Everyone likes to have strong lean arms. There are lots of exercises to choose from when focusing on your arms. We’ve picked 3 of the best strength exercises for lean arms.
⭐ Push-Ups
Muscles worked: chest, back, shoulders arms, and abdominals
Push-ups are a great exercise for building strength. And they can be done anywhere and don’t require any equipment. You could also add quite a bit of variety to the types of push-ups you do.
Beginner tips: Do push-ups standing up with arms against the wall or on a step. You can then move down to countertop or dresser height pushups. Slowly work your way down to floor push-ups. You could also try kneeling push-ups and focus on keeping your spine straight (engaging the core and neck muscles).
⭐ Pull-Ups
Muscles worked: latissimus dorsi, trapezius, low back, biceps, forearms, shoulder, and core
Pull-ups force you to lift your entire body weight using nothing but your upper body. They are HARD. But they are an amazing exercise that works many muscles and can be done almost anywhere. Pull-ups not only increase upper body strength but also shoulder flexibility and grip strength.
Beginner tips: Start by hanging from the pull-up bar in an isometric hold for 10-30 seconds. Or try an assisted pull-up machine at the gym.
⭐ Planks
Muscles worked: rectus abdominis (abs), transverse abdominis, glutes, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, neck, and arms (basically everything)
Often people think of “core” and just think of “abs.” But the core is all of the muscles in the midsection (back, abs, glutes). Strengthening the core helps every day.
Start with a 30-second plank and build up to 5 minutes. You can choose to do high planks with your arms and elbows fully extended or low planks where your forearms stay on the floor.
Which of these strength exercises for lean arms is your favorite? Your least favorite? Comment below and let us know.
Are you ready to get your arms stronger? Do you get tired from carrying the groceries from the car to the house? Let’s chat and get you started building strength.
