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We know it’s hard to fit a workout into your busy schedule, but what would you say if I told you that you could at least tackle Arm Day in just five minutes?

That’s right; in the time it takes you to brew your morning cup of coffee, you could perform a 5-minute arm workout and make progress toward various fitness goals, including weight loss, building strong arms, and more.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Fear not, dear lifter, we asked Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, and GGR director of content to share our 5-minute arm workout, including the best arm exercises, step-by-step instructions, how to approach the workout, and more!

5-Minute Arm Workout

“I designed this workout to be beginner-friendly and involve minimal equipment to make it the perfect at-home workout,” says Kate. “The idea is to move through each exercise one set at a time, taking minimal or no rest. Once you reach the end, repeat each exercise for another set or even two sets if you have time on the clock.”

person-doing-overhead-triceps-extension-with-dumbbells

To make sure you keep moving for the full duration, choose a weight that lets you do 8 to 12 reps without sacrificing form. You may then choose to perform the exercises from a standing position, which increases activation to your core muscles for a more comprehensive upper-body workout, or from a seated position to ensure that you keep that juicy muscle activation for your arms only.

Got it? Good. Go fill up your water bottle, get in your warm-up, and let’s get to work!

ExerciseSetsReps
Dumbbell Biceps Curl2-38-12
Overhead Triceps Extension2-38-12
Hammer Curl2-38-12
Triceps Kickback2-38-12
Push-Up2-38-12

Note: Since you’re saving so much time on the workout itself, perform a cool down afterward and stretch out your biceps and triceps. 

Dumbbell Biceps Curl

Benefits: The tried-and-true biceps curl is a no-brainer inclusion for our toned arms workout. It’s the quintessential biceps exercise that, according to the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine1, should help you increase the strength, size, and power of your biceps brachii.

How to do it: 

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core tight, back straight, and a dumbbell held in each hand with your palms facing up (underhand grip).
  2. Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders while keeping your upper arms still.
  3. Continue until your elbows are fully flexed.
  4. Squeeze your biceps at the peak position.
  5. Slowly guide the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for reps.
A gif of a dumbbell curl

Modifications

  • Dial it back: Perform your curls with lighter dumbbells, from a seated position, or with one arm at a time to ensure you are dedicating equal energy to each side.
  • Make it harder: Grab some heavier dumbbells or perform your curls at an incline.

RELATED: Dumbbell Curl Variations

Overhead Triceps Extension

Benefits: According to the European Journal of Sport Science2, the overhead triceps extension is one of the most effective triceps-building exercises because of its overhead positioning. Plus, it easily follows biceps curls since all you need to do is finish your last curl, perform a single overhead press to get into position, and you’re good to go!

How to do it: 

  1. Press a single (or pair of) dumbbells into the overhead position.
  2. Slowly lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows. Keep your upper arms stationary throughout the full range of motion.
  3. Continue until your forearms are parallel with the floor.
  4. Push the dumbbells back overhead by extending your elbows.
  5. Repeat for reps.
Dumbbell overhead tricep extension

Modifications

  • Dial it back: Some find using a single dumbbell with two hands rather than a dumbbell in each hand is easier.
  • Make it harder: Grab some heavier dumbbells or lie down on a weight bench and perform skull crushers instead.

Hammer Curl

Benefits: According to Sports (Basel)3, switching your handgrip during the biceps curl exercise can produce different adaptations to the biceps brachii and brachioradialis. So, even though the hammer curl is similar to the standard curl, it’s totally worth your while to get both movements into your workout for the ultimate arm challenge!

How to do it: 

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core tight, back straight, and a dumbbell held in each hand with your palms facing one another (neutral grip).
  2. Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
  3. Continue until your elbows are fully flexed.
  4. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
  5. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for reps.
A gif of a dumbbell hammer curl

Modifications

  • Dial it back: Try using lighter dumbbells or a resistance band.
  • Make it harder: Switch to heavier dumbbells or try the 21s workout for strength and endurance gains.

