Barre Arm Workout: 4 Go-To Toning Moves | The Bar Method

Our arms do so much for us, from lugging groceries inside (all in a single trip, of course) to hugging the ones we hold dear. That’s why Bar Method classes include barre arm exercises carefully designed to strengthen, tone, and sculpt your muscles. In addition to preventing injury and making everyday tasks easier, upper-body barre workouts can give you wow-worthy, visible results. (Hello, tank tops!)

The Bar Method incorporates complete arm workouts that have been hand-selected by our expert instructors in every single class. With each small, controlled movement, our classes don’t just strengthen your arms and shoulders — they also maximize your routine to give you the results you crave.

From curls to shoulder presses, we’re sharing some of the best barre moves for arms to give you lean, sculpted muscles. Let’s talk about:

• How muscle toning works
• Why barre arm workouts are effective
• Our go-to barre arm workout with weights

How to tone your body

So, how do you actually get toned arms? Toning your body requires a combination of weight loss (specifically, fat burn) and muscle growth. Here’s how it works.

How to lose fat

Generally, the amount of fat you burn comes down to your overall energy balance. In other words, energy that comes in (nutrition) vs. energy out (activity). Your daily total energy needs are known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your TDEE is determined by your base metabolic rate (BMR) and your activity level.

Your BMR can be calculated with a simple formula, while your activity level is assigned a specific number. Here’s the breakdown:

• Sedentary (1.2): Minimal activity throughout the day, with little to no exercise. 
• Lightly Active (1.375): Less than 30 minutes of activity throughout the day, including 15 minutes or less of high-intensity exercise. 
• Moderately Active (1.55): 90 minutes of moderate exercise per day or 50 minutes of high-intensity exercise per day.
• Very Active (1.725): You are active throughout the entire day or you experience two hours or more of intense exercise per day. 

 To calculate your TDEE, use this formula: BMR x Activity Level = TDEE.

Generally, if fat burn is one of your fitness goals, your TDEE should be greater than your daily calorie intake (also known as a calorie deficit). When your daily activities require more energy than you’re taking in through calories, your body will use excess fat stores for energy, resulting in weight loss.

Note: Even in a calorie deficit, it’s important to consume enough calories to meet your body’s needs and keep it functioning properly. Increasing your activity level to burn more calories is also an effective strategy to promote fat loss. 

How to build muscle

You can’t have toned arms without muscle! Toning your body requires strength training to build muscle definition. 

Bar Method strength exercises like bent-elbow lifts and tricep kickbacks target your arm and shoulder muscles through repeated movements and pulses, causing microtears. It may sound bad, but it’s perfectly normal — and it’s how muscles grow. After a strength workout, your body works to repair the microtears and build them back better than before. The results: increased strength and muscle definition. 

Having a consistent barre routine that includes three to five Bar Method classes per week (at least two of those being Bar Strength classes) can help you build the muscle strength and definition you need to achieve a toned look. 

What makes barre an effective arm workout?

Why do we recommend Bar Method workouts? The Bar Method is especially effective at sculpting arm muscles because it focuses on using muscular contractions rather than momentum. This approach helps to strengthen your muscles while also protecting your joints and ligaments. The small movements you do in class yield big results, as your arms get stronger with more definition over time. Here are two key elements that make our Method uniquely powerful:

• Consistency and frequency. Every Bar Method class includes barre arm exercises to improve strength and posture. Some of these moves use light weights while others use body weight alone. No matter the format, you can count on our classes to engage your arm muscles. Repeatedly challenging your arms in barre classes helps you get results faster.
• Well-rounded and sustainable focus. Our technique is precisely designed to target the muscles in the most effective way with a focus on alignment, so you can safely take multiple classes a week. We use lighter weights compared to traditional strength training workouts, so you can maintain proper form and complete more reps. Our barre arm workouts work major muscles like the biceps and triceps, but our instructors also pay attention to lesser-known areas and stabilizers with exercises like medial deltoid lifts and snow angels. This creates stronger, more toned arms, as well as invisible (but no less important!) benefits like improved range of motion and joint health.

How long does it take to get toned arms from barre?

While it may be tempting to try to get results as quickly as possible, you’ll achieve better, more sustainable results if you focus on a consistent Bar Method routine over time. If you take the recommended three to five classes per week, you could see results within the first month. 

