The 3 Most Effective Exercises to Tone Your Arms & Shoulders

This advice on the best moves for toning and strengthening your arms and shoulders is from Sonia Hare, Founder of The Sonia Series – a virtual fitness and lifestyle brand that offers subscription workout plans on The Sonia Series App. Read how she turned a passion for fitness into a thriving personal training app and business.

Everyone asks me for my three best moves for arms and shoulders. Especially this time of year, when we look forward to wearing sleeveless tops, spaghetti straps and workout tops without the long sleeves. There are three easy moves I recommend that you can do anywhere, with some simple hand weights and little other equipment (though if you have an exercise bench that helps for the first one).

I often see people trying to “reinvent the wheel” with trendy new movements when it comes to toning arms and shoulders. This is unnecessary, as I have yet to see any of these new moves be as effective at creating upper body definition as the tried and true. There’s a reason movements like Bicep Curls, Shoulder Press, and Lunges have been around for years. It’s because they WORK.

Their effectiveness at strengthening arms and shoulders is backed by science, and you will find most certified personal trainers incorporating them in a workout. Below you will find some of my favorite Upper Body exercises that will get you the most “bang for your buck” aka get you a toned and sculpted upper body in the most efficient, and effective way. You can expect to see these in many of my Upper Body & Total Body classes on The Sonia Series app!

You’ll need a set of hand weights (and it helps to have a bench for the first move). Here are some space-saving dumbbells that are adjustable that I recommend to all my clients: They’re easy to adjust with one hand and go from 5 to 50 pounds each.

Core Fitness® Adjustable Dumbbell Weight Set by Affordable Dumbbells – Space Saver – Dumbbells for Your Home. Buy them on Amazon for $365.

For an alternative that is cheaper, but also less versatile (only goes up to 8 pounds) check out these easy-on-the hands neoprene-coated weights, $44, on Amazon

If you need heavier weights as your arms and shoulders get stronger, you can buy a home gym set that goes all the way up to 25 pounds. While this seems like a big commitment, remember that you’re going to get stronger every week! These work for every member of your family.

CAP Barbell 150 LB Dumbbell Set with Rack, $269 on Amazon

1. Dumbbell Laying Tricep Extensions

This is my FAVORITE Tricep exercise for toned arms for several reasons. For one, a standing tricep extension or kickback can be hard on the lower back and not always felt directly in the triceps. More importantly, (I’m going to get into some of the science here) the muscle is most challenged in the lengthened position. In a bent-over tricep kickback, the muscle is challenged most when it is contracted due to gravity.

When lying on your back, you flip where the weight of gravity is being felt. So instead, you will feel it when the muscle is lengthening rather than at the top of the contraction. Not that you need to know the science behind it BUT it’s important in understanding the “why” behind how exercises are chosen. Just because an exercise “feels” hard, doesn’t always mean it’s the most effective at targeting and toning the right muscles. 

• Start with 10-15 reps using 5lb weights and work up to 10lbs or even 15lbs

2. Hammer Curls

You may hear bicep curls and think old-school bodybuilders, or a move for “men”, but I wish more women knew how effective bicep curls can be for strengthening and sculpting the arms. The hammer curl is my favorite variation, although all variations are important for a well-rounded strength training program. The main difference between a hammer curl and a traditional bicep curl is that the hammer curl activates mostly the long head of the bicep while a traditional curl activates the shorter head.

This is due to the position of the wrists – with a Hammer curl, the wrists face each other. Correct form is important here for best results. You want to be sure you are not using a swinging motion to help curl the weights but rather begin with your elbows locked in at your waistline, then use the muscle to curl the weight up to the shoulders. When lowering down, you want to do so in a slow, controlled motion rather than just dropping the weights.

• Start with 15 reps using 5-10lbs and work your way up to 15lbs

3. Traditional Shoulder Press

A traditional shoulder press is one of my favorite ways to sculpt the shoulders. In this exercise, you are lifting dumbbells overhead from a standing position which engages all the muscles of your shoulders and upper arms while ALSO engaging your core which is working to stabilize the body and keep your form. You want to stand with both feet planted on the ground, about hip-width apart. Hold weights on the shoulders with your wrists facing in towards each other, then press dumbbells straight overhead while bracing your core to support your back and overall form. Some of the most common mistakes I see are people pressing the weights either too far forward or backward instead of straight overhead, or dumping into their lower back. Engaging the core will help with this. 

• Start with 10-15 reps using 5-10lbs and work your way up to 15lbs or 20lbs

Sonia Hare is Founder of The Sonia Series, a virtual fitness and lifestyle company that offers virtual workout subscription plans on The Sonia Series App. Sonia is a Certified ACE Personal Trainer and IIN Integrative Nutritionist based in LA.