Dumbbell & Medicine Ball Arms Workout

Target your biceps and triceps from all angles with this dumbbell and medicine ball arms workout…

Words: Parker Cote, fitness model and PT 

This superset arms workout is a great option for when you’re short on equipment or time – or you find yourself in a crowded gym. All you need to get started is a pair of dumbbells and a medicine ball. 

Need a pair of dumbbells? Discover the best dumbbells for home workouts

The following exercises are designed to target your arms from all angles and test various functionalities, to ensure you continue to make progress on your strength training journey. 

It’s a good idea to train biceps and triceps together, rather than viewing them as add-ons to a larger muscle group. This will allow each muscle to receive the attention it requires for proper development. If you treat a muscle group like it’s an afterthought, it will show – and you could end up creating imbalances in your physique.

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How to do this arms workout:

The following arms workout is a superset routine, with 3 superset pairings.  Because it features a relatively small number of exercises, aim to perform 4 sets of each move. Rest for 1-2 minutes between supersets.

Superset 1:

1a. Close Grip Medicine Ball Pushups (4 sets of 12 reps)
1b. Slow Eccentric Standing Dumbbell Curl (4 sets of 8 reps)

Superset 2:

2a. Bench Dips (4 sets of 15 reps)
2b. Dumbbell Concentration Curl (4 sets of 10 reps per arm)

Superset 3:

3a. Overhead Dumbbell Extension (4 sets of 12 reps)
3b. Dumbbell Zottman Curl (4 sets of 8 reps)

Keep reading for full instructions on how to perform the dumbbell and medicine ball exercises in this arms workout…

Related: Take on this dumbbell-only upper-body workout

1a. Close-Grip Medicine Ball Press-Up

Reps: 12
Sets: 4

• Place a medicine ball on the floor and assume a plank position, placing your hands on the ball with a ‘W’ grip. 
• Your thumbs and pointer fingers should form a W instead of a diamond, which is unsafe for the shoulders.  The W grip also allows the elbows to properly tuck by the sides of the body. 
• Keeping your core tight, lower until your chest is about an inch or two above the ball.
• Then, contract the triceps to push yourself back up.  
• Keep the body in a perfectly straight line for the duration of the move. 

Related: Best adjustable dumbbells for 2022

1b. Slow Eccentric Dumbbell Curl 

Reps: 8
Sets: 4

• Hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing away from yourself.
• Keeping the elbow perfectly still, contract the biceps to curl the weight to your shoulder.
• Then, lower the weight on a 4-5 second count, under control.  
• The most muscle fibre damage occurs on the lowering or eccentric portion of the move, so this simple technique is great to spark muscle growth. 

2a. Bench Dip

Reps: 15
Sets: 3

• Sit on the edge of a sturdy bench, chair, or anything stable that is about knee height.  
• While seated, place your hands directly by your quads on each side so they are touching. This is a perfect starting point.  
• Then, rotate your elbows to the back of the room and step your feet out in front of you with your toes up. 
• Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor as you lower your body, with control.
• Once your arms have created a 90-degree angle, flex the triceps to straighten the arms and return to the starting position.

2b. Dumbbell Concentration Curl

Reps: 10
Sets: 3

• Hold a dumbbell with one hand.
• Bend at the waist and place your other hand on your quad for extra support. Maintain a flat back for the duration of the curl. 
• While keeping the elbow completely still, contract the biceps to curl the dumbbell towards the chest on the opposite side. Resist the urge to move the elbow.

3a. Overhead Dumbbell Extension

Reps: 12 
Sets: 3

• Grip the top plate of a dumbbell by simply placing one hand over the other, while using the space between the thumb and pointer finger to secure the dumbbell handle.
• Fully extend your arms to raise the dumbbell overhead. This is the start position.
• Under control, lower the dumbbell until your hands are close to the base of your neck. Allow the elbows to flare here, there is no need to keep the elbows tight on this exercise.
• Once you are in the bottom position, exhale and contract the triceps to extend your arms and bring the dumbbell back to the start.

3b. Dumbbell Zottman Curl

Reps: 8
Sets: 3

• For this unique dumbbell curl variation, start as you would a traditional dumbbell curl, with your palms facing the mirror.
• Keeping the elbow still, curl like you normally would, then at the top of the curl, rotate the palms outwards, until the palms are facing away from you, then lower the dumbbell with a reverse grip.  
• Flip the grip again at the bottom of the move to start a new rep.  

Related: Try this dumbbell-only leg workout