Banish ‘bat wings’ and sculpt strong, toned arms — you just need this 15-minute standing Pilates workout
By Sam Hopes
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Banish ‘bat wings’ and sculpt strong, toned arms — you just need this 15-minute standing Pilates workout
19 September 2025
You only need a set of dumbbells and 15 minutes.
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Strengthen your shoulders, biceps and triceps with this short but effective 15-minute Pilates dumbbell workout. You can stand throughout the entire routine, and you only need a set of light dumbbells. I recommend the best adjustable dumbbells if you want to have more options available.
“Sculpt, tone and strengthen your upper body with this Pilates-inspired arms workout using light weights,” are the words of your Bodies By Pilates instructor, who guides you through the entire routine step-by-step. She recommends sticking to super light weights between 1 and 3 lbs because you’ll be working with very little rest, using high reps to build time under tension and boost endurance.
The routine is beginner-friendly, so if you’re ready to strengthen and sculpt your arms, read on for the full routine. Just remember that a one-off session, while worthwhile, won’t yield the results you’re looking for, so be consistent and repeat the routine at least twice a week, alongside your other training sessions.
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Watch Bodies By Pilates’ standing arm workout
Your instructor, Beth, tells you not to be fooled by the light dumbbells because the class is about “controlled, precise movements that fire up your shoulders, biceps, triceps and upper back while improving posture and stability.”
Try to stay focused with mindful form and a full range of motion, and you’ll still feel the burn without lifting heavy weights, Beth reassures. ”This flow will leave your arms feeling long, strong and defined. Grab your light weights and let’s get moving!” she says.
✨ Sculpted Arms Pilates | Light Weights (1–3 lbs) Upper Body Toning ✨ – YouTube
The routine features curls (for the biceps), extensions (triceps) and plenty of rotation to move your shoulders through various planes of motion; this helps target all three shoulder heads for a well-rounded workout.
Core engagement is crucial to protect your lower back, so ensure you learn how to engage your core properly so that you don’t arch your back as you get tired. Notice that Beth stands with her feet hip-width apart, then, for some moves, steps one foot forward to give her more control.
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Pilates can be deceiving. The weights may feel light at first, but don’t be fooled — it’s about volume and endurance, not heavy lifting. By the end of a workout, those small weights will feel much heavier. You’ll build a burn without needing much weight, so be sure to pace yourself. Beth keeps a steady pace, and you only get a break if you pause.
What causes ‘bat wings’ on arms?
A combination of excess fat and low lean muscle mass contributes toward “bat wing” arms, meaning low-hanging skin beneath the arms. But some people are more genetically predisposed to developing excess skin here and might find it difficult to reduce fat in this area.
You can’t spot-reduce fat, but you can focus on fat loss overall and strength training to build muscle, known as body recomposition. Arm workouts and upper-body routines that focus on your shoulders, biceps and triceps will help you develop lean muscle mass.
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Can ‘flabby’ arms really be toned?
I get asked this a lot, and I strongly dislike the term “flabby.” There’s nothing wrong with having some fat on your arms, but if you want to achieve a more toned and sculpted look, combine a high-protein diet with consistent resistance training on several days per week.
A mix of isolation and compound exercises will be the most effective for most people. For example, a push-up targets the pecs, triceps and shoulders, making it a compound move; triceps extensions focus solely on the triceps.
To lose fat, consider your energy balance; if you are burning more energy than you consume, this will prime you toward fat loss. All movement contributes toward energy burn, not just cardio. In fact, a new study found that strength training can elicit fat loss similar to cardio training.
If you find it difficult to schedule time for workouts, focus on increasing your daily step count, standing more often and consistently targeting your arms with upper-body exercises you can do at home, like push-ups and tricep dips.
Looking at your eating habits also matters; while I don’t recommend counting calories, being more mindful of balance and including plenty of protein with every meal can help (roughly 1.6 to 2.8 grams per kilo of body weight per day).
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Fitness Editor and Coach
Sam Hopes is a level 3 qualified trainer, a level 2 Reiki practitioner and fitness editor at Tom’s Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course.
Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future, such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3.
Having coached at fitness studios like F45 and Virgin Active and personal trained, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight, calisthenics and kettlebells.
She also coaches mobility and flexibility classes several times a week and believes that true strength comes from a holistic approach to training your body.
Sam has completed two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions in London and the Netherlands and finished her first doubles attempt in 1:11.
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