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During the ab circuit, we’re focusing on the upper core muscles, the obliques, and the deep muscles of the transverse abdominals. For the final circuit, we’re combining arms and abs together to challenge your balance, mobility, stability, and strength! Many of the exercises in this arms and ab workout can be done without weights, (especially when you’re hitting those final repetitions!) but we recommend using weights (such as 1-3lb dumbbells) for the ultimate strength-building, calorie-burning, upper body workout.

Beginner Friendly Arms and Abs Workout

As always, this workout is ideal for beginner or intermediate levels. If this is your first time performing these exercises, go slowly, focus on form and not the size of the dumbbell. Full and complete repetitions in each circuit will be much more effective in gaining muscle than shortening the rounds due to fatigue. Break away from the negative thinking that heavier is better!

Short on Time?

We know that often you might not have time for a full 30-minute workout. You can easily shorten this arms and abs dumbbell workout into a 15-minute workout simply by performing only one set of each circuit. Try stacking this workout with one of our other 15-minute lower body dumbbell workouts (especially this glute workout routine to work the booty!)

Want a Cardio Twist?

Looking for more add cardio in your workout routine? Between each round, add 1:00 of cardio by choosing one of the following exercises: jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees, or speed skaters. Want an even sweatier workout? Turn this into a high intensity interval training workout (HIIT) by adding :20 of cardio in between each exercise. Give yourself a full 1:00 rest in between circuits.

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At-Home Arms & Abs Dumbbell Workout

SuggesteD:

5-10 Minute warmup + cooldown of your choice.

Tip:

The goal of this upper body toning workout is to work the muscles through a high amount of reps with very little rest! Use the heaviest set of dumbbells that you can without having to stop in the middle of a set. This helps to work the muscles to fatigue and boost your muscular endurance.

Increase the difficulty!

Don’t drop the elbows during the shoulder series! If you need to, drop the weights, but keep those arms up!

Still too easy? On the second set, try increasing the reps by 10 to 35. It should be extra challenging to finish each movement without having to rest.

Need a modification?

Don’t have a set of dumbbells? Use anything that you have at home that can provide some weight. This could include milk jugs, wine bottles, or pantry goods. Get creative!

Dumbbell Upper Body Exercise List:

Perform 25 reps of each exercise. Complete each round 2 times before moving on. Rest 1 minute between rounds.

Round 1 - Arms:

Upright Row

How-to: Stand tall, squeezing your core and glutes, with arms lowered in front of your body, palms facing your thighs. Pull the weights upward with the elbows leading, until the weights come to your chin. Slowly lower back down.

Form tip: Keep the arms close to your body as you lift the weights. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades at the top and keeping the engagement as you lower down. Do not focus on speed.

Scarecrow Extensions

How-to: Stand tall, squeezing your core, with arms outstretched to the sides of your body, palms facing behind you. Without dropping the arms, bring the thumbs to meet your armpit and then fully extend the arm, pinkies to the sky.

Form tip: Keep the arms straight as you move the weights in and out.

Lateral Bicep Curls

How-to: Keep the arms in the same position as the previous exercise, but twisting the arms so that the palms face away from your body, thumbs to the ceiling. Without dropping the arms, bring the thumbs to touch the top of the shoulders. Keeping the arms engaged, fully extend the arm back out.

Form tip: Don’t let your arms drop below parallel during this entire movement.

Over Unders

How-to: Hold the weights out in front of you, arms straight, palms facing the floor. Without dropping the arms, alternate crossing the opposite hand over the weight, right over left, left over right.

Form tip: During this movement, avoid swinging the arms. Focus on keeping the arms active and the chest squeezes on each movement. The over/under movement should stay very small to avoid “bouncing” the weights.

Slow Pushups

How-to: Start in a pushup position, body in line, shoulders over wrists, core squeezed in tight. Tuck your arms into your sides, elbows pointing back for extra tricep engagement. Slowly lower your body down to the mat at a count of 1-2-3, hover above the ground and press up with one strong movement.

Form tip: This movement is focusing on the eccentric motion so it is important to move slowly throughout the entire exercise for an added challenge.

Modification: You can always drop to your knees if you need to in order to get full range of motion throughout the tricep pushup.

Round 2 - Abs:

Toe Touches

How-to: On your back on the mat, extend your legs and arms, making an L-shape with your body. Curl through the upper abs to reach towards your toes.

Form tip: Avoid swinging during the movement. Keep the reaches small and do not worry about actually touching your toes.

Penguin Reaches

How-to: On your back, feet into the ground, knees pointing towards the sky. Roll your head, neck and shoulders up from the mat. With your arms outstretched on the mat beside you, alternate reaching your left hand towards your left heel, engaging the obliques. Shift to the right side with the right hand to right heel.

Form tip: Keep the head, neck and shoulders up while you perform this movement for extra ab engagement. Avoid bouncing from side to side.

Scissor Kicks

How-to: On your back, extend your legs long to 45 degrees, making sure to keep the core engaged and the lower back pressed into the mat. Alternate lowering and lifting each leg quickly, only extending the leg as far as you can maintain control through your abdominals.

Form tip: To prevent injury and maximize the ab exercise, make sure to keep your lower back on the mat.

Challenge: To increase the difficulty of this exercise, lift your head, neck and shoulders from the mat to target the lower abdominals.

V-Ups

How-to: On the mat, arms outstretched over head, legs long, sit up fully, reaching your fingers to touch your toes. This movement should come directly from the lower abdominals and the hip flexors, keeping the legs long as you lift.

Form tip: Avoid swinging or rocking to get an added push.

Modification: If you cannot keep your legs long, modify this exercise into a boat sit by sitting up fully and bringing your knees into your chest.

Round 3 - Arms and Core:

Plank Tricep Kickback

How-to: Start in a pushup position, shoulders over wrists. Keeping the arm pressed against the body, palms facing in, bring the elbow up and extend the arm long, squeezing at the top to work the tricep muscle, pinkies towards the ceiling.

Form tip: Since this is also a core exercise, keep your midsection engaged and avoid twisting to the side as you extend the arm. The only movement should be coming from your elbow.

Modification: Drop down to your knees for extra support.

Challenge: In the plank position, lift the opposite leg from the arm that is extending for a balance challenge.

Boat Sit Shoulder Press

How-to: Start with feet on the ground and the tailbone scooped, chest tall, seated. Lift the feet from the mat, bringing the shins parallel with the floor. Taking the weights out to either side of your body, arms parallel with the ground. Without losing your balance, or slouching through the chest and core, extend the arms overhead for shoulder press.

Form tip: Adding the balance challenge into this exercise requires using the core muscles. Make sure to keep them actively engaged by lifting the chest, staying tall, and keeping the legs lifted.

Modification: If balancing is difficult, place the heels into the ground for added stability but make sure that you sit back into your hips slightly to keep the core activated.

Plank Weight Transfers

How-to: In the pushup position, keep both weights to one side of your mat. With the opposite hand, reach underneath your body to pick up one dumbbell and move it to the opposite side of your mat. Repeat with the second dumbbell. Repeat on the opposite side.

Form tip: Keep the hips and shoulders still. Do not allow the hips to rock as you switch the weight from side to side.

Overhead Extensions

How-to: On your back, legs extended long, arms and dumbbells extended over your chest, palms together. Keeping the arms straight, slowly extend your arms overhead, finding your lowest point without allowing your lower back to lift from the mat.

Form tip: This is equally a chest and arm exercise. Move through the movement slowly, focusing on control.