If anyone can tell you how to get results from your workouts, it’s Caroline Idiens. At 52, she has over 20 years of experience as a personal trainer, including five years heading up her online fitness platform Caroline’s Circuits, specialising in 30-minute home strength workouts. But half of that time is enough to build your arms, Idiens says.
‘This may be controversial, but I think (know) this is the ONLY arms workout you need at home,’ she says of her go-to 15-minute routine.
‘All you need are a set of dumbbells. Take a 30-sec rest between exercises and try three sets in total. Go slow and warm up first. I’m using 5kgs, use the weight that is right for you.’
Here’s exactly which exercises to do and how many reps to go for.
Best 15-minute arm workout for women Around the worlds. Do: 10 reps x 3Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell with both hands, keeping your arms extended in front of you. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining a stable and upright posture. Initiate the movement by passing the weight around your body, from front to back, in a circular motion. Keep the movement fluid and controlled, maintaining a stable core throughout. Alternating front raises. Do: 12 reps x 3Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your body. Keep your arms straight (with a slight bend in the elbows) and lift one arm forward and up to shoulder height, while keeping the other arm at your side. Lower the raised arm with control and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep; alternate sides for the total number of reps. Lateral raises. Do: 10 reps x 3Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing inwards. Ensure your shoulders are relaxed (not raised), your abs are engaged (think tensing, as opposed to breathing in), and there’s a slight bend in your knees.Retaining this posture, lift the dumbbells out to the sides with straight arms, going no higher than shoulder height. Gradually (i.e. don’t just let your arms fall back down, move with control) lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Alternating shoulder press. Do: 12 reps x 3Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing each other. Alternately press one dumbbell overhead, extending the arm fully, while keeping the other dumbbell at shoulder height. Lower the raised arm back to the starting position and repeat on the other side, continuing to alternate. Rear flies. Do 10 reps x3Stand with your feet at a hip-width distance with a soft bend in your knees. With a neutral spine, hinge at the waist so your chest is lowered to near parallel with the floor and your hips come slightly backwards. With your arms straight down towards the floor, hold the dumbbells comfortably in your hands with a neutral grip (palms facing in towards each other). Have a soft bend in your elbows as you raise the weights up and out to the sides, in line with your shoulders; at this point, your palms should be facing down to the floor. Squeeze your upper back and in between your shoulder blades to assist the movement. Control the movement as you lower the weights back to the starting position. Tricep kickbacks. Do: 12 reps x 3Stand with your knees bent and lean forward slightly, with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your back straight, bend your dumbell-holding arm 90 degrees at the elbow so your triceps are aligned with your back and your biceps are perpendicular to the floor.Engage your core and your triceps and hinge at the elbow, lifting the dumbbell up and back as you try and straighten your arm. Your triceps should stay still; only your elbow moves. Guide the weight upward until your arm is straight, pause, then lower back to 90 degrees. That’s one rep. Zottman curls. Do 10 reps x 3Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding weights in front of you, palms facing forward. Without moving your upper arms, slowly curl the weights toward your shoulders. At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists inward so your palms face forward. Slowly lower them in that position. Rotate your wrists and dumbbells back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Single-arm Arnold press. Do: 8 each side x 3Take a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with a shoulder-width stance and brace your core. Raise the dumbbells so they’re shoulder height with your palms facing your body.Pull your shoulder blades back and down, then extend your arms up while rotating your wrists to the front, so that you end up with the dumbbells above your head with palms facing forward. Remaining stable, slowly lower the dumbbells and rotate the wrists so that the palms are facing towards you again. Standing chest press. Do: 8 reps x 3Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Keeping your arms bent, bring your elbows and palms to touch while holding the dumbbells in the same position. Then open your arms back to the starting position, maintaining the same angle. That’s one rep.RELATED STORIES
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.