The Best Arm Workouts for Women

Whether your goal is to feel stronger in everyday life, improve muscle tone, support fat loss, or boost performance in other workouts, building strong arms should be an important part of your workout routine. 

For women in particular, resistance training offers powerful benefits, including better posture, increased lean muscle mass, and a better ability to perform everyday tasks like lifting and carrying.

In this guide, we explore some of the best arm exercises for women, including how to do them and tips for mastering your form.

Why is Training Arms Important for Women?

Upper-body strength is often underdeveloped in women compared to lower-body strength. Actively training your arms helps to:

✔ Improve posture by strengthening shoulders and upper back

✔ Reduce risk of shoulder and elbow injuries

✔ Support bone density (particularly important as women age)

✔ Increase resting metabolic rate through lean muscle development

✔ Enhance performance in other exercises like tennis and boxing

✔ Build visible definition in the biceps, triceps, and shoulders

And, perhaps most importantly, it builds confidence. Research suggests that when women feel strong, they have better self-esteem and generally experience positive mental health shifts.

The Best Weighted Arm Exercises for Women

Weighted exercises are ideal for progressive overload — gradually increasing resistance over time to stimulate muscle growth and strength.

1. Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Targets: Biceps (front of upper arm).

The biceps are responsible for pulling movements and everyday tasks like lifting and carrying things. Strengthening them will help you progress your overall training by improving your grip strength and upper-body control, and supporting compound lifts such as rows and pull-ups.

For women looking to increase arm definition, bicep curls directly shape the front of the arms, creating that toned look many aim for. Use light-medium dumbbells to tone your arms without adding bulk.

How to Do It

1. Standing feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, with your palms facing outwards.

2. Keeping your elbows tucked in and core tight, curl the weights up towards your shoulders.

3. Slowly and with control, lower the weights back to the starting position.

Tip: Avoid swinging your body or using momentum from your lower body to raise the weights. Keep your shoulders relaxed and control both the lift and the lowering phase.

2. Hammer Curls

Targets: Biceps and forearms.

Hammer curls strengthen the brachialis (the muscle in your upper arm that helps you flex your elbow) and forearm muscles. This move helps you improve grip strength, which is essential for lifting heavier weights in exercises like deadlifts and rows.

Improved grip strength is especially valuable for women progressing in strength training, as grip is often the limiting factor before larger muscles fatigue.

How to Do It

1. Standing feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, with your palms facing inwards.

2. Bend at the elbow to curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Don’t rotate your wrists; your palms should still be facing each other.

3. Lower the weights slowly and with control, so you return to the starting position with your arms extended.

Tip:  Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement and keep your wrists neutral to avoid strain. Engage your core throughout.

3. Overhead Tricep Extension

Targets: Triceps (back of upper arm).

The triceps are large muscles that make up roughly two-thirds of your upper arms. Strengthening them plays a major role in creating arm definition.

Beyond aesthetics, strong triceps improve pushing strength, helping with exercises like push-ups, bench press, and shoulder press. They also support elbow stability, reducing joint strain over time.

How to Do It

1. Hold a dumbbell overhead with both hands.

2. Bend at the elbows to lower the weight behind your head.

3. Extend your arms to return to the starting position.

Tip: Keep your elbows pointing forward and core engaged to protect your lower back.

4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Targets: Shoulders and triceps.

The dumbbell shoulder press helps to build strong shoulders, which can improve posture and reduce the rounded-forward shoulder position many people develop from desk work.

For women, building shoulder strength creates balanced upper-body definition and enhances the appearance of toned arms. It also improves stability and control in overhead movements, which is useful in both fitness and daily life.

How to Do It

1. Either standing or seated, start by holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Your palms should be facing forward.

2. Press the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended, with a slight bend in your elbows.

3. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height. Try to avoid moving too quickly or bouncing the weights.

Tip: Brace your core and avoid arching your lower back. Think “ribs down” to maintain alignment.

5. Renegade Rows

Targets: Arms, back, shoulders and core.

The renegade row builds arm strength while also engaging the core, improving functional strength and stability.

Women often benefit from compound movements like this because they increase total muscle engagement, supporting fat loss and overall toning while building real-world strength.

How to Do It

1. Begin in a high plank, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and your shoulders directly above your wrists.

2. Keeping your elbow close to your body and pointing upwards, lift one dumbbell towards your ribcage.

3. Lower the dumbbell back to the ground and repeat on the other side.

Tip: Keep your hips square and avoid twisting your torso; core control is key.

