Gym bros are all about curls for the girls and selling tickets to the gun show.
So why do women forget about sculpting the perfect arms and building toned biceps?
I know for me, it’s easy to get swept up in trendier training like booty workouts or deltoid definition.
But when spring rolls around and it’s time to trade sweaters for tank tops, I’m left feeling underwhelmed by weak (or even saggy!) arms.
And though I rarely say this, that usually means it’s time to train like one of the guys!
It’s hard to beat isolation work for targeting your biceps and triceps. But who wants a full 30 days of nothing but curls?
Lucky for you, the 30 day arm challenge will sculpt your arms with a mix of isolation exercises and compound movements.
The arm challenge consists of 4 full weeks of arm exercises that you can do at home or at the gym. With just a pair of dumbbells, you should see major improvements in arm definition over the course of the month — you’ll definitely want to post your 30 day arm challenge before and after!
And don’t sweat the details. The 30 day arm challenge includes detailed exercise descriptions, training and diet tips, plus all 30 days of arm workouts women will love.
Change into your favorite gym tank, click the button below, and get ready to watch your guns grow!
Arm Workouts for Women that Work
Standing Dumbbell Curl
This arm workout for women is guaranteed to wake up those biceps. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells down by your sides. Rotate your arms so that your palms are facing forward. Bend your elbows and curl the weights up as close to your shoulders as possible. Pause briefly and then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Remember, your upper arms shouldn’t move and this should be a slow, controlled motion – no heaving the weights around!
Eccentric Dumbbell Curl (Single-Arm)
In this twist on the standard curl above, you’ll be focusing on the eccentric portion of the curling movement. That’s the part where you lower the dumbbell down. For an intense arm challenge, you’ll want to do these slowly and with great control.. You can probably use a higher amount of weight too.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bring the dumbbell to the top of a dumbbell curl position (up near your shoulder). You don’t have to properly curl the weight up – just get into that position. To begin the eccentric curl, lower the weight down very slowly until your arm is completely straight. Reset to get back to the starting position and repeat for all reps on the right arm before switching to the left.
Dumbbell Kickback
This arm workout for women isolates your triceps, that often jiggly part on the back of your arm. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Place your left palm and left knee on a flat bench. Keep a neutral arch in your back and your torso parallel to the floor. Bring your right arm up so that your upper arm is parallel to the floor and your elbow is bent 90-degrees. From this starting position, raise your forearm until your arm is fully straight and your elbow is locked. Pause briefly and then bend the elbow to return to the starting position. Repeat all reps with the right arm before switching to the left.
Overhead Dumbbell Extension
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells up overhead with straight arms and a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Brace your core and without moving your upper arms, lower the dumbbells behind your head. Try to get your forearms at least parallel to the floor. Pause briefly, straighten your arms, and return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Shoulder presses work more than just your shoulders and are an integral part of the 30 day arm challenge. You’ll also train your upper chest muscles and your triceps with every press. They’re a great addition to a balanced arm routine.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and with a slight bend in the knees. Hold a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders with palms facing towards each other and arms bent. Brace your core and press the weights overhead until your arms are straight. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Standing Hammer Curl to Press
An arm workout for women should focus on including combination exercises like the hammer curl to press. This combo exercise tones your biceps, chest, and shoulders. Moves like these are a great way to get the most out of a quick workout.
Hold a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) at your sides. Bending only your elbows, curl the weights towards your shoulders. Then press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are straight (you should still have a neutral grip at the top of this movement). Return to the starting position and repeat.
Push-Ups
Best known as a chest exercise, push-ups will strengthen and tone your triceps as well. If you are already comfortable doing regular push-ups (as described below), you can try a variation that will work your triceps more directly: place your hands close together so that they form a diamond shape. Diamond push-ups are harder to do, but will really sculpt your triceps if you’re up for the challenge. Whichever variation you choose, you can’t lose with push-ups!
Place your hands on the floor just past shoulder width. Your toes should be on the ground with your feet close together. Your body should form a straight line without any sagging of the hips. Brace your abs and keep a strong core as you begin to lower your body. Lower down until your chest is nearly touching the floor. Pause briefly and then push back up to the starting position. You should look down throughout the exercise and your head position shouldn’t change.
Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
This middle- and upper-back exercise will also tone your biceps. Plus, rows are good for your rear delts which will help improve the overall shape and definition of your arms.
Grab a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips, bend your knees slightly, and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length with palms facing behind you. Brace your core, bend your elbows, and pull the dumbbells to the sides of your torso. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull and keep your torso still. Pause briefly, lower the weights, and repeat.
Overcoming Saggy Arms by Toning
Toned, Balanced Arms
To have arms that are truly begging to be shown off in strappy tanks, you’ll want to have a balanced routine that targets all of the arm muscles.
You’ll see the best results by training your biceps, triceps, and chest and shoulder muscles.
The 30 day arm challenge combines a mix of isolation exercises like curls and kickbacks with upper-body classics like push-ups and rows. You’ll be working your muscles from all angles with our unique arm workout for women, which will give you sexy, shapely arms.
No More Arm Flab
Most women who are frustrated with their arms are really talking about their saggy triceps. The 30 day arm challenge targets your triceps with kickbacks, overhead extensions, shoulder presses, and push-ups.
These exercises are going to develop solid arm muscles that will give you a look that’s firm instead of saggy.
If upper arms are one of your “trouble” areas, you might still need to lose some fat there to show off your new muscles. If that’s the case for you, do this challenge while following a moderate diet. Slightly reduce your calories, limit your sugar, and eat plenty of protein and vegetables.
And the good thing about following an upper-body workout routine is that you’re free to focus on lower-body cardio like running, cycling, or hiking without worrying about being too sore.
With this combo of a fat-burning diet and muscle-building moves, you can say bye bye batwings!
Don’t forget to post your 30 day arm challenge before and after using #FitnessGoals!
Too easy for you? Add our 30 day squat challenge to really feel the burn!
