How to pump up a girl’s arms with dumbbells: exercises for training arm muscles with dumbbells for women

Arm workout with dumbbells to reduce volume and improve muscle tone

It is a common misconception that you can lose weight in the arm area by doing only isolated exercises. And that only biceps curls and reverse push-ups will help you get your arms in order.

However, the best strategy is to do a well-balanced workout that targets all muscles: legs, core, upper body, and cardio. This, along with a healthy diet, is the key to reducing not only your arm fat percentage, but to toning your entire body.

Don’t be alarmed that this home complex may seem like it’s only aimed at quickly pumping up your hands. As soon as you start doing the exercises, you will immediately realize that your whole body is working.

For best results, do this workout program at least 3 times a week, making sure to include leg and butt exercises as well.

Equipment:

1 fitball
1 pair of 10-pound dumbbells (Note: You may want to use heavier weights on some exercises and/or lighter weights on others—choose based on your physical capabilities).

To do this workout you need:

Perform all repetitions of each superset (pair of exercises) in a row without stopping.
Rest 30 seconds between each superset.
Rest 2 minutes after completing all three supersets.
Perform 20 reps of mountain climbers as a warm-up and cool-down.

Note for Beginners: If you are new to fitness or strength training, you can do this arm workout without any weights or with very light ones (1 to 3 kg). You can also perform fewer reps and sets than suggested, but you will still be able to pump up your arms to the fullest with this routine.

Dumbbells and their health benefits

Where else can a girl find useful results from training with dumbbells? Everything lies on the surface.

"Become stronger"

As we age, we become more hardened by life, and our skeleton becomes more fragile. And exercises with dumbbells for women help take care of their bones.

See for yourself: after 16 weeks of strength training, femur bone density increases by 19% due to an increase in the bone protein osteocalcin in the blood.

Save your heart

Exercises with dumbbells are good for a girl’s heart: in addition to the fact that training better than a psychologist will help you take your mind off mental wounds with benefit to your figure (unlike the usual companions of depression - cakes and chocolates), it perfectly stimulates the work of the heart and the entire cardiovascular system.

And they work no worse than traditional aerobic training: for example, circuit training with weights increases your heart rate by 15 beats per minute. In addition, it has been proven that by reducing diastolic (lower) blood pressure, training with dumbbells and barbells reduces the risk of stroke in women by 40% and heart attack by 15%.

But that’s not all: scientists have found that in addition to reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, the risk of cancer, and indeed all serious diseases, decreases, and life expectancy increases!

Warm-up: mountain climbers

20 reps

Assume a regular plank position with your arms straight. Your body should form one straight line.

Bend your legs, bringing your knees to your chest. Minimize bounce by keeping your core, shoulders and arms as tight as possible. Complete 20 reps, counting reps on both sides as one rep.

I Superset

Close-grip push-ups and bent-over dumbbell rows on a fitball

10 reps + 15 reps

Technique for performing push-ups with a narrow grip:

These push-ups primarily work your triceps, but also give a good workout to your chest and core, making them a great exercise for an overall fat-burning boost. If you cannot follow proper form in the straight plank position, then you can do these push-ups from your knees.

Start in a straight-arm plank position. Keep your neck in a neutral position, looking straight at the ground.

Slowly lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are bent 90°. Return to the starting position and straighten your arms.

Technique for performing bent-over dumbbell rows on a fitball:

The dumbbell row is a great exercise for working your arms as well as one of your largest muscle groups, your back.

Place dumbbells in front of an exercise ball and lie with your chest on it. Straighten your arms to reach the dumbbells.

Now pull the dumbbells up toward your shoulders with your palms facing inward. Extend your arms and then lower the weight to the floor under control.

More advantages of exercises with dumbbells for girls

And finally, the most important bonuses of fitness classes for girls!

More positive

In addition to the visible results, there are other, less obvious, but no less useful benefits of dumbbell exercises for women. For example, it has long been known that strength training with dumbbells or other weights makes you happier.

These are all endorphins - a “side” effect of weight training! Fitness with dumbbells for women three times a week will add Buddhist peace to you, and no intrigues of your colleagues at work or arguments with your mother-in-law will definitely take you out of your peace of mind.

Fewer outbursts of anger and more positivity! This is all due to the fact that there is less stress hormone in the athlete’s blood, and blood pressure returns to normal faster after stress.

Get more done

Do you wish there were more hours in the day? To nothing! Just playing sports is enough! It has been proven that training with dumbbells increases productivity by 15% on training days.

