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When it comes to beefing up your arms, doing endless pushups from your living room floor is just the beginning. If you’re serious about crafting enviable arm muscle, you need to get inventive and resourceful. We’re talking about finding clever ways to hit not just your triceps and biceps but also your shoulders and forearms. We have you covered with five of the best floor workouts for men to build bigger arms.
Get ready for five killer workouts designed to pump up your arms. We’re talking compound exercises to fire up multiple muscles at once, isolated moves to hone in on smaller muscle groups, and, of course, we can’t forget about sculpting your abs along the way.
Most of these exercises rely solely on your body weight, while a few might call for just a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells. Keep reading for the five best floor workouts for men to build bigger arms. And when you’re finished, don’t miss these 10 Strength Training ‘Rules’ to Follow for the Best Results.
Workout #1
This first workout emphasizes using a greater range of motion with dumbbell close-grip pushups for your triceps and shoulders. It also shifts you into a bicep-busting tall-kneeling hammer curl to bolster your abs and wraps up with an excellent upper-body compound exercise with supinated chest flies.
1. Dumbbell Close-Grip Pushups
The dumbbell close-grip pushup uses an extended range of motion that facilitates lean muscle growth in the triceps and shoulders and shows some love to your chest. This exercise engages the core, amplifies abdominal strength, and improves wrist stability. Incorporating it into your routine can enhance overall muscle definition and contribute to a lean physique.
Assume a traditional pushup position while gripping dumbbells closer than shoulder-width apart. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest nearly touches the ground, then push back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms. Maintain a straight line from head to heels and control your movements throughout.
Perform three rounds of eight to 15 reps with 90 seconds of rest between rounds. Side note: Ensure you use dumbbells with flat surfaces and avoid rounded ones when performing this exercise.
2. Tall-kneeling Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Hammer curls primarily target the biceps and forearms, honing in on specific muscles like the brachialis, brachioradialis, and wrist extensors. Adopting the tall kneeling position adds an extra dimension by engaging the core for stabilization. Tall-kneeling dumbbell hammer curls
promote arm muscle growth and strengthen the abdominal muscles as you maintain proper alignment.
Start by kneeling on a mat with your knees hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward. Engage your core for stability. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your shoulders relaxed. Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders, exhaling as you lift, then pause briefly at the top. Lower the dumbbells back down controlled, inhaling as you lower.
Complete three rounds of 12 to 15 reps with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Supinated Dumbbell Chest Fly
A supinated dumbbell chest fly is a stellar pick for your floor workout when aiming to beef up those arms. This move targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps, giving your biceps a solid workout thanks to the palms-up grip. Picture it: As you lower the weights, your arms stretch, engaging those muscles deeply. Plus, doing this on the floor demands extra stabilization from your arms and core, firing up even more muscle fibers for growth. Adding supinated dumbbell chest flies to your routine is a no-brainer if you’re after more muscular, defined arms.
Lie flat on the floor with your feet on the ground. Hold dumbbells with your palms facing upward, arms extended straight above your chest. Lower the dumbbells to the sides in a wide arc, feeling a stretch in your chest, shoulders, and biceps. Keep your elbows slightly bent. Pause briefly when your arms are parallel to the ground, then squeeze your chest, shoulders, and biceps muscles to bring the weights back up.
Perform three sets of eight to 15 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
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Workout #2
In workout #2, you’ll kick things off with pike presses, a crafty exercise that boosts upper-body pressing strength from the floor while targeting shoulders and triceps with a fantastic compound move. Then, you’ll power through sets and reps of renegade rows, hitting your biceps, shoulders, and lats while sneaking in extra core work. Finally, you’ll wrap up with close-grip floor presses, an incredible way to bulk up your triceps thanks to the shortened range of motion, keeping the focus squarely on those triceps.
1. Pike Press
The pike press is an excellent compound bodyweight exercise to develop lean upper-body muscle mass. It’s hands-down the best option for improving pressing strength from the floor. This exercise will target your shoulders, triceps, and abs while strengthening your t-spine mobility.
