5 Arm Exercises to Power Up

Did you know that practicing yoga can build upper body strength? Whether you’re in a Yoga Sculpt or C2 class, your biceps and triceps are sure to get a workout. We’ll take you through our 5 favorite exercises below to build strength and tone your arm muscles.   

Bring your attention to your breath with the cues we’ve outlined in each exercise below. Flowing with breath will quiet any chatter or distraction in your mind, so you can focus on these amazing moves!  

Note: these exercises can be done with or without weights and you always have the option for one arm at a time. 

Warrior Two Bicep Curls

• Come to Warrior Two pose, engage your legs to create a strong foundation for this exercise 

• Bring your arms by your sides with your palms facing out 

• Inhale here and on your exhale, bend your elbows to bring your weights toward your shoulders. Engage your biceps the whole time 

• Exhale, slowly lower your weights back down 

• Complete 2 sets of 10-15 reps 

Hammer Curls

• Come to Gate Pose (start standing on your knees and extend one leg out to the side. Press into the outside edge of your extended foot) 

• Lower your arms with your palms facing each other 

• Inhale here and on your exhale, bend your elbows to bring your weights toward your shoulders. Palms continue to face one another and engage your biceps 

• As you move, keep your elbows glued into your sides and draw your shoulders away from your ears 

• Complete 2 sets of 10-15 reps on each leg 

Tricep Extensions

• Come to standing on your knees with your arms extended overhead 

• Inhale, lower your weights toward your back. Keep your biceps close to your ears and your elbows facing forward 

• Exhale, extend your arms over your head. Keep your shoulders relaxed 

• Complete 2 sets of 10-15 reps 

Tricep Kickbacks

• Come to Chair Pose and extend your weights back behind you. Engage your triceps  

• Inhale, bend your elbows and bring your weights toward your hips  

• Exhale, extend your arms back 

• As you move, keep your upper arms stationary and your elbows pinned to your ribcage   

• Complete 2 sets of 10-15 reps 

Chaturanga Push Ups

• Start in High Plank Pose

• Exhale, bend your elbows and lower your body halfway down. Keep your elbows glued to your sides 

• Inhale, engage your arms and chest muscles to push up to High Plank 

• As you move, you can always drop down to your knees for less impact

• Complete 2-4 sets of 10 reps

Now that your arms have had a great workout, make sure you get a good stretch in. For more arm exercises and flows, check out CorePower Yoga on Demand. Get unlimited access to our growing collection of online yoga, sculpt & meditation classes for just $19.99/month. New classes added each month!