If I wanted strong, toned arms I'd follow this trainer's eight-exercise routine

Building lean muscle in your arms can take time, but when you exercise consistently, and factor in recovery and fuel your exercise with good nutrition, you should see noticeable muscle gains within just a few months.

Certified personal trainer Micayla Green has a winning upper-body workout for you to try. Green, part of the Ladder strength training program, showcased her impressive arm transformation to her Instagram followers, saying it took “about 1.5-2 years from the first pic” to achieve.

“I definitely started seeing results before that, but it’s all about consistency and making it a lifestyle,” she added. Scroll down to see the exercises she used to achieve this.

How to do this workout

More tips for building muscle

Resistance training works by putting muscles under stress, creating micro-tears in the muscle fibers. When your body repairs these tears, it makes the muscles stronger and larger.

The repair part is crucial and rest days are when the real muscle building happens. To see definition in your arms (and other parts of your body) you need a combination of consistent strength training and rest.

You also need the right nutrition to fuel muscle growth, too. Often, that means upping your protein, fiber and water intake.

Protein provides the amino acids to repair and rebuild muscle fibers. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends "1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight" [PDF]. That's significantly above the recommended daily intake of "0.8 grams of protein per kilogram or 0.35 grams per pound of body weight per day for general health."

Fiber is naturally filling so eating more of it can help achieve the calorie deficit needed to reduce body fat. It also regulates blood sugar levels.

Staying hydrated with water is crucial for cellular processes like protein synthesis—how the body converts amino acids into muscle protein—to work efficiently, supporting muscle growth.

To see defined muscles, you also need to maintain a healthy weight, so if fat loss is part of your goal, aiming to be in a calorie deficit—burning more calories than you consume—will help, too. This can be achieved through a calorie-controlled diet, increasing physical activity or a combination of both.

Shop adjustable dumbbells

Adjustable weights are great if you want to follow workouts like this one at home, because you can add more load as you become stronger. All of the below are taken directly from our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells, so they have been tried and tested by our team.