Compound Arm Exercises to Build Bigger Bicep and Tricep

Are you looking to add variety to your arm workout routine and maximize your gains? Compound arm exercises are a great way to do just that.

Compound arm exercises help you get stronger by working multiple muscles at once. When you do compound arm movements, you can do more in a shorter time, improving your workout and upper body results.

They also provide several benefits, such as increased muscle activation, time efficiency, improved functional strength, and greater calorie burn.

In this blog, we’ll explore the following:

• Best compound arm exercises
• How to perform
• Sample workouts

10 Best Compound Exercises For Arms

Compound arm exercises recruit multiple muscle groups and contribute towards more functional movements.

Try these 10 best compound exercises for your arms to make your workout more efficient and build your arm strength while working for other muscle groups simultaneously. It’s a win-win!

We have created compound arm exercises for many sections, such as:

• Bodyweight arm exercises at home (No Equipments).
• Arm compound exercises with dumbbells.
• Barbell compound exercises

Here are 10 of the best compound exercises for arms to build muscle mass and strength.

1. Diamond Push-Ups

Diamond push-ups, are a more advanced variation of the classic push-up.

If you’re looking for a good bodyweight compound movement to train and work your triceps, then diamond push-ups are it.

This is a unique movement because it does a great job of developing the lateral (outermost) tricep head.

How To Do It

1. Put your hands together under your chest and make a diamond shape.
2. Now, raise your arms and form a straight line from your head to your feet.
3. Lower your chest towards your hands, ensuring you don’t flare your elbows to the sides.
4. Stop just before your chest touches the floor, then push back up to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your body straight and rigid.
• To make the diamond push-up easier, do it on your knees.

Related Post: 15 Bodyweight Triceps Exercises: Beginner To Advanced

2. Chin Up

The chin-up is one of the best bodyweight compound exercises to induce serious muscle growth of the biceps and back.

A chin-up is performed by gripping the bar with an underhand grip, where the palms face the body. This grip targets the biceps more than the back and shoulders.

Since the lifter is pulling their own body weight, the biceps are usually exposed to loads heavier than what one can lift with a barbell.

Adding this compound workout to your list of bicep exercises would be beneficial.

How To Do It

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
2. Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent, and cross your lower legs.
3. Retract your shoulder blades and pull your body until your chin aligns with the bar.
4. Pause at the top for one to two seconds, with the biceps under maximum tension.
5. Slowly lower to the start position.

Tips

• Don’t get in the habit of doing half-reps and chasing numbers.
• Lower to almost full extension of the elbow, but avoid locking out completely.

Read More: 25 Different Types Of Pull-Ups And Chin-Ups (Variations)

3. Bench Dip

The bench dip is one of the most basic and effective exercises for building triceps at home.

It is one of the popular tricep bodyweight exercises for building the triceps, chest, and shoulders.

Elevating the feet brings more chest and shoulders into the movement and also allows for extra weight on the hips.

How To Do It

1. Place your hands on the side of a flat bench and place your feet out in front of you.
2. Sit on one bench and place your feet on the edge of the other, so your legs are suspended between the two.
3. Your hands should be flat on the bench with your arms fully extended.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body down until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Then, extend your arms to bring your body back to the starting position.

Tips

• Try to squeeze the triceps at the top of the movement to get the most out of this exercise.
• Do not dip down too low, as it places unnecessary strain on the shoulder joints.

4. Inverted Row

The inverted row is a compound arm exercise that targets multiple arms, back and core muscles. It is an unsung hero for building a strong, big back and bicep.

If you want to do inverted rows at home, you must find a stable base to support your body weight when pulling, which can be a beam or a table. 

In the gym, most people perform this exercise on the Smith machine.

How To Do It

1. Adjust the height of the chair and bar so that it’s a little higher than arm’s length from the floor.
2. Lie under the bar with your legs and body straight.
3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little wider than shoulder width.
4. Keep your legs and body straight, and exhale as you lift your chest up to the bar with your breath.
5. Lower yourself back down to the starting position.

Tips

• Do not use your legs to swing yourself up to the bar.
• Do not allow your butt to sag.
• Make sure you go down completely.

Read more: Best Ways To Workout At Home Without Equipments

5. Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press

The neutral-grip dumbbell press is a great bench press alternative because it emphasizes chest and triceps without causing shoulder pain. Because your palms are facing each other, it reduces the strain on your shoulders.

How To Do It

1. Sit down on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. The palms of your hands should be facing each other in a neutral grip.
3. Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells towards the sides of your chest.
4. Once the dumbbells are about even with your chest or slightly below (ensure your shoulders feel comfortable), pause briefly.
5. Exhale and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.

Tips

• Maintain a natural arch in your lower back, but don’t exaggerate it.
• Keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle relative to your torso during the movement.

6. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row is an excellent full-range exercise to build the lats muscles and bicep.

This helps to work on each side independently, thereby providing better muscle isolation and a longer range of motion.

How To Do It

1. Grasp a dumbbell with the palm facing in.
2. Rest the opposite hand and knee on a bench.
3. Keep your spine straight and parallel to the floor.
4. Pull the dumbbell vertically upward alongside your torso, raising the elbow as high as possible.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbell as low as possible, feeling a good lats spread.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Tips

• Keep motion under strict control for better isolation.
• Avoid hunchback bending as it leads to Injury.

