Best Dumbbell Exercises: 10 Effective Workout for Biceps and Triceps

Building muscle doesn’t have to be complicated. It does not even require a lot of fancy equipment. You can instantly increase your strength and build lean muscle through a simple dumbbell workout exercise. The great thing with dumbbell workouts is that you can do them anywhere and anytime.

 

Dumbbells are used for weight training as well as full-body fitness. There are many different exercises you can do, and the weight can be easily adjusted according to your needs. Using dumbbells is a great way to workout at home or the gym.

 

 

What Are Dumbbells Good For?

 

Dumbbells are great tools to have for your muscle strength training arsenal. They allow a variety of workouts exercises and even have few yet significant advantages. A clear disclosure to some of the great benefits and advantages offered from dumbbell exercises.

 

 

 

1. Dumbbell exercises can be more joint-friendly.

The dumbbells tend to be a bit more elbow and shoulder-friendly because you can have more natural movement since your hands aren’t fixed in place. You can even turn or rotate them as you press.

 

2. Dumbbells are great for home-trainees with limited space and equipment.

There are people who want that their own home is like a gym. If you want to start training and exercising at home, you can’t go wrong with an adjustable set of dumbbells.

 

3. Dumbbells allow unilateral training that ensures both limbs do the same amount of work.

Dumbbell exercises can help minimize strength imbalance. Both limbs are forced to perform the same amount of work with dumbbell exercises

 

4. There are some exercises safer when performed with dumbbells.

For instance, you’re doing reverse lunges with dumbbells and lose your balance, you can easily toss the dumbbells.

 

 

 

Dumbbells allow you to train one side of your body at a time. Smooth and well-defined arms are incredibly attractive in both man and woman. Did you know that your arms are one of the hardest muscles to build?

 

This means that it requires a lot more effort to see visible progress. The good thing here is a compilation of the 10 best dumbbell exercises for your triceps and biceps.

 

Dumbbell Exercises for Biceps

The upper body consists of arms, shoulders, upper back, and chest. For your biceps, the classic dumbbell move is the bicep curl. Here are the 10 best biceps workouts to perform with dumbbells:

 

1. Wide Curl

Doing wide bicep curls can help bring complete bicep development than the typical and random curls. Here’s how to execute:

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, abs tense and your shoulders in neutral.

 

• Hold the dumbbells with your hands a couple of inches wider than your shoulders with your elbows tucked snugly against your waist.

 

• Slowly curl up until you achieve maximum contraction, squeeze for a second, and resist the weight as you slowly let it return to the starting position.

 

 

 

2. Incline Curl

This exercise hits the upper bicep as effectively as the lower bicep. You can engage your shoulders to help lift the heavyweight. It’s a separate movement that places all the strain on your arms. Follow these steps:

 

1. For your starting position, sit back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand held at arm’s length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward.
2. Start curling the weights forward while contracting the biceps and breath. Only the forearms should move. While the dumbbells are at shoulder level continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted.
3. Slowly begin to bring the dumbbells back to starting position and repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

 

 

3. Drag Curl/ Frozen Drag Curl

 

Instead of curling the weight out, use your arms to drag the dumbbells up along the front of your chest. This places all the strain on the upper head of your biceps but involves your shoulders and forearms.

 

Stand tall and drive your elbows back as you curl, so the head of each dumbbell touches the front of your body throughout the rep. Keep your palms facing up the whole time. It should look as though you’re dragging the weights up along your torso.

 

 

4. Hammer Curl

The dumbbell hammer curl is one of the most important dumbbell exercises for biceps with many variations. In hammer curl, you’re focusing more on the width of your bicep in your forearm.

 

• Put your hands on your side, shoulder width apart with your feet, loose knees and elbows are not locked out.

 

• Grab one dumbbell in each hand along the sides of your body, palms facing your body.

 

• Raise both dumbbells by curling your elbows and lower them down after a short pause.

 

• Keep your upper arms still throughout.

 

 

 

5. Straight/Standing Curl

 

This is a basic movement, and it’s a beginner-friendly bicep exercise. It will hit your arms very effectively, and anyone can perform with any amount of weight. The beauty of this movement is that there are a lot of ways to perform it:

• one arm at a time
• both arms together
• slower for greater concentration

 

 

6. Outside Curl

 

Typical bicep curls are highly effective, but they just hit your muscles from one angle. By turning your arms outward (perpendicular to your body), you take the weight off your shoulders and hit your biceps from another angle.

 

It’s a great movement to help build the outside of your arm muscles, giving you the strength needed for Chin-Ups and Pull-Ups. Take note not to use too much weight, or you risk injuring your shoulders or pulling a muscle.

 

 

7. Cheat Curl

The cheat curl is a variation of the biceps curl with a slightly more relaxed form, used to muscle more weight and overload the biceps. Cheat curls were made extremely popular by Arnold Schwarzenegger, as these were a staple exercise in his arm training regime during the golden era of bodybuilding.

 

Choose the heaviest dumbbells you think you can curl, and perform as you did the conventional dumbbell curl, but use the momentum from your hips to power through the sticking point. Do not lean back as you lift, but get into a rhythm where you rock your torso forward and then extend your hips to complete each repetition.

 

 

 

8. Zottman Curl

 

The Zottman bicep curl actively engages the forearms as well as the biceps. The exercise adds balance between upper and lower arm mass while increasing mobility in the wrist.

 

Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Palms will be facing your body at the top of the curl. At the top of the movement, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing away from the body.

