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Exercises

Arm exercises for weight loss: triceps, biceps and shoulders that firm up as you lose fat

Published October 29, 2026

The best arm exercises for weight loss are triceps kickbacks, overhead triceps extensions, bench dips and cable pressdowns for the back of the arm, close-grip and kneeling push-ups and the dumbbell shoulder press for triceps and shoulders, and curls, hammer curls, Zottman curls and one-arm rows for the front. Do 4 to 6 of them twice a week, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, stopping 1 to 2 reps short of failure. You cannot pick where fat comes off; arm fat goes with your overall body fat in a calorie deficit, and these exercises build the muscle that makes arms look firm once it does.

  1. Triceps Kickback Triceps
  2. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension Triceps
  3. Bench Dip Triceps
  4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press Shoulders
  5. Hammer Curl Biceps, Forearms
  6. One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lats, Upper Back

Triceps exercises for the back of your arms

The back of your arm is the triceps, and it is where most people want their arms firmer. Train them with one overhead move for the long stretch and one kickback, dip or pressdown each session.

Triceps, bent-over kickback

Triceps Kickback

Triceps

Straightening your arm behind you with your upper arm pinned to your side loads the triceps hardest when the arm is fully straight. A light dumbbell is enough, which makes it a staple at home.

How to do it

  1. Brace one hand on a chair or bench and hinge forward with a flat back.
  2. Lift the dumbbell arm so your upper arm sits against your side, elbow bent.
  3. Push the dumbbell back until your arm is straight, and hold it for a second.
  4. Bend back to the start; finish the set, then change arms.

Cues

  • Upper arm stays level
  • Hold the lockout
  • Light weight

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the weight up: lighten it so you can pause at the top.
  • Upper arm sinking toward the floor: lift it back to your side.

Swap for: Cable Triceps Kickback, Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

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Triceps, overhead extension

Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Triceps

Lowering one dumbbell behind your head stretches the long head of the triceps, the biggest part of the back of your arm. Do it seated on a bench or chair to keep your back from arching.

How to do it

  1. Sit tall on a chair and lift one dumbbell overhead, both hands under the top plate.
  2. Bend your elbows to bring the weight down behind your neck, upper arms close to your head.
  3. Feel the stretch, then press it back up to straight arms.
  4. Keep your back from arching as you press.

Cues

  • Elbows forward
  • Weight behind your neck
  • Ribs stay down

Common mistakes

  • Elbows drifting out to the sides: keep them pointed ahead.
  • Short lowering: take it as deep as your shoulders allow.

Swap for: Kettlebell Overhead Triceps Extension, Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

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Triceps, bench dip

Bench Dip

Triceps

Your hands on the edge of a bench or a sturdy chair and your body weight as the load, so it trains your triceps hard with no other equipment. Keep your hips close to the chair and stop when your upper arms are level with the floor.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the front of a stable chair, hands gripping the edge next to your hips.
  2. Move your hips off the seat and set your heels out in front.
  3. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are level with the floor.
  4. Straighten your arms to come back up.

Cues

  • Hips close to the chair
  • Elbows point back
  • Stop at level

Common mistakes

  • Going so deep that your shoulders pinch: shorten the range.
  • Pushing with your legs: keep them relaxed and let your arms lift you.

Swap for: Floor Triceps Dip, Close-Grip Push-Up

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Triceps, cable pressdown

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

Pushing a cable down with your elbows at your sides lets you take the triceps close to failure with nothing to balance. It is the gym's simplest triceps exercise.

How to do it

  1. Attach a bar or rope to a high pulley and grip it with your elbows at your sides.
  2. Push down until your elbows are straight.
  3. Let the handle rise until your forearms are just past parallel, then push again.

Cues

  • Elbows stay pinned
  • Lock out at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows rise and flare: keep them glued to your sides.

Swap for: Cable Cross Pushdown, Overhead Cable Triceps Extension, Close-Grip Push-Up

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Push-ups and presses for triceps and shoulders

Presses train your triceps together with your chest and shoulders, so they use more muscle per set than an isolation move. Lateral raises round out the shoulders, which makes the whole arm look leaner.

Triceps and chest, narrow push-up

Close-Grip Push-Up

Triceps, Chest

Hands under your shoulders and elbows close to your ribs shift a push-up toward your triceps. It is the no-equipment press for the back of your arms.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank with your hands directly below your shoulders.
  2. Lower yourself with your elbows sliding back past your ribs.
  3. Stop just above the floor, then push up to locked elbows.
  4. Drop to your knees for the last reps if your hips start to sag.

