Here’s a tip that’ll make your arm day workouts significantly more effective:
The key to training your biceps and triceps is to strengthen these muscles as much as possible. In other words, the best arm workouts for mass are the ones that make you stronger.
You can find countless arm workouts online, but most of them focus on “hammering” your arms until they’re swollen, pumped, and sore. While this can feel gratifying, it’s not the best way to structure a biceps and triceps workout.
That’s why the arms day workouts for mass in this article are different.
Not only are they scientifically proven to cause more muscle growth than the “big arms workouts” you’ll find elsewhere, they’re more time-efficient and fun.
Let’s get to the exercises and workouts!
The 12 Best Arm Day Exercises
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
How to:
- Lie on a flat bench and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower and unrack it.
- Lower the barbell to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked 2-to-4 inches from your sides.
- Press the bar back to the starting position.
Why: The close-grip bench press is one of the best arm workout exercises because it allows you to lift heavy weights safely and progress regularly, making it ideal for gaining size and strength.
2. Triceps Dip
How to:
- If you’re using a dip belt, wrap the chain around your waist, add the desired amount of weight to the chain, and fasten the carabiner.
- Grab both handles of a dip station, then press yourself up by gently jumping off the ground and straightening your arms so they support your weight.
- Keep your body upright to emphasize your triceps, bend your knees to keep your feet from touching the ground, and lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Press into the handles to return to the starting position.
Why: Dips are an excellent triceps exercise when you perform them with an upright torso. When you start doing dips in your arm day workouts, you can make great progress with just your body weight, but as you get stronger, you’ll want to add weight using a dip belt.
3. JM Press
How to:
- Lie on a flat bench, pull your shoulder blades together and down, and without lifting your butt or shoulders off the bench, slightly arch your back.
- Grip the barbell with a slightly narrower than shoulder-width grip, unrack it, and move it over your chest.
- Lower the barbell toward your neck, keeping your elbows up and in front of your torso, and slightly bend your wrists backward so that your palms face the ceiling.
- When your forearms and biceps touch, press the bar back to the starting position.
Why: The JM press is one of the best lifts for arm strength because it allows you to develop pressing power even when your chest is bushed from heavy benching.
4. Overhead Triceps Extension
How to:
- Sit up straight on a bench.
- Grip one end of a dumbbell and lift it overhead.
- Lower the weight until it’s behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
Why: The overhead triceps extension is an excellent addition to an arm day workout for mass because it trains the triceps (and especially the triceps long head) when stretched, which aids growth.
5. Cable Triceps Pressdown
How to:
- Set the pulley on a cable machine to slightly above head height and attach the rope attachment.
- Stand upright or lean slightly forward, grab one end of the rope in each hand, and push the rope downward by straightening your elbows.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Why: The triceps pushdown should be part of your triceps-focussed arm day workouts because it trains all three heads of the triceps through a long range of motion, so it’s excellent for gaining muscle and strength.
6. Skullcrusher
How:
- While lying on a flat bench, hold an EZ Bar above your chest with a shoulder-width grip.
- Bring the bar down to your forehead by bending at the elbows.
- Extend your arms and return to the starting position.
Why: The skullcrusher is a great arm day exercise to include in your mass-building workouts because it trains the slightly smaller medial and lateral heads of the triceps, ensuring you have defined, proportional upper arms.
7. Pull-up
How to:
- Grab a pull-up bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your palms facing away from you.
- Lift your feet so that you’re hanging with your arms straight.
- Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Why: Research shows that vertical pulling exercises, like the pull-up, are great biceps builders, and they’re easier to load with heavy weights than other arm exercises that isolate the biceps.
8. Chin-up
How to:
- Grab a pull-up bar with your hands around shoulder-width apart and your palms facing you.
- Lift your feet so that you’re hanging with your arms straight.
- Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Why: The chin-up is perfect for a big arms workout because it trains the biceps to a high degree and lets you handle heavy weights.
9. Barbell Curl
How to:
- While standing up straight, grip a barbell shoulder-width apart with your palms facing away from you. Your arms should be straight and the bar should be resting against your thighs.
- Curl the weight up to shoulder height by bending at the elbow.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Why: Barbell curls are one of the best lifts for arms because they allow you to train your biceps through a full range of motion with heavy weights.
10. Incline Dumbbell Curl
How to:
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit back on an incline bench set to 45 degrees and let your arms hang straight down with your palms facing each other.
- Bend your right elbow to curl the weight toward your right shoulder, rotating your wrist so your palm faces your shoulder at the top of the rep.
- Lower the dumbbell to the starting position, then repeat the pattern with your left hand to complete one full rep.
Why: The incline dumbbell curl is an outstanding arm day exercise because it places high tension on the biceps throughout the entire range of motion and trains them while fully stretched, which is important for growth.
11. Dumbbell Biceps Curl
How to:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and your palms facing your thighs.
- Bend your right elbow to curl your right hand toward your right shoulder, rotating your wrist so your palm faces your shoulder at the top of the rep.
- Straighten your arm and return to the starting position, then repeat the pattern with your left hand to complete one full rep.
Why: Dumbbell biceps curls are a staple in any good arm workout routine because they’re easy to learn and perform, and they train your entire biceps through a full range of motion.
12. Hammer Curl
How to:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and your palms facing your thighs.
- Without twisting your wrist, bend your right elbow to curl your right hand toward your right shoulder.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position, then repeat the pattern with your left hand to complete one full rep.
Why: The hammer curl emphasizes the brachialis—a small muscle that can help to push up the biceps brachii—making your upper arms look bigger and improving your biceps “peak.”
