Women need ample arm strength to be healthy and active. Yet, the majority of women do not train their arms for fear of getting too bulky or because they think their arms are strong enough as they are.
Ignoring arm strengthening exercises can put you at risk for pain, poor posture, low mobility, and even injury. It can affect your sports and fitness performance as well as your daily activities.
The Paseo Club in Santa Clarita has supported women of all ages and abilities on their fitness journeys for over 20 years. We offer group and small group classes and personal training. There is also over 10,000 square feet of gym space, complete with areas for strength, cardio, and mobility.
In this article, you will learn about the benefits of arm workouts, why you should use dumbbells for your workouts, and what the best arm dumbbell workouts are for women.
Benefits of arm workouts
Most women do not have the upper body strength they need, which is crucial for exercising, doing sports, and performing functional fitness activities. The benefits of arm workouts are numerous:
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Helps arms to be more toned and shapely
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Assists in proper posture and limits upper body tension and discomfort
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Supports sports performance, especially in tennis, pickleball, basketball, boxing, rock climbing, volleyball, and weightlifting
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Improves daily activities, such as carrying kids, lifting groceries in and out of the car, opening doors, pushing strollers, and more.
Why use dumbbells?
Next to bodyweight exercises, dumbbells are the easiest option for arm exercises. They are incredibly versatile, and there are literally dozens of movements you can do with them to build arm strength.
Dumbbells come in various weights, so you can select the correct weight for you depending on the workout. As you get stronger, you can slowly increase your weight. Dumbbells are at every gym and fitness center and are also affordable to purchase to equip your home fitness studio.
Dumbbell arm workouts for women
There are over 20 muscles in our arms. The primary ones are the biceps, triceps, brachialis, and forearms.
Biceps
Your biceps are the large muscles on the front portion of the upper arm. The bicep facilitates the elbow opening and closing, twisting of the forearm — turning the palm upward, and stabilizing the shoulder joint.
Exercises to strengthen the biceps are:
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Bicep curls
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Hammer curls
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Eccentric curls
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Crossbody bicep curls
Triceps
Triceps are the large muscles located on the back of the upper arm. Strong triceps stabilize the elbow and shoulder joint and minimize poor tone and loose flesh (“bat wings”).
Beef up your triceps by doing:
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JM Presses
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Skullcrushers
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Tricep kickbacks
Brachialis
The brachialis is underneath your bicep, and it crosses the elbow. Its primary role is the flexion of the elbow — the bending of the elbow and bringing the hand toward the shoulder.
Strengthen the brachialis by performing sets of:
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Reverse curls
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Zottman curls
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Hammer curls
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Preacher curls
Forearm
The forearm is the area of the arm between the elbow and wrist. It consists of over a dozen unique muscles. The forearm muscles are responsible for gripping and holding objects, rotating the forearm, the movement of the wrist, and the manipulation of fingers.
Strengthen your forearm muscles by doing:
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Grip crushes
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Reverse curls
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Farmer carries
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Wrist curls (palms up and palms down)
Building arm strength
Buff arms aren’t just for men. Women need to work out their arms just as much — especially to combat age-related muscle and bone loss.
Integrating arm exercises into your weekly routine is not difficult. Simply budget an extra 5-10 minutes two to three times per week. Dumbbells are a great piece of equipment for doing every arm movement that you need, and they are easy to use.
Whether you prefer to train on your own or take a class, The Paseo Club has something for you. There are over 60 fitness and 30 Pilates classes each week. You can try yoga, Zumba, mat Pilates, Cardio Strength — and more!
Social events and one-of-a-kind classes are offered weekly. Relax with a beverage at Wine Down Wednesday, converse with fellow business owners at The Professional Mixer, or kick up your heels at the pop-up Line Dancing class. There are several ways to meet people and have fun.
If you would like to learn more about the resources and amenities at The Paseo Club, then schedule a tour. You can visit all eight acres of the grounds, meet instructors, and discover your favorite classes.
Are you ready to become a member today? Sign up online and receive instant access to the club. We can’t wait to see you!
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