The 12 best arm workouts to tone your muscles at home
- The best arm workouts target several major muscles at once.
- Tricep dips, push-ups, planks, and burpees will tone your arms and don’t require weights.
- Exercise your upper body two to three times a week on non-consecutive days.
Exercising your arm muscles not only makes them more toned and buff, but also benefits your health because it helps to build muscle, burn fat, and strengthen joints and bones.
Here’s everything you need to know about strengthening your arm muscles and which exercises are recommended by physical therapists and personal trainers.
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Understanding arm muscles
Your arm is made of 24 different muscles, says Katherine Millis, a certified physical therapist and owner of Excelerate Physical Therapy. Of those muscles, they can be divided into two categories: the upper arm and the lower arm.
The upper arm muscles are those above your elbow and include your:
- Biceps, which help bend your arm
- Triceps, which help straighten your arm
- Deltoids, which help raise your arm overhead
Meanwhile, your lower arm consists of the muscles under your elbow, also known as your forearm. This region consists of 20 muscles which can be categorized as either:
- Flexor muscles help with bending movements like flexing your bicep.
- Extensor muscles help with movements away from your body like straightening your arm to grab something.
Marianne Ayala/Insider
Here are 12 at-home arm workouts, recommended by Audrey Springer, a personal trainer and owner of Audrey Bowman Fitness. These exercises should be done two to three times per week on non-consecutive days. Complete three sets of each.
1. Inchworms
Keep your core engaged.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1.Begin by standing upright and then bending at the waist to place your hands on the ground.
2. Walk your hands forward to a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and engage your core and glutes.
3. Pause in this position for three to five seconds.
4. Walk your hands back towards your feet and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat movement 10 times.
Muscles targeted: deltoids, lats, core, glutes
Quick tip: To intensify this movement add a push-up when in plank position, which will target deltoids, lats, triceps, core muscles
2. Forearm plank to dolphin push-up
This exercise will work on shoulder strength and mobility.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a forearm plank with your elbows on the ground and shoulders directly over your elbows.
2. Push up through your shoulders and send your hips into the air creating a “V” position. with your body so that your head is between your shoulders.
3. Pause in this position for three to five seconds.
4. Return to plank position.
5. Repeat 10 times.
Muscles targeted: deltoids, triceps, biceps, pecs (aka chest), core, lats
3. Burpees
For added intensity, add a push-up after the plank position.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Lower to a squat and place your hands on the ground in front of your body.
3. Jump your feet back to high plank while making sure to engage your core.
4. Bend your elbows to complete a push-up.
5. Jump your feet back into the squat position then proceed to jump into the air with your hands raised overhead.
6. Repeat exercise 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, pecs, triceps, core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings
Quick tip: If this move is too difficult, modify by removing the push-up or stepping out into the high plank instead of jumping feet back. Or, you can intensify the movement by holding a dumbbell in each hand as you come up.
4. Crouching tiger push-ups
End the movement in plank.
Crystal Cox/Getty Images
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank position with hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your chest so that you are hovering above the ground.
3. Bend your knees and lift your hips into the air so that your hips are over your knees.
4. Bring your navel to the spine and return to the start position.
5. Repeat movements 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Triceps, deltoids, core
5. Plank shoulder taps
Keep your core pulled towards your belly button during this move.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders, core and glutes engaged, and feet hip-width apart.
2. Tap your left hand to your right shoulder while keeping your hips level and avoid swaying side to side.
3. Repeat movement with your right hand to your left shoulder.
4. Repeat 10 times on each side for a total of 20 reps.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, lats, core
Quick tip: Place your knees on the ground or widen your feet to allow for a sturdier base if the move is too difficult as is.
6. Plank up-downs
Be sure to alternate arms.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a forearm plank with your elbows on the ground directly under your shoulders.
2. While keeping your hips stable, place your left hand under your left shoulder, then your right hand under your right shoulder to push yourself up to a high plank.
3. Reverse the movement to return to a forearm plank.
4. Repeat by alternating starting hands.
5. Repeat 10 times on each side for a total of 20 reps.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, lats, triceps, core
Quick tip: To reduce the intensity, place your knees on the ground.
7. Push-ups
This exercise targets your chest muscles.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulders.
2. Slowly lower your body toward the floor by bending your elbows to make a 45-degree angle to your body.
3. Exhale and push your body back up to the starting plank position.
4. Repeat 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, lats, triceps, core
Quick tip: Reduce the intensity by placing your knees on the ground or doing the push-ups off a sturdy table. Conversely, you can intensify this move by placing your feet on an elevated surface.
8. Plank with alternating shin taps
Return to plank after each tap.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank with hands directly under your shoulders and feet hip-width apart.
2. Take your right hand off the ground and as your hips go into a downward dog position tap your left shin or toes.
3. Return back to the high plank and place your hand on the ground.
4. Repeat with the opposite hand.
5. Repeat exercise 10 times on each hand for a total of 20 reps.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, triceps, core
9. Plank saw
Shift your body forward and backward.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start in a forearm plank position.
2. Push your body forward and backward in a “sawing” motion.
3. Repeat 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, triceps, core
10. Tricep dips
You can also use a bench, table, or countertop for this movement.
Crystal Cox/Insider
How to do it:
1. Start by placing your hands on the ground or an elevated surface and your fingers pointing toward your feet.
2. Your legs can be extended or bent with feet planted on the ground and your gaze should be straight ahead.
3. Straighten your arms so your body is lifted, then, proceed to bend your elbows straight behind as you lower yourself.
4. Stop when hovering above the ground.
5. Push through palms to straighten your arms and lift yourself back up to the starting position.
6. Repeat movement 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Triceps, pecs, deltoids
11. Incline push-up
The incline makes this move slightly easier than a regular push-up.
BI Photo
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank position with your hands positioned slightly wider than your shoulders on a sturdy chair.
2. Bend your arms like a regular push-up, bringing your chest toward the chair.
3. Push your body back up to the starting position.
4. Repeat 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, lats, pecs, triceps, core
12. Decline push-up
The decline makes this exercise more challenging than a regular push-up.
BI Photo
How to do it:
1. Place your feet on a sturdy chair with your hands on the ground and your body in a high plank position.
2. Lower your chest toward the ground, being careful not to over-extend your back.
3. Exhale and push back up to straighten your arms.
4. Repeat 10 times.
Muscles targeted: Deltoids, lats, pecs, triceps, core
Insider’s takeaway
There are several arm muscles in your upper and lower arm that help you perform movements like bending, extending, and waving.
For best results, strength train your arms two to three times per week on non-consecutive days. For example, you could strength train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.
If you are new to strength training, start by working out with a personal trainer or, if you’re injured, a physical therapist to help you reach your fitness goals safely, Millis says.
Ava English is a freelance health writer. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in science writing and editing. You can follow her on
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