Workouts for the Inner Side of the Arm

The inner side of the arm can be a difficult area to train -- focusing on exercises that target the large arm muscles that reside there can help you get the upper hand. Spot-training a specific area is not a reality; if you want to see results you have to work your body as a whole unit. Combine inner arm targeting exercises with full body exercises, regular cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet.

The biceps curl targets the biceps muscles, which run along the top of the inner side of your arm. Stand with your abdominal muscles tight, back straight and hold a barbell or EZ bar with an underhand grip and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Stabilize your torso, look straight ahead and bend your elbows to lift the bar toward your chest. Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of eight to 12 reps using a challenging weight.

Reverse push-downs isolate the medial head of the triceps brachii. Out of the three heads of the triceps, the medial head is the one that runs along the inner side of the arm. Stand facing a high-cable machine with your arms bent and tucked close to your body. Grasp the handle with an underhand grip. Stabilize your torso then, keeping your elbows tucked, contract your triceps to extend your arms and pull the handle toward your hips. Slowly return to the initial position. Complete two to three sets of eight to 12 reps with a high resistance.

The dumbbell fly is primarily a chest exercise but it also calls upon several of the muscles that are found along the inner side of your arm. Lie on a narrow horizontal bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Begin with your arms extended above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows. Slowly lower the weights down and out to the sides until your arms reach horizontal. Exhale and raise your arms back to vertical, squeezing your chest muscles at the end of the movement. This exercise should never be performed with heavy weights; instead, use lighter weights for two to three sets of 10 to 20 repetitions.

Pushups are a classic upper-body exercise used by every branch of the military to keep its men and women in top shape. The exercise works the inner side of the arm as well as the back of the arm, chest and back. Begin on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders. Kick your legs out to the back so that you're supported on the balls of your feet. Contract your abdomen, straighten your back and stabilize your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet. Maintain this position and bend your arms to lower your chest to the floor. Press through the heel of your hand to return to the starting position. Complete two to three sets of 15 to 30 repetitions.