How to Do an Arm Workout at Home

For as long as there have been gyms, men have walked in and kicked things off with some sort of a bicep curl. We get the appeal of arm workouts: Figuring out what weights to lift is hard, and nothing screams “Look, I’m strong!” like pumping iron like Arnold in his prime. Now that coronavirus has made gyms a somewhat dicey proposition, it’s become more difficult to get in that arm workout. But the good news is that it’s still possible to work those beach muscles from home with little or no equipment.

“This might not be the time to make giant gains, but it is a time to maintain our movement and our strength so you preserve your foundation,” says physical therapist Corinne Croce, cofounder of Body Evolved in New York City.

It also turns out that beaches are a relatively safe pandemic activity, as long as you maintain good distance, which is as good a reason as any to get those muscles bulging. So here are arm workouts from three expert trainers, including one that doesn't require any equipment.

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1. DUMBBELL ARM WORKOUT

From: Charlee Atkins, Founder of Le Sweat TV
You need: One set of dumbbells.
Atkins says: “First master the bodyweight versions of the moves that call for weight. When you feel ready to add dumbbells, start with 10 or 15pounds and increase form there. You should always progressively overload the exercises in order to keep gaining strength.”

Warm-Up

Do 40 seconds per exercise once through with no rest.

The Moves

Downward dog hold: Start in a high plank. Push back to form an inverted “V,” keeping hands at shoulder-width distance.

Scap push-ups from knees: Start in a modified plank position with your knees on the ground, shoulders over wrists. Without bending your elbows, slowly push your shoulder blades together, which will lower your body a few inches. Return to start position.

Prone lat pulldown: Begin lying face-down in a Superman position. Bend your elbows and pull your arms back towards your shoulders as if you’re doing a horizontal lat pulldown. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, then return the arms to start.

Plank walk: Start in a high plank position with shoulders over wrists. Lower your right elbow to the mat and then your left, coming into an elbow plank. Put your right hand on the mat, and straighten your right elbow. Do the same on the left to return to a full plank for one rep.

Seal jack: Think of this as a jumping jack, but instead of bringing the hands overhead, you bring them straight out in front of you and clap at the front, center of your chest.

Jumping jack: Start standing with your feet together, hands at your side. Jump your legs out as you bring your hands overhead, and then jump back to standing for one rep.

Part One

Do 40 seconds of each exercise with 10 seconds of rest between. Repeat once from the top for a second set.

The Moves

Plank reach: Start in a high plank with shoulders over wrists. Engage your core. One at a time, lift your arm up and forward without shifting your bodyweight. Return arm back to start; repeat on the opposite side.

Single-arm overhead press: Hold one dumbbell in right hand at shoulder height, palm facing in. Keep your knees soft and core engaged. Press weight up overhead, focusing on fully extending your arm before lowering the weight with control back to your shoulder for one rep. Repeat on the opposite side.

Reverse fly: Start standing with your feet at shoulder-width distance holding two dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in. Hinge forward at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. The dumbbells should hang straight down from your shoulders. This is your starting position. With your arms slightly bent and your back flat, raise your arms straight out to your sides until they’re in line with your body. Make sure to keep your torso as still as possible, and maintain a slight bend in your elbows. Pause, then slowly return to start.

Push-up: Start in a high plank position with shoulders directly over wrists. Keeping elbows close to the ribs, lower down into the bottom of a push-up position. Press back through the palms to return to start.

Shoulder shrug: Start standing with your feet at shoulder-width distance holding two dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in. Shrug shoulders up toward ears, hold for one second, return to start.

Part Two

Do 40 seconds of each exercise with 10 seconds of rest between. Repeat once from the top for a second set.

The moves

Renegade row: Start in a high plank position with your hands on two dumbbells, shoulders over wrists. Engaging your core, row the right hand up toward the torso with control. Slowly lower the hand back to the ground. Do 40 seconds on the right; repeat on the left.

