The 6 Best Moves for Toned Arms

Written by
Autumn Calabrese

Autumn Calabrese is a fitness and nutrition specialist, celebrity trainer and creator of the 21 Day Fix program.

To get great arms, you don't need a bunch of fancy moves. You just need to work the muscles of your arms and shoulders properly, which is easy to do with these classic, tried-and-true exercises.

Here are six of my favorite moves for a killer upper body workout that will leave your arms trim and toned.

Shoulder Press
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Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your abs engaged. Hold a medium weight dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders with your palms facing out.

Keeping your core engaged and your shoulders pressed down, drive both dumbbells up toward the sky until your elbows are almost straight. Make sure not to hyperextend your elbows.

Lower the dumbbells down to the start position slowly and with control.

Perform 15 reps.
Push-Ups
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Get into a high plank position. Place your hands firmly on the ground, directly under your shoulders. Keep your abs engaged and your back flat. Begin to lower your body, keeping your back flat and eyes focused about three feet in front of you for a neutral neck, until your chest grazes the floor. 

Push back up.

Perform 15 reps.
Bent Over Row
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With a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing your torso), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward by bending at the waist. As you bend, make sure to keep your back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your head up. The weights should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor. 

While keeping your torso stationary, lift the dumbbells to your side, keeping the elbows close to the body. Squeeze the back muscles at the top.

Slowly lower to the start position.

Perform 15 reps.
Post Delt Fly
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Sit on the end of a bench with your legs together and a dumbbell on the floor behind each calf.

Bend at the waist while keeping the back straight to pick up the dumbbells. The palms of your hands should be facing each other as you pick them up. This will be your starting position.

Keep your torso stationary and pointing forward with your arms slightly bent at the elbows, and lift the dumbbells straight to the side until both arms are parallel to the floor. 

Squeeze at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Perform 15 reps.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls
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Stand up tall with your feet hip-width apart and abdominals engaged.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides and palms facing the body. The elbows should be close to the torso.

While holding your upper arm stationary, curl the weights up toward your shoulders as if lifting a hammer. Hold the contracted position for a brief moment as you squeeze the biceps. 

Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.

Perform 15 reps.
Triceps Kick Back with Dumbbells
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Start with a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your torso. Keep your back straight with a slight bend in the knees and bend forward at the waist. Your torso should be almost parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your head up.

Your upper arms should be close to your torso and parallel to the floor. There should be a 90-degree angle formed between your forearm and upper arm. This is your starting position.

Now, while keeping your upper arms stationary, use your triceps to extend the weights until the arm is fully extended. Focus on moving the forearm. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.

Perform 15 reps.
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