The Best Bodyweight Arm Exercises for Women

You don't need weights to work out your arms. Bodyweight exercises are ideal if you’re a complete beginner or prefer to work out at home.

1. Plank

Targets: Shoulders, arms, and core.

Though commonly seen as a core exercise, planks build isometric shoulder and arm strength. Strong shoulders improve posture and reduce upper-back discomfort, which is particularly beneficial for women who spend long periods seated.

How to Do it

1. In an all-fours position, place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart. Your arms should form a straight line from your shoulders to your wrists.

2. Without moving your hands, extend your legs behind you one at a time so you’re balancing on your toes. Keep your spine neutral and try to keep your body in a straight line from the crown of your head to your feet.

3. Hold the position for as long as you can!

Alternatively, you can lower yourself into a low plank by resting your forearms on the ground. High plank focuses more on strength in the upper body, whereas low plank engages more of the deep core.

Tip: Actively press the floor away with your hands and keep your upper back engaged. Pull your navel towards your spine to engage your core, and avoid raising or sagging your hips.

2. Push-Ups

Targets: Chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Push-ups are one of the most empowering upper-body exercises. They help to strengthen multiple muscle groups at once, improving upper-body endurance and functional strength.

Compound movements like push-ups are excellent for women, as they not only target the triceps, but they also recruit the biceps and other muscles in the upper body. You’ll get strong arms, a stable core, and better posture just from one exercise!

How to Do It

1. Hold a high plank position.

2. Bend at the elbows to lower your chest until you’re hovering just above the ground, or as close to the ground as you can comfortably get.

3. Push through your hands to raise yourself back to the starting position.

To reduce the intensity of this exercise, you can do it on your knees instead of in a high plank, or you can elevate your hands on a bench or similar raised surface instead of placing them on the floor.

Tip: Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core to prevent your hips from sagging or raising too high.

3. Tricep Dips

Targets: Triceps.

Tricep dips are simple, effective and require minimal equipment. They directly strengthen the back of the arms, which is an area many women prioritise in order to achieve a toned and lean appearance. Strong triceps also improve pushing movements (such as opening heavy doors) and shoulder stability.

How to Do It

1. Place your hands on an adjustable bench or step behind you. Or, if you can’t get to the gym, you can use a chair, sofa, or bedframe at home!

2. Lift your hips off the floor slightly and extend your legs out in front of you—as far as feels comfortable.

3. Bend at the elbows to lower your body to the floor.

4. Push through your palms to raise yourself back to the starting position.

Tip: Keep your shoulders down and relaxed, and open your chest to avoid unnecessary strain.

4. Plank Shoulder Taps

Targets: Arms and core.

This exercise builds shoulder endurance and arm stability while also strengthening the core. Strong core stability enhances posture and protects the lower back.

If you’re returning to exercise or want to build your foundational strength, plank shoulder taps are a great bodyweight move that will help you tone your arms and stabilise your core without the need for heavy weights.

How to Do It

1. Hold a high plank position.

2. Lift your right hand from the ground and tap it on your left shoulder.

3. Lower your hand back to the ground, and repeat the movement on the opposite side.

Tip: Keep your core tight and hips as still as possible.

Tips for Long-Term Results

Prioritise Technique Over Weight

Progression is important, but only once you’ve mastered your form. Controlled reps build more effective muscle engagement than rushed movements that don’t work your muscles properly.

Extend and contract fully where safe, using a full range of motion to maximise muscle activation.

Control the Tempo

For weighted exercises like the dumbbell shoulder press, try a 2-second lift, 2-second lower. Slowing down the movement increases time under tension and improves tone.

Breathe Properly

Exhale during the hardest part of the movement, when you use the most effort (for example, as you lift or push your dumbbells). Inhale as you return to your starting position.

Stay Consistent

Unfortunately, visible results don’t happen overnight! Aim for consistent training over 6–8 weeks before assessing changes.

Train Your Way, With The Gym Group

Whether you’re just starting out or want to level up your upper-body training, adding focused arm workouts into your routine can make a real difference — not just in how your arms look, but in how strong and confident you feel as well.

At The Gym Group, you’ll find everything you need to get started, from fully equipped free weights areas and functional training spaces to a wide range of resistance machines. If you’re unsure where to begin, our personal trainers are always on hand to help you build a plan that works for you and your goals. Find your nearest Gym and start building stronger arms today.