Have you not enjoyed your work for a long time? Scientists say that this can also be corrected, because good physical activity increases pleasure from the work process - real miracles!

Health and general tone of the body requires careful treatment and constant support: an active lifestyle, proper nutrition and taking special supplements - vitamin-mineral complexes, omega-3, antioxidants and glutamine for joints and ligaments.

These drugs contain elements necessary for the proper functioning of your body during intense training.

Better to think

And finally, exercises with dumbbells and barbells for women bring not only external and psychological benefits, but also stimulate mental activity. Not only does your body become stronger, but also your mind.

According to research, after six months of training with dumbbells, the ability to perceive, assimilate and process information increases, both short-term and long-term memory increases, speech abilities and concentration improve.

II Superset

Shoulder press and French press on fitball

10 reps + 15 reps

Shoulder press technique:

This variation of the shoulder press works your legs and core muscles more than a seated exercise. That is why it is more suitable for general fat burning and can be performed even at home.

Stand shoulder-width apart and hold dumbbells just above your shoulders.

Tighten your core and bend your knees slightly. Forcefully lift the dumbbells until your arms are straight above your head.

Technique for performing a French press on a fitball:

This exercise is aimed at effectively strengthening and toning the triceps.

Lie with your back on the exercise ball, hang your head and neck, and bend your knees at an angle of 90 °. Raise the dumbbells just above your forehead. Your arms should lean back slightly so you can feel the weight of the dumbbells.

Lower the dumbbells all the way down until they reach the stability ball on either side of your ears.

Shoulder exercises

The deltoids are unique in that they can perform two biomechanical functions: pulling and pressing. This should be used when building a shoulder training program.

Swings with dumbbells to the sides

Swings with dumbbells while standing or sitting are an isolating exercise for developing the middle fascicles of the deltoid muscles. This is done as follows:

Take dumbbells and hold them at the sides of your hips. Keep your back straight and your gaze directed forward. Arms and legs are slightly bent.
Begin to lift the dumbbells to the sides, trying to position them as you lift them so that at the top point of the amplitude, your elbow is higher than the level of the dumbbell, and your little finger is higher than the rest of your fingers. The movement should not be too amplitude; it is best to bring the dumbbells to approximately chest level. Don't help yourself with your body.
Smoothly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. If you lower the dumbbells not to your hips, but bring them out in front of you, the load will move from the middle bundles of the deltoids to the front ones.

Another useful tip is to not drop the number of repetitions below 15. Swings are performed quite quickly, so if you do 8-10 repetitions, you will spend 10-15 seconds on it, which is not enough to properly work out the muscle.

Standing swings:

Sitting swings:

Bent over dumbbell swings

This type of swing is needed to work out the rear deltoids. This is the part that most athletes lag behind. It is quite difficult to feel it, it is easy not to notice that instead of the rear deltoid you are pumping your back.

Technique:

Take dumbbells in your hands, stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
Bend forward until almost parallel to the floor. Bend your legs slightly. Lock yourself in this position.
As you exhale, swing to the side, trying to perform the movement using the deltoid muscles. You don't need a lot of weight here.
As you inhale, slowly return to the starting position and begin a new repetition without resting.

Another option for performing the exercise is swinging with your chest resting on an inclined bench:

Swings with dumbbells in front of you

This exercise is needed to pump up the front part of the deltas. The same beam works in all shoulder presses, but many girls do not do them, in which case they need to include these swings in their program.

Execution order:

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells in your hands.
Place your hands on the front of your thighs.
Smoothly raise one arm forward until it is parallel to the floor. Do not swing your body, keep your back straight.
Slowly lower the apparatus and begin lifting with your second hand.

Alternatively, you can raise both arms at the same time without giving your deltoids a rest:

Seated dumbbell press

The seated dumbbell press is a basic shoulder exercise that primarily targets the anterior muscle. Let's consider a classic variation of this exercise, which is recommended by all qualified fitness trainers:

Adjust the angle of the bench so that it is slightly less than a right angle. Sit on a seat, place dumbbells on your thighs, and then throw them one at a time at shoulder level.
Begin lifting the dumbbells upward, trying to keep your elbows in the same position on each rep. Hold the implements so that your little finger is higher than your other fingers. At the top point, do not fully extend your arms.
Lower the dumbbells down. Don't lower them too low, bring them up to about ear level.

III Superset

Dumbbell press on a fitball and Dumbbell row with support on a fitball

15 reps + 10 reps

Technique for performing dumbbell presses on a fitball:

This exercise targets your pectoral muscles, as well as your triceps and shoulders, which are a must-work.

