That is why there is a twice-a-week schedule.

    Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2016.

  2. Muscle growth was similar with light and heavy loads when every set was taken to failure. That is why the arm exercises use moderate weights for 10 to 15 reps.

    Schoenfeld, Grgic, Ogborn and Krieger. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2017.

  3. Load goes up 2 to 10 percent once you beat the target reps. That is the progression rule here.

    American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (position stand). Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009.