To perform a pike press, start in a downward dog position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Lift your hips slightly higher while keeping your arms and legs straight. Shift your weight onto your shoulders, lowering your head toward the ground. Press back, engaging your abs the whole time.
Look to complete three sets of eight to 12 reps. To make the pike press more challenging, use slow tempos in the lowering phase of the exercise.
2. Renegade Rows
Renegade rows are on the A-lister level of floor exercises for boosting your biceps and shoulders. Your shoulders and core stabilize your body while your biceps work in tandem with your lats to row each dumbbell. It’s not just a core workout—your arms feel the burn, too. You build strength and sculpt the coveted biceps and shoulders with each rep. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone for a killer upper body.
Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, gripping dumbbells. Lift one hand, pulling your elbow to the ceiling in a strong rowing motion while balancing on the other arm. Alternate sides, maintaining stability and squeezing your core. Make sure to use non-rounded dumbbells for a stable surface.
Perform three sets of eight to 12 reps per side with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Close-Grip Floor Press
Close grip floor press variations are excellent for targeting your triceps and anterior shoulders. Compared to traditional bench press variations, I often amp up the rep count with this move in my routines, making it a legitimate contender for building mass in the arms. Get ready to feel the burn in those triceps!
To perform the close-grip dumbbell floor press, lie on the ground with dumbbells above your chest, palms inward, elbows bent at 90 degrees. Lower the dumbbells to your chest, pause briefly, then press them back up. You should feel the increased engagement of the triceps.
Complete three sets of 12 to 20 reps each with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
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Workout #3
Workout #3 is your all-in-one package for building bigger arms. With dumbbell Z presses, you’ll boost shoulder and tricep strength and size while engaging your abs for stability. Half-kneeling dumbbell curls keep things on the floor, targeting your biceps for that sleeve-filling pump you crave. To tie it all together, planks with shoulder taps combine dynamic and isometric movements, honing in on strength and size-building effects for your arms.
1. Z Press
The Z press is a go-to floor exercise for building strength and size in the shoulders and triceps. This seated move is a premier shoulder exercise that relies on your core for stability. With a seated straddle stance, the exercise calls for strong engagement from your upper back and abs to keep your torso stable and upright while pressing the dumbbells overhead. If the two-dumbbell variation feels too tough, you can opt for a single-arm Z press, which still offers significant benefits while catering to different strength levels.
Sit on the floor with legs extended in a “V” shape, and hold dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing inward. Engage your core, press the dumbbells overhead without locking out elbows, and maintain a neutral spine without leaning back. Lower the dumbbells under control to the starting position.
Perform three sets of eight to 15 reps with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
2. Half-Kneeling Dumbbell Curls
Begin by kneeling on one knee while keeping the opposite foot flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended and your palms facing forward. Engage your core, and curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top. Lower the dumbbells with control to the start position. Alternate your knees for each set and adjust weights as necessary.
Complete three to four sets of 10 to 15 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Plank with Shoulder Taps
Here’s a variation to amp up your routine and focus on building bigger arms. Planks with shoulder taps not only engage your core but also target the triceps and shoulders. As you stabilize in the plank position, the shoulder taps challenge your shoulder muscles and require control to resist side-to-side movement. Balancing on one arm intensifies the engagement of the triceps and shoulders, making this exercise an excellent choice for developing upper-body strength and stability.
Perform planks with shoulder taps by starting in a plank position with your hands beneath your shoulders. Lift one hand, tap the opposite shoulder, and return to the starting position. Repeat with the other hand, alternating taps. Engage your core, maintain stability, and perform controlled movements for the desired reps.
Knock out three sets of 10 to 12 reps each, or switch things up and perform for three sets of 20 to 30 seconds.
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Workout #4
Workout #4 stands out for its focus on compound exercises, which engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it highly effective for building bigger arms. But don’t be fooled—increasing arm size doesn’t mean sacrificing strength. This routine’s design enhances muscle size and strength, ensuring you get the best of both worlds.