As you progress, you can move onto barre arm workouts with weights (or heavier weights) and more challenging positions to define and strengthen your muscles even more. How do you know if the weights you’re using are right for you? You should feel challenged without compromising your form. You will feel the burn, but it should be manageable (even if you’re feeling the Bar Method shake for the last few reps).

Barre arm workout with weights: 4 barre moves for arms

Want to know what to expect from an upper-body barre workout? These four moves selected by our expert team are a great place to start. They hit all the major upper-body muscles with a shoulder, posture, triceps, and chest exercise. Two of the exercises use weights, and two rely on body weight.

Give these barre moves for arms a try to prepare for your next Bar Method class.

Shoulder walks

Shoulder walks target the anterior deltoids, the front part of your shoulder.

How to:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and pick up a set of light weights (2–4 pounds).
2. Soften your knees, grip your glutes, and align your shoulders over your hips and feet.
3. Straighten your arms on your thighs with your palms facing each other.
4. Reach one arm straight out to shoulder height and begin to cross your arms at any pace that feels challenging yet controllable. 
5. To deepen the engagement in your chest, raise your arms higher than your shoulders at the top (stop short of vertical). Tap your thighs or the sides of them at the bottom.
6. Cross at your preferred tempo for up to 3 minutes (this is why you’ll need light weights!).

Rhomboid pulls

Rhomboid pulls target your upper back muscles and stretch out your chest and shoulders after shoulder walks.

How to: 

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and pick up a set of heavier weights (2–4 pounds).
2. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees and raise them up to shoulder height. Draw your elbows back until you feel the muscles between your shoulder blades activate. 
3. Keep your shoulders down as you rhythmically press your elbows back and forth an inch at varying tempos for 1 minute.

Push-ups

Push-ups target your biceps, pecs, back, and core, all while raising your heart rate for a small cardio boost. 

How to:

1. Lie flat on the floor. Place your hands beneath your shoulders and set your legs hip-width apart. You may perform push-ups on your knees with your feet pointed up (to engage your hamstrings), or on the balls of your feet with straight legs for maximum challenge.
2. Lift your hips until they align with the front of your ribcage to protect your lower back. Squeeze your glutes and pull your abs in.
3. Bend your elbows and rise up to perform a full-range push-up. Note that maintaining your form and building endurance are more important than the depth of your push-up. 

Perform 15–40 push-ups. Once you’re finished, stay on your knees and press your chest down to the floor for a puppy stretch. Next, sit on your heels with your arms extended and palms up to release your back and shoulders.

Reverse push-ups

Reverse push-ups are one of our favorite barre arm exercises that target your triceps without weights. This intense move is sure to make you feel the burn.

How to: 

1. Sit on the floor and bend your knees with your feet flat.
2. Place your hands under your shoulders, then turn your fingers forward and out slightly. Think: 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock.
3. Lift your glutes off the floor and shift back to align your shoulders over your wrists. You’ll feel your ribcage between your biceps.
4. Tuck your seat up and hold a bend forward at your waist. 
5. Bend and extend your arms rhythmically at varying tempos for up to 40 reps.

Once you’re done, elongate your legs and fold forward for a hamstring stretch. Next, sit up with crossed legs and place one hand between your shoulder blades with your elbow pointing upward. Hold your elbow with your opposite hand and draw it back to stretch your triceps. Repeat on the other side.

A final word on barre arm workouts

Remember that the best barre routine is one that keeps you consistent. Be patient with yourself, and keep showing up for yourself every time you step into the studio! 

You can do these barre arm exercises at home and achieve great results. But coming into the studio — with the guidance of our expert instructors and the support of a welcoming community — can maximize your results and help you achieve your fitness goals faster, feeling stronger from the inside out. We’re here for every rep, hold, and pulse of your Bar Method journey!

More fitness tips from The Bar Method

• Why Do Gyms Have Mirrors? The Science of Working Out in Front of a Mirror
• How Does Barre Change Your Body? Hint: From Head to Toe
• The 7 Best Serratus Anterior Exercises and How to Do Them

The Bar Method is a low-impact workout that produces big results. Ready to experience the power of our Method? Find a studio near you.