7. Barbell Overhead Press

The shoulder press is the best compound exercise for building big, round shoulders and triceps muscles.

It is one of the best exercises to build strong, muscular, healthy shoulders with bigger arms.

The standing overhead press also builds the abdominal wall, strengthens the hips, and builds leg stability.

How To Do It

1. Sit on an exercise bench and grab a bar with an overhand grip.
2. Bring the bar over and in front of your head, under your chin, and just above your upper chest.
3. Now Press the bar straight up overhead until your arms are fully extended but not locked out.
4. Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.

Tips

• Perform a warm-up with 50% weight for 1–2 sets.
• Always perform the Shoulder Exercises before you perform the triceps.

8. Bent Over Barbell Rows

A barbell row bent over is the best option if you want to strengthen and add muscle to the upper back and arms.

This exercise primarily targets the back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and erector spinae, but it also recruits the biceps and forearms to a significant extent.

How To Do It

1. Grab a bar with an overhand grip and stand with a narrow stance.
2. Bend your torso forward at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor, with the knees slightly bent.
3. Let the bar hang in front of you.
4. Lift the bar until it touches the abdominal area.
5. Slowly lower the bar to its starting position.

Tips

• Do not use more weight than you can handle. This fatigues your spinal erectors and says goodbye to form.
• Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.

9. Landmine Press

The Landmine chest press is not a popular compound exercise, but it offers many benefits, such as helping you build your inner and upper chest muscles and the arm and deltoids.

The exercise can be performed in a kneeling position, increasing core involvement and improving the stability and strength of the abdominal muscles.

How To Do It

1. Place a barbell in a landmine holder or set up a barbell in a corner.
2. Then, add weight plates to the free end of the barbell.
3. Assume a half kneeling position with the knee under your hip, toes tucked, and rib cage down.
4. Press the barbell up straight before you until your arms are extended, avoiding hyperextension at the elbows.
5. Hold the weight for a second and focus on contracting your chest muscles.
6. Slowly lower the weight back towards your chest, and then repeat for the recommended reps.

Tips

• To secure the barbell, you can interlock your hands around the bar.
• Lean your body forward slightly and engage your core muscles to help with stabilization.
• Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.

10. Landmine Row 

The landmine row is the classic landmine exercise. It will do an absolutely stellar job of targeting your lats, traps, posterior delts, and arms.

It’s a tough exercise, but building a strong back and arm is important for building a good body and staying injury-free and back pain-free for life.

How To Do It

1. With the barbell loaded, stand over the bar with a wide stance.
2. Get into a bent-over position with your spine straight and chest up.
3. Bend at the hips and keep your back arched throughout the movement.
4. Lift the bar until the bar touches your chest.
5. Now, slowly lower the bar until it nearly touches the ground.

Tips

• Avoid hunchback bending as it leads to Injury.
• Go Complete range of motion.

Arm Workout Samples and Training Volume

1. For muscle endurance: Aim for 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps, with moderate resistance.
2. For muscle strength: Aim for 3–5 sets of 6–10 reps, with more resistance.
3. For muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size): Aim for 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, with a moderate to heavy amount of resistance.

It is always best to start with fewer reps and sets, and then gradually increase as your strength improves.

This workout plan is a starting point that can be adjusted based on your fitness levels and goals.

Bodyweight Compound Workout Routine For Beginner

Dumbbell Compound Arm Workout Routine

Barbell Compound Arm Workout Routine

FAQs

Train Your Arm Twice Per Week.

Training your arm twice-weekly can provide a nice stimulus for greater growth. This muscle group recovers fairly quickly, so 2–3 days between workouts is all you need.

What Are Compound Exercises For Arms?

Above is a list of some of the best compound exercises for the arm that you should try out if you want to see better results with your workouts.

How To Combine Compound Arm Exercises At Home Workout

There are many arms compound exercises that you can do at home with dumbbells and body weights. Follow the below-mentioned technique.

• Choose three of the exercises and do 8–12 repetitions.
• Do three sets of each exercise, with 90–120 seconds of rest between sets.
• Arm workouts can be done at least two days a week, with a minimum of 48–72 hours of rest in between.

Why Are Compound Arm Exercises Good

Compound arm exercise allows you to get a full-body workout in less time, keeps your heart rate up, offers cardiovascular benefits, and generally burns more calories.

Conclusion

This compound arm exercise is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in building a bigger bicep and triceps and who wants to gain strength.

It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details and fancy equipment.

You should incorporate some exercises from these compound arm exercises into your arm workout regimen.

Performing these compound exercises consistently will produce results that speak for themselves.

Thanks for reading.

Sources:

• Srinivasan RC, Lungren MP, Langenderfer JE, Hughes RE. Fiber type composition and maximum shortening velocity of muscles crossing the human shoulder. Clin Anat. 2007 Mar;20(2):144-9.
• Hewit JK, Jaffe DA, Crowder T. A comparison of muscle activation during the pull-up and three alternative pulling exercises. J. Phys. Fitness, Med. Treat. Sport. 2018;5(4):1-7.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.