Cues

  • Hands under shoulders
  • Elbows travel back
  • Full lockout

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows into a T: that moves the work to your chest.
  • Half reps near the top: lower until your chest is close to the floor.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Incline Push-Up

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Chest and triceps, push-up from the knees

Kneeling Push-Up

Chest

Dropping to your knees lowers the load so you can do full, clean reps. Build to 15 before moving to the floor or the close-grip version.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a mat with your hands on the floor slightly wider than your shoulders and walk them forward until your body is a straight line from knees to head.
  2. Brace your abs and tuck your hips so your back stays flat.
  3. Lower your chest toward the floor between your hands, elbows angled back.
  4. Push back up to straight arms and repeat.

Cues

  • Straight line from knees to head
  • Chest leads, hips follow
  • Full lockout at the top

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips so your bottom sticks up: that shortens the range. Keep the line from knees to shoulders.
  • Dropping the head toward the floor before the chest: look slightly ahead of your hands.

Swap for: Incline Push-Up, Close-Grip Push-Up, Band-Assisted Push-Up

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Shoulders and triceps, overhead press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Pressing dumbbells overhead trains your shoulders and triceps together with more weight than any single-joint arm move. It is the biggest arm-and-shoulder exercise in the home plan.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.

Swap for: Machine Shoulder Press, Arnold Press, Landmine Press

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Side shoulders, lateral raise

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Shoulders

Raising light dumbbells out to your sides builds the round of the shoulder. Wider shoulders make your upper arm look slimmer by contrast.

How to do it

  1. Pick light dumbbells you can raise for 12 clean reps, and stand with your feet hip width apart, the weights hanging by your thighs.
  2. Lean your chest forward a few degrees, pull your shoulders down away from your ears and soften your elbows.
  3. Sweep the weights out and slightly forward, leading with your elbows, until your upper arms are level with your shoulders.
  4. Hold that top position for a beat, then take two to three seconds to lower until the dumbbells are a hand's width from your thighs.
  5. Start the next rep from there without resting at the bottom or bouncing out of it.

Cues

  • Elbows lead, hands follow
  • Shoulders down, neck long
  • Push the weights out, not up

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the weight up: if your shoulders rise toward your ears, drop to lighter dumbbells and stop each rep where your upper arm is level.
  • Swinging the torso to start each rep: brace, stand still and keep the first inch of the lift as slow as the rest.
  • Bending the elbows more and more as the set goes on: set the bend on rep one and keep it, or the lever shortens and the set gets easier without you noticing.

Swap for: Cable Lateral Raise, Band Lateral Raise, Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise

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Curls and rows for the front of your arms

Curls build the biceps; hammer and Zottman curls also train the forearm muscles. A row works your back and biceps together, so it earns a spot in any arm plan.

Biceps, dumbbell curl

Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

The basic curl for the front of your arm. Keep your upper arm still and lower for two seconds; the slow lowering does as much as the lift.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with one or two dumbbells, palms facing forward.
  2. Curl the weight toward your shoulder, keeping your upper arm still.
  3. Squeeze the biceps hard when your forearm is upright.
  4. Lower until your elbow is straight.

Cues

  • Upper arm still
  • Squeeze at the top
  • Straight elbow at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Rocking your body: brace against a wall.
  • Stopping short at the bottom: lower all the way.

Swap for: Kettlebell Curl, EZ-Bar Curl

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Biceps and forearms, neutral-grip curl

Hammer Curl

Biceps, Forearms

Palms facing each other shifts some of the work to the brachialis and forearm, which adds thickness to the arm. Most people can hammer curl a little heavier than a regular curl.

How to do it

  1. Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your thighs.
  2. Bend one elbow to bring that dumbbell up, thumb leading.
  3. Keep the dumbbell vertical the whole way, then lower it slowly to the start.
  4. Curl the other arm, and keep alternating until the set is done.

Cues

  • Thumbs lead
  • Dumbbells vertical
  • Elbows by your sides

Common mistakes

  • Swinging heavier weight with your back: keep your torso still.
  • Curling across your body: keep each dumbbell in line with its shoulder.

