Arm Day Workout: Complete Bicep and Tricep Guide
THE ARM DAY WORKOUT: BICEPS AND TRICEPS, WHAT THE STUDIES SAY WORKS
An arm day workout is a session for biceps and triceps only. It is the easiest place to add arm volume on top of your presses and rows. Two exercise choices matter most: overhead extensions for triceps and curls at a long muscle length for biceps.
This guide gives a gym arm day, a dumbbell version, sets and reps, and answers to the common questions. For a full week plan, see the 5 day workout split.
The arm day workout in three numbers
Three figures from training studies shape every arm day workout below.
Overhead vs pushdown
19.9% vs 13.9% in 12 weeks (PMID 35819335).
Curl vs row for biceps
Elbow flexor growth in 8 weeks (PMID 31268995).
Each extra weekly set
More sets, more growth (PMID 27433992).
Study figures come from PubMed papers. Exercise order and loads in the workouts are a coaching template, not a tested protocol.
What this arm day workout guide covers
Whether you need a separate arm day, from studies that added curls and extensions to presses and rows.
The best exercises for triceps and biceps, and a gym and dumbbell arm workout to copy.
Sets, reps, frequency and progression for arm growth.
Not covered
Elbow pain rehab. Pain that does not settle needs a physio or doctor.
Forearm and grip programs. We cover them only as part of curls.
Do you need an arm day?
Not always. Before planning an arm day workout, know that presses train triceps and rows train biceps, so some arm growth comes from compound lifts.
Untrained men. Adding curls and extensions to bench press and pulldowns did not add biceps size in 10 weeks. Thickness rose 6.5% vs 7.04% (PMID 23537028).
Trained men. Same result over 8 weeks: no significant extra arm size from adding single joint work (PMID 26244600).
But curls still grew biceps more than rows. In a one arm study, curls gave 11.06% elbow flexor growth vs 5.16% for rows (PMID 31268995).
Best triceps exercises for arm day
The triceps long head crosses the shoulder. It is stretched most when your arm is overhead (PMID 35819335).
In a 12 week study, one arm did overhead cable extensions and the other did extensions with the arm at the side. Same sets, 2 sessions a week (PMID 35819335).
The overhead arm grew 1.4 times more: whole triceps +19.9% vs +13.9%, long head +28.5% vs +19.6% (PMID 35819335).
| Exercise | Arm position | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead cable or dumbbell extension | Overhead | Main triceps move, long head |
| Skull crusher, bar to behind head | Above face, angled back | Heavy second move |
| Rope pushdown | At the side | Finisher, easy on elbows |
| Close grip bench press or dips | In front | Heavy compound option |
Best biceps exercises for arm day
Training at long muscle lengths grew some muscles more in a review of range of motion studies (PMID 36662126).
For biceps, women doing preacher curls for 9 weeks grew the lower part of the arm. Incline curls showed no significant growth in that study (PMID 37559762).
| Exercise | Hardest point | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Preacher curl, EZ bar or dumbbell | Arm straight, bottom | Main biceps move |
| Standing EZ bar curl | Middle | Heavy second move |
| Hammer curl | Middle, neutral grip | Brachialis and forearm |
| Cable curl facing away | Arm behind body | Stretch focused option |
Use the full range on every curl. Lower until the elbow is almost straight, then curl to the top.
The arm day workout: gym version
This bicep and tricep workout has six exercises in three pairs. Pairing a biceps and a triceps move saves time without losing work.
In trained men, alternating opposing muscles kept more total work in the same time than straight sets (PMID 20847705).
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| A1. Overhead cable triceps extension | 3 x 10 to 12 | Pair |
| A2. EZ bar preacher curl | 3 x 8 to 10 | 90 s |
| B1. Skull crusher | 3 x 8 to 10 | Pair |
| B2. Standing EZ bar curl | 3 x 8 to 10 | 90 s |
| C1. Rope pushdown | 2 x 12 to 15 | Pair |
| C2. Hammer curl | 2 x 12 to 15 | 60 s |
That is 8 hard sets each for biceps and triceps in one session.
Arm workout with dumbbells
For an arm workout with dumbbells, one pair and a bench covers every move. Light and heavy loads grew muscle similarly across 21 studies when sets went to failure (PMID 28834797).
| Exercise | Sets x reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| A1. Seated overhead dumbbell extension, two hands | 3 x 10 to 15 | Pair |
| A2. Dumbbell preacher curl over a bench back | 3 x 10 to 12 each | 90 s |
| B1. Dumbbell skull crusher | 3 x 10 to 12 | Pair |
| B2. Standing alternating curl | 3 x 10 to 12 each | 90 s |
| C1. Close grip push up | 2 x close to failure | Pair |
| C2. Hammer curl | 2 x 12 to 15 | 60 s |
How many sets and reps for arms
Sets. More weekly sets meant more growth. Each extra set added about 0.37%; the top group did 10 or more per muscle (PMID 27433992).