Lie with your back on the fitball, hang your head and neck. Hold the dumbbells slightly above your chest with your elbows touching the ball. Straighten your arms with dumbbells above your chest. Flex your arm muscles, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position.

Technique for performing bent-over dumbbell rows supported by a fitball:

This row variation is great for isolating one side of the body at a time, so you can focus on contracting your back muscles in more detail.

You're only using one of your dumbbells for this exercise, so set the other side aside.

Stand and lean forward, holding a dumbbell in one hand and touching the ball with the other hand.

Keep your knees slightly bent.

Make sure your spine and neck form one straight line.

Bring the dumbbell toward your chest, flexing your back at the top of the movement, and then slowly lower it until your arm is completely straight.

Repeat, focusing on your back muscles, and exhale each time you lift the weight up. After 10 repetitions, take the dumbbell in your other hand and repeat on the other side.

Chest exercises

A set of exercises with dumbbells (if performed every other day and for at least 2 months) allows you to strengthen the pectoral muscles and lifts the mammary gland, which visually creates the effect of more elastic and toned breasts. This is an excellent solution for women after finishing breastfeeding and for women over 40 years old, when prolapse of the gland and a decrease in its full size are noticeable.

It is important to perform the set of proposed exercises with light weights (1-2 kg), but a large number of times (20 times, 4 - 5 approaches).

Training options:

Raising your arms while lying on the floor . To perform, you need to lie on the mat, bend your knees. Press your feet to the floor. Place your hands with dumbbells perpendicular to your body. Slowly bring your arms straight above your head and then return to the starting position. It is important not to lower your hands completely to the floor; they should not touch it. Thus, the muscles will be in constant tension. Make 20 dilutions. Rest for 2 minutes, repeat 4 more sets.
Dumbbell push-ups. The usual push-ups from the floor are performed, but one emphasis is placed on dumbbells clasped with the hands, the second emphasis is on the toes of the feet or knees. A complicated version of the execution - the legs are extended and the emphasis is on the toes or one leg (the second leg is raised up or placed behind the ankle of the other leg). A simplified version for beginner girls - emphasis on the knees, with a straight back. Push-ups are performed slowly, as many times as possible. Avoid arching your back. It is optimal to perform 15 push-ups, then 2 minutes of rest and 3 more approaches.
"Skiing" . In a standing position, with dumbbells in your hands, squat down a little (leaning forward). Make joint or alternating movements with your hands, simulating pushing off with poles when skiing. Do 20 repetitions. Rest for a few minutes and repeat 1-2 more approaches.

IV Superset

Seated dumbbell flyes and biceps curls

10 reps + 10 reps

Technique for performing dumbbell raises while sitting:

Dumbbell flyes strengthen your shoulders and arms and are great for straightening your posture.

Sit on a fitball, place your hands on your hips and hold dumbbells in them.

Raise the dumbbells off your hips until your arms are parallel to the ground. Bend your arms and shoulders, then slowly lower the dumbbells back toward the ball. Exhale as you lift the weight and inhale as you lower it.

Technique for performing biceps curls:

These lifts will work your biceps while still working your legs isometrically.

Hold dumbbells in your hands and lean your back against the ball (and the ball against the wall).

Begin lowering yourself toward the floor until your legs are bent 90° at the knees. Stretch your arms until you feel a stretch in your biceps.

Now bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Tighten your arms, then lower the dumbbells. Do not move your legs during the exercise.

V Superset

Wide-grip push-ups with feet on a fitball and Dumbbell abductions on a fitball

8 reps + 10 reps

Technique for performing wide-grip push-ups with feet on a fitball:

Fitball push-ups are an extended variation of regular, simple push-ups. If you realize that this is too difficult for you, do not hesitate to lighten the load a little, there is nothing wrong with that.

Take a plank position on straight arms, but your feet should be on the fitball. Place your hands wider than your shoulders.

Slowly lower your chest toward the floor, supporting your chin and looking forward.

Return to the starting position and repeat, inhaling each time you lower.

Note: Your abs should be very tense during the movement. Do not move your hips, chest, neck or back; the only movement should be from your elbow joints.

Technique for performing dumbbell abductions on a fitball:

This exercise targets your rear deltoids as well as your triceps.

Lie on your stomach on an exercise ball with your arms hanging directly in front of you. Place your feet on a plinth against the wall behind you for added stability.

Raise the dumbbells at your sides until your arms are parallel to the ground. Flex your back, arms, and shoulder muscles as you exhale, then slowly return the weight back to the starting position.