by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
If you have no time going to the gym but want to develop your guns, you can choose from some beneficial arm exercise equipment. Having effective arm workouts at home is easy; you do not need anything special.
But, before showing you my recommended arm workout equipment, let me give you some advice on how to train your arms at home. If you are not a beginner, skip.
Your arm is not just your biceps. Well, it is a typical mistake that beginners only strengthen their biceps to gain size. However, that is the smallest muscle group, your triceps, those that give the size. So, include triceps exercises in your routine.
The second piece of recommendation is to strengthen your grip and lower arms. A lot of trainers forget it as they think biceps exercises are enough. But it is not valid. A firm grip is crucial to lift heavier weights or to perform bodyweight exercises like pull-ups. Finally, a well-developed forearm is a sign of strength if you ask me.
Ok, now let’s talk about equipment.
Contents
- 1 Most Effective Arm Exercise Equipment
- 2 Related questions
Most Effective Arm Exercise Equipment
1. Adjustable dumbbells – Very versatile/The winner
Arm weight lifting equipment
If you ask me, dumbbells are the best among all the strength training equipment. With a pair, we can have a full-body training at home, and for arms training, you do need anything else.
Why do I like hand weights so much?
- Firstly, compared to barbell training, they allow me to have physically more natural movements since the arms are not controlled by the equipment as much. This way, the exercises are safer, and I can focus on one particular muscle group better.
- On the other hand, because of the “more freedom,” other secondary muscles are activated to control the motion. Plus, I can have a longer range of action, which is beneficial for muscle development.
- Finally, it’s a compact home gym equipment that is easy to store.
The only downside is that we cannot lift as heavy weights as if we were using a bar.
What kind of arm exercises can you do with dumbbells?
For biceps
Dumbbell biceps curls which are among the best exercises to gain strength and mass. You can do the alternate, drag, hammer, Zottman, or the concentration curls. These are far enough.
For triceps
Various triceps extensions are available: one arm, two arms, seated, lying. The triceps kickback is also a great move to shape your upper arms.
For forearm, palms-up or palms-down wrist curls are the best.
About adjustable Dumbbells
I recommend you to get adjustable hand weights since they combine multiple dumbbells into one. Hence, you can save space and money.
The new, modern selectorized dumbbells come with unique systems that let us choose the load we want to use quickly. Bowflex 552 and Powerblock are the most reliable pieces. But we have a detailed comparison of the best adjustable dumbbells here.
Do you find them expensive? Well, you can also get a pair of traditional set with weight plates. Of course, it takes some time to change the plates and untighten and tighten the collars, but this is an upper arm exercise equipment that lasts forever. I recommend the Yes4All weights because of their excellent price/value ratio.
To sum up, if you want to have arm strength training at home, dumbbells are perfect solutions.
2. Barbell Weight Set – Best arm workout equipment if you want to lift heavy
The second most beneficial arm workout equipment for home, which is as versatile as dumbbells, is a barbell set with weights. The difference is that you can lift heavier weights. Plus, it lets you perform such compound exercises like deadlift, bench press, or squat, which are powerful total body training.
Although it requires more area to use and store, also, you need additional home gym equipment like a power rack and weight bench to take its full advantage.
The arm exercises are almost the same as with hand weights: various barbell biceps curls and barbell triceps extensions. But since we can lift heavy weights, the strength and muscle mass development might be more effective.
Which barbell set to buy?
Well, I have already made a comparison of the best Olympic weight sets here, which are great for the average trainer. If you need professional equipment, Rogue bar sets are the best buy.
3. Power Tower – Bodyweight workout for arms?
Most of the people think the only way to work out is by using free weights or an arm exercise machine. Well, what about using your weight as resistance? Have you ever seen those calisthenics guys? They have big strong arms even if they have never lifted a single piece of weight. They only do arm exercises without weights.
What can you do for biceps? For example, pull-ups or chin-ups. It works not just your biceps and forearms perfectly but also your back and shoulders.
What about triceps? Dips on parallel bars! The perfect exercise that can boost the strength and size of your upper arms drastically.
Well, I lied since you need something to pull or push yourself. I think the best is the power tower (pull up dip station) among the upper body workout machines. It comes with different functions for total upper body conditioning: pull up, vertical knee/leg raise, dip, and push up stations.
For moderate usage, you can get a tower a bit more than a hundred bucks. If you are a heavy guy or wish to use additional weights as resistance, you need more heavy-duty equipment. Here are two good value towers.
Tip: If you prefer bodyweight training, you may be interested in home workout equipment like TRX. You can do a lot of types of arm exercises with them.
4. Preacher Curl Arm Workout Machine
Arm training machine
This list would not be complete without mentioning the most popular arm machine, the preacher curl.
Is it a must-have? No! If you have money to spend on and place to use, get one. It is unnecessary because curls will build your biceps, and there other exercises that can substitute the preacher bench.
5. Resistance Bands – Not just for girls
We are willing to underestimate the efficiency of rubber bands, but they excellent home exercise equipment for arms, and to have a total body work. The resistance is resistance no matter where it comes from. Plus, during the motion with bands, the hardness increases as we are getting forward the end of the movement.
We can buy rubber bands in various sizes and levels, so no matter if you are a beginner or an advanced level, you will find one for your strength. And they cost only a few bucks.
Related questions
What’s the best exercise machine for flabby arms?
Well, the mentioned fitness products above are useful for strength training to gain your muscles, but they’re not suitable for burning fat. You have flabby arms because your body fat level is high, so you need to lower it. The best way to burn calories is by doing cardio training and altering your diet so that at the end of the day, you reach a calorie deficit. This way, the best equipment to burn arm fat is the rowing machine, treadmill, or the stair stepper since they increase your heart rate effectively.
Do arm bikes tone arms?
I think this arm machine isn’t as beneficial as they seem. It engages only the muscle groups for the upper body, mainly the arms. Hence, for weight loss cardio, it’s not so useful since small muscles are activated. Also, for muscle strength, it’s ineffective as well. An arm bike is beneficial for lower fitness levels, people who need rehabilitation exercises, the elderly or disabled.
To sum up
What is the best exercise equipment for arms? I put my vote on dumbbells. They are versatile and efficient, allowing you to choose from hundreds of exercises for every muscle group.
Last update on 2022-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