In trained men, 5 sets per exercise grew the elbow flexors more than 1 or 3 sets over 8 weeks (PMID 30153194).
Reps. ACSM suggests mostly 6 to 12 reps for growth (PMID 19204579). Arms tolerate 12 to 15 well on finishers.
| Source of sets | Biceps | Triceps |
|---|---|---|
| Arm day | 8 | 8 |
| Rows and pulldowns, half credit | 3 to 5 | 0 |
| Presses, half credit | 0 | 3 to 5 |
| Weekly total | 11 to 13 | 11 to 13 |
Where arm day fits in your week
Muscles trained twice a week grew more than once a week, 0.49 vs 0.30 effect size (PMID 27102172).
So one arm day works best when arms also get work on other days, through presses and rows.
| Plan | Arm day | Second arm hit |
|---|---|---|
| 5 day split | Friday, arms | Push and pull days |
| Upper lower, 4 days | Add 4 to 6 arm sets to each upper day | Second upper day |
| Full body, 3 days | Add 2 arm sets to each session | Every session |
Avoid arm day the day before a heavy push or pull day. Tired arms limit your presses and rows.
How to progress your arm day workout
Progress your arm day workout with double progression. Hit the top of the rep range on all sets, then add load.
ACSM suggests adding 2 to 10% when you can do one or two reps over the target (PMID 19204579).
| Week | Load | Reps | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 kg | 10, 9, 8 | Start 2 reps short of failure |
| 2 | 25 kg | 10, 10, 9 | Same load |
| 3 | 25 kg | 10, 10, 10 | Top of range |
| 4 | 27.5 kg | 8, 8, 7 | Add 10% |
| 5 | 27.5 kg | 9, 9, 8 | Build reps |
| 6 | 27.5 kg | 10, 10, 9 | Almost there |
Arms are small, so jumps of 1 to 2.5 kg are normal. Microplates help on curls.
Five arm day workout mistakes
Only pushdowns for triceps
Overhead extensions grew the triceps 1.4 times more (PMID 35819335).
Half range curls
Long muscle length training grew some muscles more (PMID 36662126). Lower all the way.
Too few sets
Higher volume grew elbow flexors more in trained men (PMID 30153194).
Swinging the weight
Momentum moves load off the biceps. If you swing, the weight is too heavy for the rep target.
Arm day before push or pull day
Tired arms cut the work you can do on presses and rows.
Verdict: 5 facts about the arm day workout
1. Overhead extensions win for triceps. 1.4 times more growth (PMID 35819335).
2. Curls grow biceps more than rows. 11.06% vs 5.16% (PMID 31268995).
3. Arm work on top of compounds may add little. No significant extra size in two studies (PMID 23537028, 26244600).
4. More sets, more arm growth. 5 sets beat 1 and 3 for elbow flexors (PMID 30153194).
5. Twice a week beats once. 0.49 vs 0.30 (PMID 27102172).
Arm day workout: frequently asked questions
What is the best arm day workout?
Pair an overhead triceps extension with a preacher curl, then add a heavy curl, a skull crusher, a pushdown and a hammer curl. Overhead work grew triceps 1.4 times more (PMID 35819335).
Do you really need an arm day?
Not always. Adding arm work to presses and rows did not add significant arm size in two studies (PMID 23537028, 26244600). It helps when arms lag.
Are 4 exercises enough for arm day?
Yes, if the sets add up. Two biceps and two triceps moves at 3 to 4 sets each give 6 to 8 sets per muscle.
Is 2 arm days a week enough?
Yes. Training a muscle twice a week grew it more than once, 0.49 vs 0.30 (PMID 27102172).
How many sets for arms per week?
Aim for 10 or more hard sets per muscle, counting presses and rows. More sets gave more growth (PMID 27433992).
How many reps for an arm workout?
Mostly 6 to 12, as ACSM suggests (PMID 19204579). Light loads to failure grew muscle as well across 21 studies (PMID 28834797).
Can I do an arm workout with dumbbells only?
Yes. Overhead extensions, skull crushers, preacher curls and hammer curls all work with one pair of dumbbells.
Should I do biceps or triceps first?
Either. Pairing them saves time; alternating opposing muscles kept more work in the same time (PMID 20847705).
Sources and further reading
Every study figure on this page comes from one of the 12 papers below, checked against PubMed on 3 November 2026. Workout order and loads are a coaching template. Reference links are dofollow to support open science.
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Keep reading
Four guides from the training series.
Final Educational Note
This article is educational and is not medical advice. Workouts are templates; adjust load and volume to your training age and recovery.
Sharp elbow pain, numbness or swelling during arm training means stop and see a doctor. More guides sit on the training hub. Read more on the about page and in the full disclaimer.
