Compound Arm Exercises to Build Bigger Bicep & 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 are a great way to build your muscle mass and develop your strength, as it activate more than one muscle group at a time.

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

Compound exercises, highly recommended for those of you who have been trying to achieve stunning arms.

In this blog, we’ll explore the following:

• Best compound exercises for arm.
• How to perform the compound exercises correctly
• How to add them into your workout routine.
• Sample workout that will put some exercises together so that you can maximize your results.

Benefits of Compound Arm Exercises

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

Here are some of the key benefits of incorporating compound arm exercises into your workout routine:

1. Increased muscle activation

Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups at the same time, which means you engage more muscle fibers and maximize your gains.

2. Time efficiency

It allows you to work several muscle groups at the same time, making your workouts more time efficient.

3. Improved functional strength

Compound exercises mimic real-life movements and improve your ability to perform activities of daily living, such as lifting and carrying heavy objects.

4. Greater calorie burn

They require more energy to perform than isolation exercises, resulting in more calories burned during your workout.

The Best Compound Exercises For Arms

You’ll get more benefits if you introduce some compound exercises into your routine that also work your biceps and triceps.

We have created compound 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.

At Home Bodyweight Arm Compound Exercises

Compound arm exercises can be performed with little or no equipment, making them perfect for at-home workouts.

Here are some bodyweight arm compound exercises that you can try:

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.

Related Post: 15 Bodyweight Triceps Exercises: Beginner To Advanced

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 out to the sides and keeping your back flat.
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.

2. Chin Up

Chin-up is one of the best bodyweight compound exercises that can induce serious muscle growth of the biceps and back.

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

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

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

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 becomes aligned with the bar.
4. Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension. 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.

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 shoulder 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 bench so that 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 muscles in the arms, back, and core.

The inverted row puts your body in a horizontal position, making it easier to perform.

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

But, you can also perform the inverted row at home by lying under a chair, holding the chair’s sides, and pulling yourself up.

Read more: Best Ways To Workout At Home Without Equipments

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. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little wider than shoulder width.
3. Keeping your legs and body straight, exhale as you pull your chest up to the bar. Hold for a count of two and squeeze your back muscles.
4. Inhale as you lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.

Tips

• Do not allow your butt to sag.
• Grab the bar with your hands slightly closer together and keeping your elbows at an angle to your body, similar to doing a bench-press.
• Make sure you go down completely.

Compound arm exercises with dumbbells

Dumbbells are a versatile piece of equipment that can be used to perform a variety of compound arm exercises.

Here are some effective compound bicep and tricep exercises that you can do with dumbbells:

5. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press

When it comes to dumbbell compound arm exercises, the close grip dumbbell press is a superior movement. It will pack mass onto your chest and arms.

It is a variation of the dumbbell bench press and is an exercise used to build muscle and strength for the upper body.

This position places emphasis on building strength and size in the triceps muscles, as well as the chest.

How To Do It

1. Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hold the dumbbells with an overhand grip and bring them up to the sides of your chest, with your elbows close to your body.
3. Press the dumbbells straight up towards the ceiling, extending your arms fully.
4. Lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, keeping your elbows close to your body.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Inhale slowly as you lower the dumbbell to your chest, and exhale as you push upward.
• Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled 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 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.

Barbell Compound exercises For Arms

Another versatile piece of equipment that can be used to perform compound arm exercises are barbells.

Here are some effective compound arm exercises you can do with a barbell:

7. Barbell Overhead Press

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

The Overhead Press is one of the best exercises to build strong, muscular and healthy shoulders with bigger arms.

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

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 triceps.

8. Bent Over Barbell Rows

If you are looking to strengthen and add muscle to the upper back and arms, then a barbell row bent over is the best option.

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. Let the bar hang in front of you.
3. Now use the back and raise the bar until it touches the abdominal region and not the chest region, as it reduces back muscle contraction.
4. 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 as well as the arm and deltoids.

The exercise can be performed in a kneeling position, which increases core involvement and improves 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. Then add weight plates to the free end of the barbell.
2. Assume a half kneeling position with the knee under your hip, toes tucked, and rib cage down.
3. Press the barbell up straight in front of you until your arms are extended, avoiding hyperextension at the elbows.
4. Hold the weight for a second and focus on contracting your chest muscles.
5. 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 forwards slightly and engage your core muscles to help with stabilization.
• Exhale on pushing movement, inhale when returning to starting position.
• Contract the chest muscle at the top of the movement.

10. Landmine Row 

The landmine row is the classic landmine exercise. It is going to 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. Get into a bent over position with your spine straight and chest up.
2. Bend at the hips and keep your back arched throughout the movement.
3. Lift the bar until the bar touches your chest, keeping the back straight.
4. 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.

Training Volume (Sets and Reps)

1. For muscle endurance: Aim for 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps, with a moderate amount of resistance.
2. For muscle strength: Aim for 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps, with a heavier amount of 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 a lower number of reps and sets, and then gradually increase as your strength improves.

Furthermore, it is important to allow for adequate rest between sets, typically 60-90 seconds.

Arm Workout Samples

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

Bodyweight Compound Workout Routine For Beginner

Here is a beginner-friendly bodyweight compound workout routine to build mass.

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Diamond Push-Ups	3-4	8-10
Bench Dip	3-4	8
Chin Up	4	8-10

Dumbbell Compound Arm Workout Routine

Here is a compound arm workout routine:

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Close-Grip Dumbbell Press	4	8-10
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3-4	10-12
Dumbbell Renegade Row	4	10-12
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	8-10

Barbell Compound Arm Workout Routine

Here is a barbell arm workout routine:

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Barbell Overhead Press	3-4	8
Bent Over Barbell Rows	4	8-10
Barbell Chest Row	4	10-12
Landmine Press	3	8-10

FAQs

Q. Train Your Arm Twice Per Week.

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

Q. What are compound exercises for arms?

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

Q. How to combine compound arm exercises at home workout:

There are many arms compound exercises that you can do at home with dumbbells and bodyweight. 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 workout can be done at least 2 days a week with a minimum of 48–72 hours rest in between.

Q. 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, offering 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 not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides an overall best look.

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.

Know More About Arm training

• 10 Best Tricep Compound Exercises for Mass and Strength
• 10 Best Compound Bicep Exercises for Mass & Strength
• Lateral head triceps exercises for Bigger, Stronger Arms
• 12 Chest and Triceps Workout With Dumbbells for Muscle

7 Most Effective Barbell Tricep Exercises For Bigger and Stronger Arms