The Women’s Health 7-Minute Arm Workout Will Strengthen Your Arms In Just 5 Moves
Having strong, toned arms is a total flex—and not just because you can literally flex them. That strength is also imperative for making everyday movements easier, and gains are just within reach (get it?) with the Women’s Health+ 7-Minute Arm Workout.
This fast and efficient exercise program emphasizes lifting heavy dumbbells, which is both a win for muscle endurance and hypertrophy, which refers to the increase in size of your muscles. “A stronger upper body will improve your push-up form, help you lift objects overhead, or pull in the garbage bins,” says Kristina Earnest, CPT, a cycling and strength coach and founder of Kristina Earnest On Demand, an online fitness platform, who created this program. And, of course, you’ll gain more muscle definition along the way.
Meet the Expert: Kristina Earnest, CPT, is a cycling and strength coach and founder of Kristina Earnest On Demand, an online fitness platform.
Here's how the program works: You'll use heavy dumbbells or kettlebells to perform 5 upper-body strength training moves. For each exercise, you'll work for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds before moving onto the next move, completing the entire circuit twice. Earnest recommends adding this workout to your routine twice a week for maximum benefits, but not on back to back days—that way, you can let your upper body recover.
When it comes to picking weights, the feeling of “heavy” dumbbells is “not a one-size-fits-all type of thing,” Earnest says. Her rule of thumb is that you should be able to complete the prescribed reps properly, with the last few reps feeling a bit more challenging. Err on the side of caution to start, she adds, and recognize that what’s “heavy” can change based on the exercise.
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7-Minute Arms-Sculpting Workout
Time: 7 minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells and/or kettlebells
Instructions: Perform each move for 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then move on to the next exercise. Go through the circuit twice, resting as needed between rounds.
Dumbbell Floor Press
How to:
Lie face up on the floor with knees bent and feet planted, holding 2 dumbbells in a goal post position (drop elbows to the floor and create 90-degree angles with arms).
Tuck hips under and press your spine down to the mat to engage core and align your spine down. (There shouldn't be an arch under your back.)
Exhale and press dumbbells up until arms are fully extended above chest.
Inhale and slowly lower back to the starting position. That's 1 rep.
Why it rocks: Earnest likes that this move works the front of your body and helps with balance and stability.
What it works: The main focus is the chest (specifically your pectoral muscles), but your triceps and supporting muscles in your shoulders (primarily the front deltoids) will be put to work a bit as well, Earnest says.
Upright Row
How to:
Stand with feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in knees, holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length in front of your waist, palms facing toward you. Tuck hips to actively engage core.
Exhale as you slowly lift weights in front of torso, keeping dumbbells close to body, until elbows are slightly above shoulder height.
Inhale as you reverse movement to return to start, controlling the descent of weights. That's 1 rep.
Why it rocks: This one is an all-over upper-body burner, Earnest says. It recruits pretty much all your muscles from the waist up.
What it works: You’ll work your deltoids, traps, biceps, and triceps—and you’ll feel it a little bit in your core, according to Earnest.
Hammer Curl
How to:
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in, knees slightly bent, and core engaged.
Exhale and slowly lift left arm toward left shoulder, keeping elbows plugged into your sides and isolating and engaging bicep.
Inhale as you lower back to the starting position. Repeat on other side. That's 1 rep.
Continue alternating sides.
Why it rocks: Curls are an upper-body staple, Earnest notes. But the grip you’ll use with this move allows you to lift heavier, she explains.
What it works: This one works the biceps, per Earnest.
Alternating Bent-Over Row
How to:
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in.
Hinge forward with knees slightly bent until torso is roughly parallel with the floor (or slightly above). Push your butt back and lower chest to feel your core activate.
Drive elbows behind your body while retracting shoulder blades. Aim to bring your thumb toward ribcage.
Pull the dumbbells toward your body until elbows are at (or just past) the midline.
Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's 1 rep.
Why it rocks: This is another movement that allows you to lift heavier than you would with other upper-body dumbbell movements, Earnest says, because the back of your body is very strong.
What it works: You’ll work your rear deltoids and mid to lower traps with this move, along with your lats, Earnest says.
Push Press
How to:
Stand with two dumbbells held at shoulder height. Tuck hips under and engage core.
Bending at knees (and maintaining alignment with hips tucked under), dip two to three inches and then explosively press the dumbbell overhead with right arm, keeping the other dumbbell in the starting position at shoulder.
Squeeze glutes for stabilization and lock the press overhead.
Lower the weight back to shoulder.
Repeat on other side. That's 1 rep.
Continue alternating arms.
Alternative Move: Use one dumbbell or kettlebell, as shown, and complete all reps on one side, then switch arms.
Why it rocks: What makes this move special is that it’s more explosive than the others, Earnest says. “Adding a little bit of that cardiovascular activity in a strength workout really gives a good blend,” she adds.
What it works: This exercise will work a bunch of different muscles, according to Earnest. You’ll target your shoulders (think: deltoids and rotator cuffs) and upper back (you should be engaging your traps) as you press the weight overhead, and the muscles in your chest (think: your pecs) will work to keep you upright once you’re locked into that position while your forearm muscles help balance the weight on your wrist. As you bring your arm back down, you’ll target your triceps, she adds.
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