Arnold Schwarzenegger may have spent hours in the gym pumping iron to build his massive arms but, for the majority of us, this isn’t possible. But, the good news is, it isn’t necessary either! Short and sweet workouts are sometimes the most effective, like this 15 minute one, that'll leave your biceps, triceps and shoulders feeling (and looking) seriously stronger. Just grab a pair of dumbbells and get ready to give it your all!
As well as looking nice in vests and tees, improving the strength in your arms will make everyday tasks easier, from carrying the shopping to doing the washing. But, strong arms can also enhance your performance in other workouts, even ones that focus on other areas of the body. "From swimming and running to tennis and yoga, strong arms provide the balance and foundation to propel your results from good to great," says Pure Gym. They'll also help with lower body exercises too that require you to lift/hold heavy weights through the movements.
This workout from HYROX master trainer, Jake Dearden, contains three different exercises. Although in the video above he performs one exercise with a barbell, you can also perform it with dumbbells (but if you do have access to an Olympic barbell, feel free to give it a go!). You'll do each exercise for 10 to 12 reps, so best to opt for a medium weight and, although Jake says to 'repeat until your arms drop off', we suggest aiming for three rounds in total. Try and keep rest between the exercise to a minimal (if you can do them back-to-back, even better) then rest for 90 seconds once you've done one round. Here's your exercises:
- Bicep curls (with dumbbells or a barbell)
- Dumbbell lateral raises
- Dumbbell skull crushers (lie on your back for these)
Short, sweet, but seriously effective! We've got plenty of other workouts like this on T3 that won't take up too much of your time. If you want to spend some time on your lower body now, then here's a four-move workout that targets your glutes and quads. If, however, it's a total upper body workout you're after, check out this five-move dumbbell workout (it is a tad longer than this one, around 25 minutes). Also, don't forget to spend some time working your core! As this will prevent injury and help you excel in all your workouts; this three-move standing core workout is just what you need.
