Arms are the muscles everybody wants and most people train badly: too heavy, swinging the whole body, half reps. Let's fix that.
Two honest points first. Your arms already work hard in every row, pull-up and press. And arm training is the cherry on top, not the cake. Do your main lifts first, then 2–4 sets of biceps and triceps at the end. That's enough for most people.
The triceps are the bigger muscle of the upper arm, so don't skip them for more curls.
Biceps
Dumbbell biceps curl Beginner
Elbows stay at your sides, palms up, curl up, lower slowly. If your body rocks back to get the weight up, it's too heavy.
Reps: 10–15.
Alternating dumbbell curl Beginner
One arm at a time. Easier to focus, and you see quickly if one side is weaker.
Reps: 10–12 per arm.
Hammer curl Beginner
Palms facing each other. Trains the forearm and the muscle under the biceps too. Your grip will thank you when carrying shopping.
Reps: 10–15.
Barbell curl Intermediate
Both arms together means you can go heavier. Also means more temptation to swing. Stand against a wall if you can't stop yourself.
Reps: 8–12.
Cable curl Beginner
The cable keeps tension all the way up and down, which dumbbells don't. Great as a second biceps exercise.
Reps: 12–15.
Triceps
Cable triceps pushdown Beginner
Elbows pinned to your sides, push down until the arms are fully straight, squeeze, come back up only until the forearms are about parallel to the floor.
Reps: 10–15.
Rope pushdown Beginner
Same, with a rope. Pull the ends apart at the bottom for an extra squeeze.
Reps: 12–15.
Seated overhead triceps extension Beginner
One dumbbell held with both hands behind your head, straighten the arms. With the arms overhead, the long head of the triceps works in a stretched position, which pushdowns don't give you. Elbows point forward.
Reps: 10–15.
Lying dumbbell triceps extension Intermediate
On a bench, arms up, bend only at the elbows to lower the dumbbells beside your head, straighten. Go light: elbows don't love heavy extensions.
Reps: 10–12.
Close-grip bench press Intermediate
Hands about shoulder-width, elbows close to your body. A big compound triceps exercise where you can actually move weight.
Reps: 6–10.
A simple arm block
Add this to the end of your upper-body or pull/push days:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| One biceps exercise (dumbbell or barbell curl) | 2–3 | 8–15 |
| One triceps exercise (pushdown or overhead extension) | 2–3 | 10–15 |
Switch the exercises every 6–8 weeks. Double progression: reps first, then weight. The push/pull/legs program already has this built in.