Simplify your workouts with these dumbbell moves
If you want to tone your arms, try adding some upper-body strength training exercises to your workouts. This doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, you can build muscle in the arms with nothing more than a pair of dumbbells.
To help you create a simple but effective strength routine, we asked Alasdair Nicoll, personal trainer at The Fitness Group, for his top three upper-body exercises.
“When we’re training the upper body, we’re generally focusing on the chest, shoulders, back and core,” he says.
This might sound like a lot of different muscle groups. But by focusing on compound exercises —which are moves that target multiple muscle groups at once—you can build strength efficiently without spending hours in the gym.
Choose a weight for each exercise that is manageable but challenging for the repetitions (reps)—the last few reps should feel difficult.
The best three exercises for building upper-body strength
1. Push-up
The push-up is an exercise known for targeting the chest but it actually works a wide array of upper-body muscles. “It not only works the chest muscles but it’s also good for core strength and working on stability of the tricep muscles,” Nicoll explains.
If you can’t do a push-up, don’t be put off—it’s a difficult exercise. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to modify the move.
If you’re completely new to strength training, Nicoll recommends doing a push-up against a wall, or a raised surface like a box or a chair, before progressing to the floor.
How to do a push-up:
- Place your hands on the floor, wall or a raised surface, shoulder-width apart. Keep your feet together or slightly apart with your body in a straight line from toes to shoulder, and the core engaged.
- Slowly lower your body to the surface, keeping your elbows close to your body, until your chest touches the surface then push through your hands to extend back to the starting position.
- Repeat for eight to 10 reps.
2. Bent-over row
There are a range of muscles in the back and Nicoll says the bent-over row is one of the best exercises to target them.
A bent-over row works similar muscles to a pull-up. “A pull-up might be something that’s quite advanced for someone just starting out but if it’s something you want to work up to, a bent-over row is a great variation,” Nicoll says.
How to do a bent-over row:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to bring your torso almost parallel to the floor, keeping the back straight.
- Pull the dumbbells towards your lower ribcage or upper abdomen, keeping your elbows close to your body and pointing backwards.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together keeping a flat back and then slowly lower the weight back down.
- Complete 10 to 12 reps.
3. Shoulder press
The final exercise Nicoll recommends for a well-rounded upper-body workout is the shoulder press. The main muscle this works is, of course, the shoulders, but it also engages the triceps and the pecs.
“This is a great way to build strength and stability in the shoulders,” Nicoll says. “It’s a vertical pushing motion, which is always good to include in an upper-body routine.”
How to do a shoulder press:
- Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your elbows bent
- Engage your core so your back doesn’t arch and press the dumbbells upward, extending your arms until they are straight.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position and repeat for 10 to 12 reps.
