Strengthen your upper body and tone your core all at once with this ab and arm workout with dumbbells. Not all 10 moves use weights — some are bodyweight exercises [1] — making it a well-rounded workout to really target your arms and abs. It's a timesaver to work both areas at one time!
This bodyweight and dumbbell workout will specifically strengthen your biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, upper back, upper and lower abs, and your obliques. These moves will have you pulling and pushing in multiple directions, increasing your range of motion. Having a strong upper body and core is important for many reasons, and goes way beyond just looking good in your clothes. Having strong arms and abs will improve your posture and make you a better athlete. If you're one of those people who tends to focus more on working their legs, like runners and cyclists, or if you love doing heavy deadlifts and squats, workouts like this will make your body more muscularly balanced. And this overall balance can help you reach any fitness goal you have.
Having a strong upper body and core will also help with daily activities that involve lifting heavy things, like carrying all six grocery bags from the car to your front door at one time, or effortlessly carrying your kid up the stairs. If you don't strengthen your upper body and core, your lower back is more likely to compensate, which can lead to strain, pain, or injury.
Let's get into this workout! It's fast-paced and intense, and even though it's quick and will take under 20 minutes, you'll definitely be sore tomorrow. Use lighter dumbbells if you're a beginner, or challenge yourself with heavier dumbbells if you're more experienced. One move also uses a medicine ball, but if you don't have one, do the equally challenging suggested dumbbell exercise instead.
Dumbbell Arm and Ab Workout
Equipment needed: Pair of medium-weight dumbbells and a medicine ball (there's a modification below if you don't have one).
Directions: Warm up with three to five minutes of light cardio [2], then complete three rounds of the below workout. Cool down with three to five minutes of stretching. [3]
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Wide biceps curl | 10 reps |
| Upright row | 10 reps |
| Push-up | 10 reps |
| Hip raise with leg extension | 10 reps |
| Ball slam (do dumbbell thruster if you don't have a medicine ball) | 10 reps |
| Seated Russian twist | 10 reps (10 per side) |
| Plank dumbbell row | 10 reps (5 per side) |
| Dumbbell crossover punch | 10 reps (10 per side) |
| Knee driver | 10 reps (10 per side) |
| Lying chest fly | 10 reps |
Keep reading for details on how to do each exercise.
Arms and Abs Workout: Wide Biceps Curl
How to do a wide biceps curl:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips-width distance apart.
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, hold your arms out wide with a slight bend in your elbows, palms facing up.
- Bend at your elbows, pulling the weights toward your ears.
- Extend your arms out wide again to complete one rep.
- Complete 10 reps.
Arms and Abs Workout: Upright Row
How to do an upright row:
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, and place a dumbbell in each hand. Your closed palms should be facing your body. The shoulders should be over your pelvis, with knees slightly bent.
- Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, raise them to your shoulders, bending your elbows out to the sides.
- Slowly lower them to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
- Complete 10 reps.
Arms and Abs Workout: Push-Up
How to do a push-up:
- Begin in plank position with the arms and body straight, shoulders over the wrists. Keep the core engaged. If this is too hard, rest one or both knees on the floor [5].
- Bend the elbows behind you and lower your chest to the floor. Keep your upper arms tight to your body so your elbows are against your ribs on both sides.
- Straighten the arms, coming back to plank position.
- This counts as one rep. Do 10 push-ups.
Arms and Abs Workout: Hip Raise With Leg Extension
How to do a hip raise with leg extension:
- Lie on your back. Rest your hands by your sides, palms facing down, or place your hands underneath your butt for a little leverage.
- Extend both legs out so they are a few inches above the ground. Draw your lower abs in, pressing your lower back into the floor.
- In one fluid motion, bend the knees into the chest, press the hips up as high as you can, lower your hips to the floor, and extend the legs straight out.
- This completes one rep.
- Do 10 reps.
Arms and Abs Workout: Ball Slam
How to do a ball slam:
When you're first learning this move, go for a lighter medicine ball, such as a 10-pounder. Make sure it's not bouncy, so it doesn't fly up and hit you in the face. If you don't have a medicine ball, do dumbbell thrusters [6].
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width distant apart with the medicine ball on the floor in front of you.
- Squat down and pick up the medicine ball, keeping your head up and trying not to round the spine.
- Stand up, lifting the medicine ball above your head, fully extending the arms straight above you.
- Forcefully slam the ball down on the floor as hard as you can. If the ball is light enough, catch the ball as it bounces slightly off the floor.
- This counts as one rep.
- Cycle through 10 ball slams.
Arms and Abs Workout: Dumbbell Thruster
How to do dumbbell thruster:
If you don't have a medicine ball for ball slams, do these instead.
- Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
- Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
- Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
- This counts as one rep. Do 10 dumbbell thrusters.
Arms and Abs Workout: Seated Russian Twist
How to do a seated Russian twist:
- Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt.
- Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all. It is really important, and difficult, to keep your back straight, but don't let it curve.
- Hold a weight or a medicine ball just below your chest. Keep the weight close to you and progress by moving weight further away from your body.
- Pull your navel to your spine and twist slowly to the left. The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating, not from your arms swinging. Inhale through center and rotate to the right. This completes one rep.
- Do 10 full rotations.
Arms and Abs Workout: Plank Dumbbell Row
How to do a plank dumbbell row:
- Start in a plank position with your legs wider than hips-width distance; the wider stance makes you more stable. Hold onto your dumbbells, keeping your wrist locked to protect the joint.
- With your core tight and your glutes engaged, exhale, stabilizing your torso as you lift your right elbow to row; feel your right scapula sliding toward your spine as you bend your elbow up toward the ceiling.
- Keeping your neck long and energized, return the weight to the ground.
- Do five reps on the right side, then five reps on the left.
Arms and Abs Workout: Dumbbell Crossover Punch
How to do a dumbbell crossover punch:
- Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, about two feet from your butt. Hold weights, five- to eight-pound dumbbells, in both hands at your chest with your elbows on the floor.
- Keeping your hands at your chest, roll up to a sitting position. Twist your ribs to the left as you "punch" your right hand to the outside of the left knee.
- Bring the right hand back to your chest as you untwist, bringing your torso back to the center, and roll down to the ground.
- Repeat the sit-up, twisting to the right side to complete one rep.
- Do 10 reps total.
Arms and Abs Workout: Knee Driver
How to do a knee driver:
- Begin in an elbow plank position with the abs engaged.
- Draw the left knee in to the chest. Then step the foot back to the elbow plank position. Now draw the right knee into the chest and then step it back to the elbow plank position.
- This counts as one rep.
- Continue alternating sides and complete 10 reps total.
Arms and Abs Workout: Lying Chest Fly
How to do a lying chest fly:
- Lie on your back with your hips and knees both at 90-degree angles. Using your lower abs, press your lower back into the mat. Raise your arms toward the ceiling, palms facing each other, keeping the elbow joint slightly bent.
- Keeping your torso stable, open your arms out to the sides until your elbows are about two inches from the floor.
- Raise your arms back to the ceiling, bringing the weights together over your chest. This counts as one rep.
- Perform 10 reps.