RELATED: Hammer Curl Vs Biceps Curl

Triceps Kickback

Benefits: “The triceps kickback is another essential isolation exercise for the triceps brachii,” says Kate. “Other triceps exercises mostly target the lateral head of the triceps, but the kickback emphasizes the other two, the medial and long head, instead to ensure more even triceps growth.”

How to do it: 

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core tight, back straight, and a dumbbell held in each hand with your palms facing one another (neutral grip).
  2. Hinge forward until your chest is nearly parallel with the floor.
  3. Raise your upper arms so that they’re firmly alongside your torso, keeping your elbows flexed.
  4. Extend your elbows, “kicking” the dumbbells back as you extend your arms.
  5. Squeeze your triceps once you reach full extension.
  6. Slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for reps.
Woman doing tricep kickbacks

Modifications

  • Dial it back: Perform an unweighted triceps squeeze exercise to familiarize yourself with the motion and lock in your form.
  • Make it harder: Impose a tempo—three seconds kicking back, three seconds holding the end position, and three seconds back to the starting position—to maximize your triceps’ time under tension.

Push-Up

Benefits: The push-up is one of the best bodyweight exercises because it’s upper-body focused but can still provide full-body strength and muscle activation. Plus, it requires no equipment to perform, which is a huge plus if you’re working with a barebones home gym setup!

How to do it: 

  1. Get into the quadruped position (“all fours”) and place your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders.
  2. Step your feet back to enter a high plank.
  3. Bend your elbows, keeping them tucked into your body, to lower yourself toward the floor.
  4. Continue until your chest lightly touches the floor.
  5. Push yourself back up by extending your elbows.
  6. Squeeze your chest and triceps at the top, then cycle into the next rep.
  7. Repeat for reps.
push up demo gif

Modifications

  • Dial it back: Perform push-ups from your knees to make them easier. You may also do incline push-ups by resting your hands on a weight bench, countertop, or another elevated surface.
  • Make it harder: Throw on a weighted vest, impose a tempo, or do burpees instead to sprinkle some extra cardio in.

RELATED: 17 Push-Up Variations

How To Make Your 5-Minute Arm Workout Even More Effective

If you’re going to get the most from your 5-minute workout, you need to make every second count. We’re not speaking figuratively here; you need to do something every second to contribute toward your goal of getting a great workout.

Here are a few quick tips.

Minimize Rest

The workout plan above is designed to keep you moving and grooving for the full five minutes. That’s easier said than done if you’re truly pushing your limits, but it’s really important not to spend the whole time huffing and puffing to catch your breath.

“It’s always better to slow down and use light weights than to go too fast or too hard and wind up gassing out before time’s up,” says Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1. “Start slower and lighter than you think you need to, and if the workout feels too easy, push it a little more next time.”

RELATED: Arm Workouts With Weights

Alternate Muscle Groups

We organized these arm exercises so that you alternate between targeting the biceps and triceps. Doing this allows one of these crucial muscle groups to rest while the other works, ensuring you always have something in the tank for the next exercise.

woman-doing-cable-triceps-pushdown

If you want to go off script or restructure our workout in a way that works better for your setup, then by all means. We recommend following the same principles so you’re not annihilating one muscle group while the other sits on the sidelines.

Focus on Strong Contractions

Just because our workout uses light dumbbells doesn’t mean you can just fling your limbs through the motions. No spaghetti arms; move with intention.

Engage the target muscles during the concentric phase of each exercise, get a quick squeeze at the top, and lower the weights through the eccentric phase with control. Moving too hastily is a recipe for poor form and will hurt your results.

RELATED: Concentric Vs Eccentric Training

5-Minute Arm Workout: Final Thoughts

We get it. Your job is always keeping you in the office after hours and out of your weekly Pilates class. Your kids need rides to and from literally every sport and extracurricular ever. You’ve got stuff going on, and you really want to prioritize your health and fitness, but it’s hard!