 

 

9. Circular Bicep Curls

 

Take this exercise very slowly and make sure your dumbbells are heavy enough that you can actually feel it. It should start to burn quickly if you’re doing it correctly. Here’s how it works:

 

• Grab two dumbbells and stand with your feet hip apart, with a slight bend in the knees. Place your elbows right up against the side of your body.
• Press your dumbbells back and up towards your shoulders as far as you can go without moving that elbow.
• Circle the dumbbells up towards the shoulders and in towards the center of your body.
• Slowly lower down towards your belly-button, bringing the dumbbells to close together and then down and back out making a full circle.

 

 

10. Preacher Curls

 

Here’s how this works:

• Place one upper arm against the arm pad the other at a 90-degree angle and grab one dumbbell in each hand, then palms facing up.
• Raise the dumbbells alternatively until your forearms are parallel to the floor and lower them back down alternatively after a short pause.

 

Important: Try NOT to jerk your upper body in an effort to help you lift the weights.

 

 

 

 

 

Dumbbell Exercises for Triceps

 

Triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm. Keeping them toned makes a big difference in building your muscles. Here are the 10 best exercises to help you push your triceps to its full limits:

 

1. Seated Triceps Press / Seated Pulse Extensions

 

Here’s how to do it:

• Sit down and hold one dumbbell with both hands behind your head. Elbows at 90-degree angle and straight up the upper arms.
• Raise the dumbbell with both hands until your arms are close to fully extended. Then slowly lower it back after a brief pause.
• Keep your upper arms still through.

 

 

2. Kickbacks/ Alternate Kickback Holds

 

• Put your knee and hand on a bench. Hold a dumbbell in your other hand, palm facing your body, upper arm parallel to your body.
• Push the dumbbell back by extending your elbow and allow it to slowly return after a brief pause.
• Keep your upper arm still through.

 

 

3. Skullcrushers

 

Each arm has to work independently. You’re also able to perform with different grips, which affects how the triceps are recruited. Skullcrushers are actually a family of single-joint triceps exercises, not necessarily just one exercise because there are so many ways to do them.

The upper arms are locked in a position perpendicular to the body, which means both the long and lateral triceps heads. As you increase the angle of the bench, the upper arms move closer to an overhead position.

 

Doing the movement on a decline bench reduces the long-head involvement, so more of the emphasis falls on the lateral triceps head.

 

 

4. Tate Press

 

Lie back on a bench or surface with dumbbells in both hands on top of your thighs to start with. Arms extended over your chest and palms facing your feet. Point your elbows outward and bend them to lower the weights almost to your chest. Extend your elbows. Here are things to remember:

 

• Make sure that your elbows are pointing out and with your palms facing up. Have the distance between your arms wider than your shoulders.
• Inhale while you move the dumbbells in a semi-circular motion downwards till they touch the chest. The upper arms should remain still.
• Make sure that your upper arms are still and the dumbbells do not rest on your chest.
• Use your triceps to move the dumbbells in a semi-circular motion in reverse as you exhale. Try keeping the dumbbells together while in motion, and your arms in a contracting position.

 

5. Close-Grip Bench Press 

 

As a start, grab the dumbbell stand on a bench. Lie perpendicular to the bench with your shoulders flat on the surface. Have your legs bent and your hips below the bench with our feet firm on the floor.

 

Hold the dumbbell at arms-length right above your chest. Your palms should press against the undersides of the dumbbell sides.

 

Start the movement by moving the dumbbell towards our chest. Get back to the starting position by stretching your elbows. Then repeat.

 

 

6. Unilateral Overhead

 

To begin with, hold a light dumbbell in the hand that is working out. Let your torso make a 75-degree angle to the bench and support your body with the arm on the bench. Raise the dumbbell back until your arm is straight, following the angle of your body.

Lower the weight and keep elbow pointed toward the ceiling, towards the opposite ear. Pause and get back to the starting position.

 

Maintain the angle of the upper arm constant all through. Finish up with one arm before moving the next. Then, repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension

 

To start this exercise, stand with your feet at shoulder width apart holding the dumbbell in your arms. Grab the dumbbell slowly as you lift it over your head extending your arms fully. Your palms should face upwards with the resistance resting on them and your thumb around them.

 

Make sure your upper arms close to your head with your elbows perpendicular to the floor. In lowering the resistance, it should be in a semicircular manner at the back of your head so that your forearms touch your biceps.

 

Remember that only the forearms are in motion and the upper arms are stationary. Inhale as you do this step. Rising the dumbbell using your triceps go back to the starting position. Exhale as you execute this.

 

 

8. Standing Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Exercise

 

While your palms facing your torso and a dumbbell in each hand, bend your waist by bending the knees a little and bringing your torso forward. Keep your back as straight as possible and your head up.

 

The hands should hold the weights, make sure that your upper arms are close to your torso and the forearms are pointing the floor. For this to be effective, make sure that you have a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm.

 

 

9. Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

 

To prepare, lie on a decline bench and position dumbbells over shoulders with arms extended. Next, lower the dumbbells by bending elbow until they are two sides of head; dumbbells touch the shoulder. Extend arm and repeat as needed.

 

 

 

10. Lying Twisting Extensions

 

Begin by grabbing a pair of dumbbells and lie on a bench. With a neutral, shoulder-width grip and straight arms, hold the dumbbells up over your forehead. Bend at the elbows as you lower the weights down to the sides of your forehead. Keep your upper arms in the same position. Go back to the starting position.