Swap for: Band Hammer Curl, Alternating Hammer Curl

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Biceps and forearms, curl with a twist

Zottman Curl

Biceps, Forearms

Curl up palms up, turn the palms down at the top, and lower slowly. You train the biceps on the way up and the forearms on the way down in one rep.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your palms facing forward and the dumbbells at your sides.
  2. Curl them up to shoulder height.
  3. Rotate your palms to face down at the top.
  4. Lower slowly, palms down, and rotate back at the bottom.

Cues

  • Turn at the top
  • Slow lowering
  • Elbows stay at your sides

Common mistakes

  • Turning the palms on the way down: finish the rotation first.
  • Going too heavy: the palms-down lowering sets the weight.

Swap for: Hammer Curl, Reverse Curl

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Lats and biceps, supported row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing a dumbbell trains your back and biceps with a heavier weight than any curl. It adds biceps work in the same set that builds your upper back.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

Swap for: Band Bent-Over Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, Seated Cable Row

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Firmer arms at home with dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You want the backs of your arms firmer while you lose weight, you train at home with a pair of light dumbbells and a sturdy chair, and you can give your arms two short sessions a week.

Each session has a press, a row, two triceps moves and a curl, so your triceps get about 8 hard sets a week and your biceps 6, with presses and rows adding to both. Light dumbbells need sets taken to within 1 or 2 reps of failure.

Arms A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press1 warm-up set firstSeated on a chair. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. Hand on a chair. 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Curl 2 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Arms A in the session builder

Arms B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kneeling Push-Up 3 × 8–15 1 75 s
Triceps KickbackPer arm. Hold 1 s straight. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Hammer Curl 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Bench DipKnees bent to make it easier. 2 × 8–15 2 1 min

Open Arms B in the session builder

How to run it
Add Arms A and Arms B to two of your weekly workouts, or do them as stand-alone 25-minute sessions with a day between.
How to progress
Add reps until you hit 15 on every set, then slow the lowering to three seconds. When that is easy too, move up to the next dumbbell size.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Gym arm finisher after lifting

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentAdjustable Cable, Dumbbells

You already lift two or three times a week in a gym and want to add arm work at the end without a separate arm day.

Two quick arm blocks of about 7 sets add 6 to 8 direct sets a week for triceps and biceps on top of the presses and rows you already do. The pressdown and lateral raise are simple enough to take to 0 reps in reserve without the form breaking down.

Finisher 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 0 1 min
A2 Zottman Curl 3 × 10–12 1 1 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2 × 12–20 0 1 min

Open Finisher 1 in the session builder

Finisher 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
A2 Hammer Curl 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Close-Grip Push-Up 2 × 8–15 1 1 min

Open Finisher 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Add Finisher 1 after one lifting session and Finisher 2 after another, with at least two days between.
How to progress
Double progression: reach 15 reps on every set, then add one weight step. Pair the triceps and biceps moves back to back to save time.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

No weights at all

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets27 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentFlat Bench

You have no dumbbells, just a chair and floor space, and you want to work your arms at home three times a week.

Without weights, the triceps and shoulders can be trained hard with push-up and dip variations, about 9 sets a session. Biceps need something to lift, so this plan leans on the back of the arms until you get a pair of dumbbells.

Arms, No Weights
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kneeling Push-Up 3 × 8–15 2 75 s
Bench Dip 3 × 8–15 2 75 s
Close-Grip Push-UpOn your knees for the last reps if needed. 3 × 3–10 2 75 s
How to run it
Do the routine three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
How to progress
Add reps to the top of each range, then make each move harder: kneeling to close-grip push-ups, bent knees to straight legs on the dips, and a three-second lowering on everything.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Does losing weight lose arm fat?

Yes. Arm fat comes off as your total body fat drops, though for many people it is one of the last places to change. Arm exercises do not speed that up, but they build the muscle that makes arms look firm when it happens.

What is the best exercise to get rid of bingo wings?

There is no exercise that removes fat from the back of the arms, but triceps exercises build the muscle there: overhead extensions, kickbacks, bench dips and close-grip push-ups. Pair them with a calorie deficit and you change both the fat and the muscle.

How can I make my arms look slimmer?

Lower your overall body fat with a calorie deficit, and train your triceps and shoulders so the arm has shape. Wider, more defined shoulders also make your upper arm look slimmer next to them.

Can I lose arm fat in 2 weeks?

Not much. Two weeks of dieting and training might bring a small loss you barely see on your arms. Steady loss over two to three months is what shows.

How often should I do arm exercises?

Twice a week is enough, 6 to 10 hard sets per muscle counting presses and rows. More often will not burn more fat from your arms.