Building toned and defined arms can feel like an endless hamster wheel if you’re not lifting the correct weight. This post reveals how to choose the right dumbbell weight to tone your arms.
Using a challenging weight is the easiest way to choose the correct dumbbell weight for toning the arms. The ideal weight should be heavy enough to fatigue the biceps and triceps in 8-15 consecutive repetitions, but not so heavy that lifting form breaks down.
Keep on reading to learn how to choose the ideal weight to tone arms for your personal strength level and for recommended starting weight
- Key Takeaways
- Ideal Dumbbell Weight For Beginners To Tone Arms
- Recommend Dumbbell Weight For Biceps And Triceps
- Signs You Have The Right Dumbbell Weight To Tone Arms
- Best Arm Toning Exercises
- Choosing Dumbbell Weight For Long-Term Toning
- Effectiveness Of Different Dumbbell Weights For Toning Arms
- What Dumbbell Weight Should You Get For Arm Workouts?
- How To Tone Arms
- Myth Busting: Lifting Heavy Dumbbells Doesn't Lead To Bulky Arms!
- Conclusion
Key Takeaways
- Most beginners can start toning the arms using 15lb/7.5kg (male) or 9lb/4kg (female) dumbbells.
- Use a weight that challenges you for 8-12 reps.
- The ideal weight should introduce a lactic burn and take each set to near-mechanical failure.
- Bicep curls and tricep extensions are great exercises for men and women to tone arms.
- Remember to account for redundant weight for progression when buying dumbbells to tone arms.
- Arm tone appears with high muscle volume and low body fat.
Ideal Dumbbell Weight For Beginners To Tone Arms
15lb (7.5kg) dumbbells are adequate for the average male beginner to tone the arms. In contrast, the average female beginner should use 9lb (4kg) dumbbells. The heavier the dumbbell, the longer and greater the progression potential for future muscle growth.
Using a weight that challenges you for a given exercise is essential to building arm muscle. And building arm muscle is the most effective way to increase tone (along with losing fat).
The above weight recommendations will challenge most beginners for 8-12 reps on the most popular arm-building exercises such as bicep curls and tricep extensions.
Doing 8-12 reps is, generally speaking, the ideal rep range for arm tone and muscle-building.
How much weight you should lift according to rep range:
| Number Of Reps Per Set | Recommended Dumbbell Weight (% Of 1 Rep Max) |
|---|---|
| 8 | 80% |
| 9 | 78% |
| 10 | 75% |
| 11 | 70% |
| 12 | 65% |
| 13 | 60% |
| 14 | 55% |
| 15 | 50% |
Note: 1 rep max refers to the maximum amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition in a specified exercise.
The easiest way to estimate your 1RM for a given exercise is to use a database like Strength Levels.
After establishing your 1RM, you can take the appropriate percentage to determine the ideal dumbbell weight to tone your arms in each rep range.
Recommend Dumbbell Weight For Biceps And Triceps
Most male beginners require 4 to 19lb (2 to 9kg) dumbbells to effectively challenge the biceps and triceps. Females usually require 2 to 10lbs (1 to 5kg). The exact weight required to challenge a muscle will vary depending on rep range, body weight, and training experience.
Bicep curls and tricep extensions are two of the most popular dumbbell exercises for men and women to tone their arms.
The table below shows how much weight the average man lifts on the bicep curl and tricep extension for 8/12/15-reps:
| Male Bodyweight | 8-Rep Weight | 12-Rep Weight | 15-Rep Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120lbs (55kg) male | 6lbs (3kg) | 5lbs (2kg) | 4lbs (2kg) |
| 150lbs (70kg) male | 10lbs (5kg) | 8lbs (4kg) | 6lbs (3kg) |
| 200lbs (90kg) male | 14lbs (6kg) | 12lbs (5kg) | 9lbs (4kg) |
| 250lbs (115kg) male | 19lbs (9kg) | 16lbs (7kg) | 12lbs (5kg) |
The table below shows how much weight the average woman lifts on the bicep curl and tricep extension for 8/12/15-reps:
| Female Bodyweight | 8-Rep Weight | 12-Rep Weight | 15-Rep Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90lbs (40kg) female | 3lbs (1kg) | 3lbs (1kg) | 2lbs (1kg) |
| 120lbs (55kg) female | 5lbs (2kg) | 4lbs (2kg) | 3lbs (1kg) |
| 150lbs (70kg) female | 6lbs (3kg) | 5lbs (2kg) | 4lbs (2kg) |
| 200lbs (90kg) female | 10lbs (5kg) | 8lbs (4kg) | 6lbs (3kg) |
These average standards will give you a better idea of how much weight YOU need for bicep curls as a beginner, according to your abilities.
