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Building your biceps and triceps is one of the best ways to get well-defined arms. Dumbbells are often the most convenient way of working your arm muscles because they take up less space than barbells or home exercise machines. You can adapt almost any two-weight dumbbell exercise for use with a barbell, and many dumbbell exercises have an analog weight machine in the gym.
Biceps Curls:
Biceps curls focus on--little surprise--your biceps. You can do biceps curls standing or sitting and with or without a back support. The analog gym machine is typically called a preacher curl machine. To do biceps curls, sit or stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Let the dumbbells hang down by your side, arms straight but not locked, and imagine that your elbows are pinned in place at your side. Curl the weights as far up as you can without moving your elbows, then lower them back to the start.
Hammer Curls:
Hammer curls focus on your biceps, your forearms (brachioradialis muscle) and the brachialis, a muscle that, when well-developed, helps give the impression of a fuller upper arm. Stand or sit as did for biceps curls, except that instead of facing forward your palms should face in toward your body. Bend your elbows to curl the weights up one at a time, keeping your elbows stationary and bringing the weight up and across your body (your thumb will end up facing toward your opposite shoulder), then lower the weight back down to the starting position.
Overhead Triceps Extension:
The triceps extension works your triceps muscle (the back of your arm) and, like biceps curls, the exercise can be done sitting or standing. To do triceps extensions, sit or stand with a single dumbbell and grasp one side of the dumbbell in both hands. Hold the dumbbell over your head, elbows close together on either side of your head. Keep your elbows as stationary as possible as you slowly bend your arms at the elbow, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. Stop when you can't lower it any farther without moving your elbows, then straighten your arms again, pressing the dumbbell back overhead.
Triceps Press:
The triceps press also focuses on the triceps muscle--but because your shoulder is at a different angle, this exercise produces a slightly different stress on the muscle, making it a good complement to the overhead triceps extension. To do the triceps press, lie with one dumbbell on a flat, stable surface--a weight bench, a bed or the floor all work well. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand, straight over your right shoulder, and stabilize your right elbow with your left hand. Hold your left elbow stationary as you bend it, slowly lowering the weight to one side of your head, then straighten your arm again. Do the same number of repetitions on your left side as you did with your right.
Credit goes to Livestrong.com