1. Kettlebell Offset Pushups
Kettlebell off-set pushups are a game-changer for bulking up your arms. They’re not just your average pushup; they demand serious shoulder strength as you balance on the kettlebell and ramp up your range of motion, giving your shoulders, triceps, and chest more room to grow. And let’s not forget the bonus: They’re a core stability challenge, making every rep count for a more sculpted physique.
To perform kettlebell offset pushups, begin in a pushup position with one hand on a kettlebell and the other on the ground, ensuring a straight body line. Lower your chest toward the ground, keeping elbows close to your body, then push back to the starting position. Switch the kettlebell to the other hand, and repeat. Focus on maintaining stability and engaging your core throughout the exercise.
Complete three sets of six to 12 reps per side with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
2. Bear Hold with Rows
Engaging in floor exercises like bear hold with rows can significantly enhance biceps and shoulder development while also strengthening and increasing the size of the upper back. This approach challenges these muscle groups from a strength, size, and stability perspective and introduces a heightened level of core activation, contributing to the sculpting and strengthening of the midsection.
Begin this exercise by assuming the bear hold on all fours with your hands positioned beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Lift your knees slightly off the ground, creating a tabletop position while maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core muscles as you perform rows, pulling one elbow up toward the ceiling in a controlled motion. Alternate between arms, focusing on stability and core activation throughout the exercise.
Perform three rounds of 30 seconds of effort with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Floor Dips
Tricep dips (or floor dips) effectively engage all three tricep heads, contributing to the development of lean and defined upper arms. Enhance the challenge of this exercise by incorporating tempos and pauses, increasing the intensity of your workout for optimal results.
With your fingers forward, place your hands on the ground. Extend your legs, bend your knee slightly, and put your heels on the ground. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms parallel the ground. Push through your palms to extend your arms fully, squeezing your triceps at the top. Maintain an upright position, avoid shrugging shoulders, and focus on controlled reps. Modify by bending your knees more if needed.
Complete three to four sets of 12 to 15 reps. If you intend to use tempos or pauses, decrease the reps to eight to 12. Take 60 seconds of rest between sets.
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Workout #5
Get ready to feel the burn with workout #5! This session is all about isolated lifts that sculpt your triceps and biceps to perfection. We’ll push your limits with plank up-downs, ensuring every muscle in your arms gets a serious workout. By the end, you’ll be walking out of the gym with arms that are pumped and ready to show off.
1. Tricep Extensions
Take your upper arm workout to the next level with bodyweight tricep extensions, a slightly more advanced alternative to tricep dips. This challenging exercise intensifies your strength training and offers a shoulder-friendly option. Engage in bodyweight tricep extensions to sculpt and define your triceps, elevating your upper arm routine for a chiseled appearance.
Execute bodyweight tricep extensions by placing your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers forward in front of you. Hold your body with your arms fully extended, and lower by bending your elbows while keeping your upper arms close to your head. Push through your palms to fully extend your arms. Maintain a straight body and engage your core. Perform controlled movements for the desired reps. This advanced exercise efficiently targets and sculpts the triceps, requiring no extra equipment.
Aim to perform two to three sets of eight to 15 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
2. Seated Supinated Bicep Curls
Seated supinated bicep curls may seem straightforward, but they pack quite a punch. The seated position removes the assistance from your legs and hips, putting a greater demand on your core to stabilize your upper body. This increased stability challenge amps up the intensity for your biceps as you power through sets and reps, making it a fantastic exercise for building arm strength and definition.
Sit on the floor with your torso tall and your legs straight out in front. Hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing up. Next, keep your elbows close to your body, and slowly curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders by flexing your biceps. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start position.
Complete three sets of 15 to 20 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Plank Up-downs
Plank up-downs are a versatile floor exercise that effectively targets your arms for muscle growth. As you perform this movement, you’ll engage your triceps, shoulders, and chest to move up and down, gradually increasing intensity with each segment. It’s a challenging yet rewarding exercise for building bigger arms and improving upper body strength.
With your hands beneath your shoulders, start plank up-downs in a high plank. Lower to a forearm plank one arm at a time, and return to the high plank, alternating sides. Keep your abs engaged for stability and execute methodically.
Perform two to three sets of six to 12 reps with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
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