That’s why we put together this 5-minute arm workout to help you make some progress on your fitness goals in the time it takes for you to compose your follow-up email to Donna in HR. Yeah, per my last email, Donna.

If you have five minutes to spare and a pair of light dumbbells, you can sneak in a little workout snack that’ll pay dividends in due time. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up those weights and start moving your arms!

5-Minute Arm Workout: FAQs

Is a 5-minute arm workout enough?

The saying goes, “Something is better than nothing,” but is that really true for exercise? Can you reasonably expect results from doing only five minutes of exercise?

Believe it or not, the answer is yes. According to Harvard Health4, adults who perform at least 15 minutes of vigorous activity per week—yes, we said per week—still “gain substantial health benefits.” That means all you have to do is perform our 5-minute arm workout at least three times per week, and you’ll hit that quota.

That said, we here at GGR recommend doing more than the bare minimum whenever your schedule allows. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association5, you should aim to do between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous exercise or between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate weekly exercise.

How many minutes should you work out your arms?

How much time you spend on your arms depends on a few factors, including how often you plan to target your arm muscles each week, how much weight or resistance you’re working with, your specific goals, and more.

Generally speaking, you can get good results from our 5-minute arm workout. For personalized recommendations, it’s always best to work with a personal trainer or other fitness professional.

RELATED: Best Online Personal Trainer

Will 3-lb weights tone my arms?

People have this misconception that you’ve gotta “go big or go home” when it comes to strength training, but that’s simply not true. Studies show6 “Strength training [programs using] lighter loads…[may] be a viable option for promoting muscular adaptations.”

So, assuming you’re performing enough reps with your 3-pound weights, you can absolutely get results and make progress toward your goals.

How long does it take to tone arms?

The time it’ll take to tone your arms depends on what you’re doing during your workouts, how often you work out, your current fitness level, body composition, diet, age—the list goes on! However, if you do the work, show up consistently, and give it your all, then you should see some improvement after approximately four to six weeks.

If you’re not, consider working with a personal trainer and/or nutritionist to look into your lifestyle and workout routine. They can provide personalized recommendations to get you on track.

References

  1. Oliveira LF, Matta TT, Alves DS, Garcia MA, Vieira TM. Effect of the shoulder position on the biceps brachii emg in different dumbbell curls. J Sports Sci Med. 2009;8(1):24-29. Published 2009 Mar 1.
  2. Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, et al. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023;23(7):1240-1250. doi:10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279
  3. Coratella G, Tornatore G, Longo S, et al. Biceps Brachii and Brachioradialis Excitation in Biceps Curl Exercise: Different Handgrips, Different Synergy. Sports (Basel). 2023;11(3):64. Published 2023 Mar 9. doi:10.3390/sports11030064
  4. Komaroff  AL. What’s the minimum amount of exercise I need each week? Harvard Health. February 1, 2023. Accessed July 10, 2024.
  5. Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854
  6. Balachandran A T, Wang Y, Szabo F, et al. Comparison of traditional vs. lighter load strength training on fat-free mass, strength, power and affective responses in middle and older-aged adults: A pilot randomized trial. Exp Gerontol. 2023;178:112219. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2023.112219
Christopher Covello-snapshot

Christopher Covello

Christopher Covello is a professional freelancer and published author. He writes copy, content, and SEO-focused material in various niches with a heavy focus on fitness and nutrition. Christopher’s personal fitness and nutrition journey began in 2009 when he was working as a short order cook and came to recognize that his habits were unhealthy and unsustainable. He educated himself on mindful eating and balanced nutrition and has prioritized healthy living ever since. Today, Christopher writes in the fitness and nutrition niche, and is often found running, hiking, rock climbing, Spartan Racing, training at his CrossFit box, or practicing yoga.

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