For more detailed stands, you can check out my other posts on the ideal bicep curl weight and tricep extension weight.
Signs You Have The Right Dumbbell Weight To Tone Arms
Despite the above method, it can sometimes be difficult to determine if you’ve chosen the right dumbbell weight to tone your arms most effectively.
Luckily, there are 2 signs you can use to tell you’ve chosen the correct lifting weight:
- Lactic burn. This is the burning sensation you get that makes you think to yourself “ok the exercise is getting hard now”.
- Mechanical failure. This describes the point where your muscle can no longer physically complete another rep despite your best efforts.
Both sensations should start appearing within the last 1-4 reps of each set for a given exercise.
You can use the above signs to confirm the weight you calculated in the previous section is indeed correct.
This is how you know you’ve chosen the perfect dumbbell weight to tone your arms.
Best Arm Toning Exercises
Bicep curls and tricep extensions aren’t the only way to tone your arms.
In fact, your arms comprise many muscles that all need to be with a selection of exercises for the best results.
For example, the biceps is further comprised of the biceps brachii long head, short head, and brachialis. Similarly, the triceps is further comprised of the long, lateral, and medial heads.
Here are my favorite dumbbell biceps and triceps exercises to include in your workout to tone the arms:
| Biceps Exercises | Triceps Exercises |
|---|---|
| Standard bicep curl | Overhead dumbbell tricep extension |
| Overhand bicep curl | Tricep kickback |
| Incline dumbbell curl | Lying tricep extension |
| Spider curl | Dumbbell skull crusher |
| Concentration curl | Dumbbell-weighted bench dips |
Choosing Dumbbell Weight For Long-Term Toning
Just because you’re lifting a suitable dumbbell weight now does not mean it will be suitable for the future.
That’s because you will naturally gain strength as you train.
It’s therefore important to consider redundant weight if you’re looking to buy dumbbells for home workouts.
By having access to redundant weight, you can continue to use your dumbbells to build muscle and tone now and into the coming months and years.
Effectiveness Of Different Dumbbell Weights For Toning Arms
With the above points in mind, here’s how different dumbbell weights can help the average man/woman to build arm muscle and tone at a beginners level:
| Dumbbell Weight (lbs/kg) | Male Arm Muscle/Tone Capacity | Female Arm Muscle/Tone Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 2lbs (1kg) | Very low | Low |
| 5lbs (2kg) | Very low | Low |
| 7lbs (3kg) | Low | Moderate |
| 9lbs (4kg) | Low | Moderate |
| 10lbs (5kg) | Moderate | High |
| 15lb (7.5kg) | Moderate | High |
| 20lbs (10kg) | High | Very high |
| 25lbs (12.5kg) | High | Very high |
| 30lbs (15kg) | Very high | Extremely high |
| 40lbs (20kg) | Very high | Extremely high |
- 2/5/7/9-lb (1/2/3/4-kg) dumbbells have a very low to moderate capacity to tone the arms for beginners. The exact capacity varies depending on gender. Women require less weight than men because they have lower relative strength levels and therefore require less resistance.
- 10/15-lb (5/7.5-kg) dumbbells have a moderate to high capacity to tone the arms for beginners. The exact capacity varies depending on gender. Women require less weight than men because they have lower relative strength levels and therefore require less resistance.
- 20/25/30/40-lb (10/12.5/15/20-kg) dumbbells have a high to very high capacity to tone the arms for beginners. These are considered a heavy weight for arm exercises and will take most beginners to the intermediate-advanced stages of training regardless of gender.
No matter how much weight you’re lifting, it’s important to make sure that you’re able to lift the weight slowly and with good form.
This increases bicep/tricep activation and tension to ensure that your chosen dumbbell weight maximizes your capacity to build arm muscle and tone.
What Dumbbell Weight Should You Get For Arm Workouts?
