//  by 

Have you ever carried groceries up the stairs and thought to yourself, “Man, I wish I had stronger arms so this was easier”? Well, this blog post is for you! Toning and strengthening your arms can be as easy as repeating a few simple exercises over the course of a few weeks. Here are ten exercises that can help you build your arm muscles:

1. Lateral Raise (Side Raise)

    • Standing tall with your knees slightly bent, hold a dumbbell in each hand and hang your arms down by your sides.
    • Maintaining a slight bend at your elbows, raise your arms up and out to the sides, until they are level with your shoulders – make sure that your palms remain downward-facing).
    • Lower your arms slowly, and repeat 8-12 reps.

2. Overhead Extension

    • Standing with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent, grip a dumbbell with both hands.
    • Reach your hands up, over, and behind your head, holding the dumbbell in a vertical position, keeping your wrists straight.
    • Bending your elbows, lower the dumbbell further behind your head – make sure to keep your elbows pointing towards the ceiling and your upper arms in close to your head.
    • Straighten your arms back upwards and repeat.

3. Push-Ups

    • Lying face down on the floor with your feet approximately 15-20 cm apart, place the palms of your hands flat on the ground, holding them slightly further apart than shoulder-width.
    • Keeping your body long and straight, move up onto your toes and raise your body off the floor using your arms until they are extended fully.
    • Then, slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest back towards the ground.
    • Stop approximately 10-15 cm before touching the floor with your stomach. Maintain a straight back and legs as you do.
    • Push yourself back up into the original position and repeat.

If this is too difficult to start, you can do an easier version with your knees on the floor. Even simpler still, you can use a wall and do this exercise standing up, with your feet positioned approximately 50 cm from the wall.

4. Triceps Push-Up

    • Get into the push-up position with straight arms, but with your knees on the ground and your feet in the air – your hands need to be closer together than a regular push-up and under your chest.
    • Tightening your core muscles, bending your arms, and bringing your chest down towards the ground. Keep your back straight and your upper arms closer to your body – your elbows should be pointing back behind you, not out to the side.
    • Straighten your arms back to the starting position and repeat.

5. Bicep Curl

    • Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the dumbbell in your hand.
    • Holding your palms forwards, bend your elbows and raise the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
    • Slowly lower your arm back down to the starting position and repeat.

All of the exercises can be done with just a bench, a dumbbell set, and a kettlebell which all are easily accessible in the comfort of your own home as well as the gym. They are simple yet effective with consistent commitment, increasing your arm strength in no time!

Written by GUADS intern Sara with contributions from (https://shop.truefitness.com/) and edited by GUADS staff member Kate