The Best Arm Day Workouts for Mass
The Best Full Arm Workout for All-Around Size and Strength
This biceps and triceps workout contains all the best arm exercises and the perfect amount of volume and intensity to add overall mass to your upper arms. To ensure you have the energy to train your biceps and triceps hard, take 2-to-4 minutes rest between sets.
The Best Arm Workout for Biceps Growth
This arm workout is perfect if you want to dedicate a whole day to building biceps mass. To maximize your results, take 2-to-4 minutes rest between sets.
The Best Arm Workout for Triceps Growth
If you want to train your triceps more than your biceps or you’re already giving your biceps plenty of attention, try this triceps-focused arm workout routine. To maximize your results, take 2-to-4 minutes rest between sets.
5 Tips for Better Arm Day Workouts
You now know the best arm workout routines for building bigger arms. Now let’s discuss how to maximize your results.
1. Use compound and isolation exercises to build bigger arms.
While many think the best arm day workout routines only contain isolation exercises, research shows that compound exercises that train your arms are actually more effective.
In fact, doing isolation arm exercises likely only marginally improves muscle growth if you’re already doing compound arm exercise. Arm isolation exercises can still have a place in your program, but you should put most of your energy into heavy compound exercises that train your arms.
2. Lift heavier weights over time.
If your arm day workout calls for 4-to-6 reps of the close-grip bench press and you get 6 reps for a set, add 10 pounds to your next set.
If you manage 3 or fewer reps with the new weight, reduce the weight by 5 pounds to ensure you stay in the 4-to-6 rep range.
Follow this pattern of trying to add reps or weight to every exercise in every arm day workout.
3. End sets of arm exercises 1-to-3 reps shy of muscular failure.
As I explain in my fitness books for men and women, to maximize your results, you must take most of the sets in your biceps and triceps workouts to within a rep or two of failure.
Ask yourself at the end of each set, “If I had to, how many more reps could I have gotten with good form?” If the answer is more than two, increase the weight or reps to make your next set more challenging.
4. Train your biceps and triceps in various positions.
Research shows that varying the position of your shoulder and upper arm while you perform biceps and triceps exercises trains your arm muscles in different ways, helping you build big, proportional arms.
So, instead of only training your biceps with exercises that position your arms at your sides (e.g., barbell and dumbbell curls), do exercises that position them behind your body (e.g., incline dumbbell curls) and in front of your body (e.g., chin-ups).
Likewise, instead of only doing triceps pushdowns, do skullcrushers (which place your upper arms at 90 degrees relative to your body) or overhead triceps extensions (which place your upper arms next to your head).
5. Take the right supplements.
Use the following supplements to train harder in your arm workouts and build more muscle:
- Protein powder: Protein powder, such as whey or casein, provides your body with the nutrients needed to build muscle tissue and recover from workouts.
- Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and strength gain, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle damage and soreness from your workouts.
- Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances energy, mood, and focus, increases strength and endurance, and reduces fatigue.
(If you’d like even more specific advice about which supplements you should take to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you.)
Arm Day Workouts for Mass: FAQs
FAQ #1: How can I tone my arms fast?
When most people say they want to tone their arms, they actually mean they want to lose arm fat and develop their biceps and triceps. To do the former, follow the advice in this article:
The Absolute Best Diet for Weight Loss
And to build arm muscle, follow the advice above. 🙂
FAQ #2: How can I build my arms fast?
To build your arms fast, do the following
FAQ #3: Are 3 arm exercises enough?
If you follow a well-designed strength training program that includes plenty of pressing and pulling exercises (which train your triceps and biceps indirectly), doing three arm exercises per week will help develop your arms. But if you want to maximize arm growth, doing 3 sets of 4 arm exercises weekly will yield better results.
+ Scientific References
- Kholinne, Erica, et al. “The Different Role of Each Head of the Triceps Brachii Muscle in Elbow Extension.” Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica, vol. 52, no. 3, 1 May 2018, pp. 201–205, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6136322/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005.
- Gentil, Paulo, et al. “Single vs. Multi-Joint Resistance Exercises: Effects on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy.” Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 6, no. 1, 22 Mar. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592763/, https://doi.org/10.5812/asjsm.24057.
- Youdas, James W, et al. “Surface Electromyographic Activation Patterns and Elbow Joint Motion during a Pull-Up, Chin-Up, or Perfect-PullupTM Rotational Exercise.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 24, no. 12, Dec. 2010, pp. 3404–3414, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181f1598c.
- de França, Henrique Silvestre, et al. “The Effects of Adding Single-Joint Exercises to a Multi-Joint Exercise Resistance Training Program on Upper Body Muscle Strength and Size in Trained Men.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 40, no. 8, Aug. 2015, pp. 822–826, https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0109.
- Oliveira, Liliam F., et al. “Effect of the Shoulder Position on the Biceps Brachii Emg in Different Dumbbell Curls.” Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 8, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2009, pp. 24–29, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737788/.
- Stokes, Tanner, et al. “Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training.” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 2, 7 Feb. 2018, p. 180, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/2/180/pdf, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020180.
- Eckerson, Joan M., et al. “Effect of Creatine Phosphate Supplementation on Anaerobic Working Capacity and Body Weight after Two and Six Days of Loading in Men and Women.” The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 19, no. 4, 2005, p. 756, https://doi.org/10.1519/r-16924.1.
- Bassit, Reinaldo Abunasser, et al. “Effect of Short-Term Creatine Supplementation on Markers of Skeletal Muscle Damage after Strenuous Contractile Activity.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 108, no. 5, 3 Dec. 2009, pp. 945–955, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1305-1.