Generally speaking, male beginners should get dumbells that weigh at least 30lbs (15kg) for arm workouts. Female beginners should get dumbbells that weigh at least 15lbs (7.5kg). This will provide approximately 6 months of progression for most bicep and tricep exercises.
These recommendations also account for redundant weight.
Remember, the heavier the dumbbell the longer it will last in terms of progression.
But if you’re a casual weight lifter, you may not need so much redundant weight.
In reality, your final decision on dumbbell weight should be influenced by factors such as:
- How long do you want the dumbbells to last.
- Your current strength levels.
- How much muscle do you want to build.
- How disciplined you will be to stick to a program.
- Whether you’ll also be doing compound lifting (bench press, shoulder press, squats, etc).
The below tables give you a better idea of how much progress you can expect from your dumbbells for arm workouts:
| Estimated Progression For A Beginner | Recommended Male Dumbbell Weight | Recommended Female Dumbbell Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 months | 30lbs (15kg) | 15lbs (7.5kg) |
| Up to 2 years | 50lbs (25kg) | 40lbs (20kg) |
| Up to 5 years | 70lbs (35kg) | 60lbs (30kg) |
If you’re looking to build muscle with dumbbells and you can afford it, I’d highly recommend choosing a weight that’s on the higher end of the spectrum for your gender!
How To Tone Arms
The best way to build arm muscle and tone is through resistance training exercises that target the biceps and triceps. It is recommended to lift weights with 8 to 15 repetitions per set, with a weight that feels challenging to the user. Repetitions should also be performed with good form.
So why use 8-15 reps per set?
A set, by the way, refers to a group of repetitions performed without a rest.
“The biceps and triceps should be trained using rep ranges between 5-20 reps to best maximize overall development of the muscles.”
Mike Dewar, Strength Coach, Fitbod.
It’s generally accepted in the weight training world, that the arm muscles respond best to hypertrophy (growth) when using this rep range.
Now, 8-15 reps is a rather large range. So do you do 8 reps or do you do 15 reps?
The answer is to combine both by varying your rep ranges.
This allows you to reap the benefits associated with each rep range to maximize arm muscle and tone.
How?
Alternate between 8 reps, 12 reps, and 15 reps every month. Lift lighter weights for higher reps and heavier weights for lower reps.
For example:
- First month do 8-rep arm training at 80% of 1RM.
- Second month do 12-rep arm training at 65% of 1RM.
- Third month do 15-rep arm training at 50% of 1RM.
- Repeat.
Regardless of your chosen sets and reps for arms, you should make sure to use a dumbbell weight that challenges your arm to build muscle and tone.
Myth Busting: Lifting Heavy Dumbbells Doesn’t Lead To Bulky Arms!
Many beginners are under the impression that heavy weight lifting leads to a bulky physique.
This is a myth.
Heavy lifting AND a consistent caloric surplus over a long period lead to a bulky physique.
“Eating more calories than required to maintain bodyweight is a common practice among bodybuilders looking to increase mass. When combined with resistance training aimed at promoting muscle hypertrophy, this controlled phase of overfeeding is often referred to as “bulking.” Usually, the goal of bulking is to maximize gains in muscle mass”
Leaf et Al. 2017 scientific review
Heavy lifting alone will do little to add significant muscle mass.
There’s a reason why many people struggle to build any significant muscle size- it’s because it’s extremely difficult to consume surplus calories daily.
The variable here is nutrition.
If you lift heavy without consuming surplus calories, you should find your arms develop a “tenser” and more defined look without becoming bulky.
On the other hand, if you lift heavy and keep increasing your dumbbell weight as you become stronger whilst consuming surplus calories, you should be able to grow bigger arms.
Ultimately- altering your nutrition will get you the results you desire!
Conclusion
Broadly speaking- 15lb/7.5kg or 9lb/4kg dumbbells (for men and women respectively) are a sufficient dumbbell weight to tone the arms.
However, the ideal weight should be chosen based on your personal strength level.
The best dumbbell weight should be heavy enough to challenge you for around 8-15 reps but light enough to allow you to lift with good form.
You may also be interested in the downloadable Kalibre Blueprint PDF which details exactly how I gained 40lbs of lean muscle (it’s 100% free!). It details the exact exercises and nutrition (with printables) I used to go from skinny to ripped!