Alternating military press: Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Press one dumbbell up over your head without moving the other dumbbell. Stay tall with your chest up and shoulders back. Lower back down; repeat on the opposite side.

Single-arm chest press: Start by lying flat on the ground, knees bent, feet on the floor, with a dumbbell in each hand pressed directly overhead with your palms facing towards your feet. Lower the right weight down towards the chest. Press back to start. Do 40 seconds on one side; repeat on the opposite side.


2. BODYWEIGHT ARM WORKOUT

From: Croce
Do: Six rounds. Rest 30 secs between each exercise, and one to two minutes between each round.

The Moves

Wall pec stretch: Stand facing a wall. Place your arm so that it is slightly above horizontal with your palm facing the wall. Rotate your torso away from the wall, while keeping your hand and arm firmly planted against the wall. You’ll feel a stretch in your pec on the side nearest the wall.

Side-lying T-spine stretch: Start laying on your right side, crossing your left leg over the right and bending the upper leg to 90 degrees. Now extend both arms at your side straight away from your body. Looking back over your left shoulder and rotate your top arm towards your backside. Gently attempt to bring that arm to the floor, hold momentarily and return to the start position. Repeat on opposite side.

Ticeps dip: Sit on the ground with your feet flat on the floor, hands on the ground next to your glutes with fingertips facing toward your heels. Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the floor to straighten your elbows, returning to start.

Isometric scapular retractions: Stand tall, relax your head and neck. Engage your core, squeeze your shoulders back, and avoid shrugging your shoulders. Return to start.

High plank with alternating knee drive: Start in a high plank with shoulders over wrists. Engaging the core, drive your right knee in toward your chest keeping the foot flexed. Hold for two seconds. Return to start. Repeat on opposite side; continue, alternating.

Elbow plank with scapular protraction: Start in a low plank. Keeping your core engaged, pinch your shoulder blades together. Return to start; repeat.


3. KETTLEBELL ARM WORKOUT

From: Prince Brathwaite, founder of Trooper Fitness
You need: One medium-weight kettlebell (14 KG is a good place to start)
Do: The three circuits in order, resting two minutes between each circuit.

Circuit One

Do a descending ladder: 5 reps of both movements, then 4 reps, then 3 reps, and so on.

The Moves

Clean: A clean is when someone brings a weight from a lower position to a higher position in one swift movement. For a traditional kettlebell clean, this is from the floor to a front-rack at chest height.

Strict overhead press: Start with kettlebell racked at shoulder height. Press kettlebell overhead, keeping knuckles pointed toward ceiling. Slowly return the bell back to start.

Circuit Two

Do 10 reps of each per side, 3 to 4 rounds without rest.

The Moves

Single-arm row: Stand with feet at hip-width distance holding a kettlebell with your right hand, palm facing in. Hinge forward at the hips until your chest is almost parallel to the ground. This is your starting position. Row the kettlebell up and toward the chest. Return to start.

Half-Turkish get-up: Lay on the floor with a kettlebell straight up over your chest and one leg raised, bent at the hip and at the knee. Keep your eyes on the bell throughout the entirety of this movement. Thrust your bent leg forward, raising your upper body off the floor and placing your non-kettlebell hand flat on the floor to the side. Lower back down the way you came up for one rep.

Circuit Three

Do 10 reps of each move, 3 to 4 rounds without rest.

The Moves

Close-grip push-up on kettlebell: Start in a high plank position with both hands framing an upright kettlebell. Lower down until your chest taps the handle, press back up to start for one rep.

Wide-grip push-up: Start in a high plank with your hands outside of your shoulders. Lower down into a push-up, press back up to start for one rep.

Upright row: Stand with your feet at hip-width distance with a kettlebell on the ground in front of you. Squat down to pick up the kettlebell by the handle with both hands, then leading with the elbows, raise the kettlebell straight up along your body until the hands are just under the chin. Lower with control for one rep.


It’s still leg day in quarantine.

Originally Appeared on GQ