home work outs with dumbbells

10 Beginner Dumbbell Exercises You Can Do At Home

• By  Kate Moore
• on  December 9, 2022
• This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my full disclosure .

One pair of dumbbells is all you need to do a full-body workout at home. Dumbbells are the perfect piece of equipment to keep in your garage because they take up a small amount of space and can be used for so many different exercises.

In this article, we’re going to outline 10 beginner dumbbell exercises that you can do in the confines of your home.

These movements are simple, yet effective at targeting large muscle groups. They can be done in your living room or backyard. And they’ll keep you in shape without having to set aside time to go to the gym.

• Check out these dumbbell sets that are perfect for beginners

Lateral Raise

The lateral raise primarily strengthens the shoulder muscles. This exercise is designed to target the deltoids, primarily the lateral deltoid. But it’s also involved in working out the supraspinatus and trapezius muscles.

To perform a lateral raise, stand tall. Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides next to your thighs. Keep your elbows slightly bent, and feet shoulder-width apart.

Lift the dumbbells straight out to the side until your body resembles a ‘T’ shape. Then slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.

Remember to keep the movement slow and even. Practice breathing out as you lift the weights, and breathing in as you return to the starting position.

• Keep your stomach muscles tight to avoid any stress on the back
• Start with one arm at a time, and then do it with both arms

Complete two sets of 10-15 repetitions for each arm, and another set with both arms.

Biceps Curl

As the name implies, this exercise targets the biceps. The biceps are the muscles that help bend the elbow and move the forearm.

To perform a bicep curl:

• Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with the palms facing forward.
• Keep your shoulders retracted and legs in the split stance that is, legs hip-width apart and one leg in front of the other.
• Slowly bend your elbows raising the dumbbells upwards towards your chest in a supine grip, that is with the palms facing forward while breathing out.
• Then straighten out your arms and take them down back in front of the thighs while breathing in.

To get the most out of this exercise and prevent injury, keep the elbows pinned at your side. Raise and lower the dumbbells in a smooth motion perpendicular to the body. Don’t let the dumbells float out to your sides or fall inward towards your sternum.

Keep your stomach muscles tight throughout the movement and make sure not to arch your back. If you feel like you have to “swing” the weight upward, you’re using too much weight! Either cut back on reps or use a lighter dumbbell.

Perform three sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

The triceps are the muscles at the back of the arms that help straighten the arm. They help in pulling the upper arm towards the body and backward. To perform a tricep extension:

• Bend forward about 90 degrees so your back is flat and place your right arm and right knee on a coffee table, couch or ottoman.
• Hold a dumbbell in your left arm hanging down towards the floor.
• Flex your stomach and keep your stance tight.
• Slowly pull your left arm back so the elbow reaches up toward the sky.
• When you can pull back no further without twisting, lower the dumbbell.

Complete 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions on each arm.

If you don’t want to lean over a table, a similar exercise can be performed while sitting or standing. To do this, sit in a chair with the dumbbell raised high above your head. Then slowly lower the weight behind the back of your head. Using your triceps, raise the weight straight above your head again.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The shoulder press works out the entire shoulder muscles along with the chest and arm muscles.

• Hold a dumbbell in each arm above your shoulders with the palms facing forward and elbows bent at 90 degrees.
• Extend your arms straight up above your head and come back to the starting position again completing one repetition.

The dumbbell should press can be done either standing or sitting on a bench. You want to pay particular attention to your form and make sure that you don’t arch your back. If you find yourself arching, or jumping to push up the weight, scale it back to a lighter dumbbell.

Dumbbell Lunges

The dumbbell lunge is a great exercise to work out your lower body. These can be done in just a few feet of space in any part of the house. The main muscle group that this exercise will target is the quadriceps of the thighs and the glutes in your hips and butt.

• Stand with one dumbbell at each side and your feet shoulder-width apart.
• With your left leg, take a big step forward and squat down until the right knee reaches about 1/2 inch above the ground.
• Push up and back using the left leg, returning to the start position.
• Repeat this process on the other side.

Dumbbell lunges look simple but there are a few form checks you’ll want to keep in mind to avoid any knee injuries. Never let your knee pass beyond your front foot. If you find that it’s happening, take a larger step forward.

Make sure that your knees aren’t falling inward toward your midline. Not only is this hard on your tendons, but it’s a weaker position and it will be harder to balance.

Don’t be afraid to do a few sets without the weights to get a feel for how the movement should be performed.

Complete two to three sets of 10-12 repetitions on each leg.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a great exercise for working out the glutes and hamstrings. It can also strengthen the back and spinal muscles making for a valuable lower body workout. To perform a dumbbell deadlift:

• Hold one dumbbell in each arm with the palms facing towards your body.
• Keep your feet hip-width apart with the knees slightly bent.
• With your back straight, lean forward and squat straight downward; lowering the dumbbells towards the ground.
• Try not to let your knees pass over your feet
• Straighten your torso and come back up again with a straight back.

Deadlifts should be done with slow, even movements. It’s especially important to make sure that you don’t round your back. Some beginners will not be able to get the dumbells all the way to the floor without rounding their back and that’s ok; just squat as far as you can.

You also want to make sure that you push your knees outward while performing this movement. 

Practice doing three sets of 10 repetitions.

Upright Dumbbell Row

The upright dumbbell row works the upper trapezius and deltoids as well as smaller muscles within the shoulder girdle and the arms. These are similar to sumo deadlift high pulls that are performed with a barbell.

• Start by holding one dumbbell in each arm close to the midline with the palms facing towards your body.
• Stand with feet hip-width apart, shoulders over the pelvis and with slightly bent knees.
• Breathe out while you raise the dumbells up to your shoulders, stopping just under your chin. The elbows will be high and pushed outwards to the side.
• Breathe in as you lower the arms slowly back again to the starting position.

This movement gets surprisingly difficult so start with a lighter weight. You’ll want to pay special attention to keeping your core tight so the back doesn’t arch.

Complete three sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Dumbbell Squat

Variations of the squat can be performed with all different types of equipment at home. Squats are a lower-body exercise that primarily strengthens the quadriceps muscles of the thighs and the glutes.

• Hold a dumbbell in each arm at the shoulders with the ends pointing forward.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with heels planted firmly on the ground.
• Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground and make sure the knees don’t extend beyond the toes when you squat.
• Raise yourself by pressing into the heels and get into the standing position.

To perform a squat with proper form , avoid looking down at the floor. Keep your chest and shoulders upright and push your knees outward. Warm-up with a few air squats before adding weight.

Complete three sets of 10 repetitions.

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat targets the glute muscles of the buttocks and the upper leg muscles. This movement requires a lot of strength and balance so you’ll want to master it without weights before adding dumbbells.

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and the palms facing towards your body.
• Stand with feet hip-width apart, and step one leg back so your knee is bent and the toe rests on a chair or stair behind you.
• Slowly squat down with the standing leg. Stop before your front knee passes over your foot.
• Take a one-second pause and come back to the starting position by pressing into the floor with your front foot.

For the safest workout, make sure your knees don’t fall inward towards your midline. Take it slow and focus on balancing throughout the exercise. Keep your chest upright and your eyes gazing forward.

Alternate the foot placement and do three sets of 10 repetitions for each foot.

Dumbbell Swing Through

Swing throughs are typically performed with a kettlebell, but a dumbbell makes a great alternative. This exercise targets the back muscles, calves, hamstrings, and the upper trapezius.

• Start by standing with your feet a little wider than your shoulders and knees slightly bent. Your legs should be wide enough to swing a single dumbbell through.
• Hold the center of the dumbbell with both your hands and sway it back between your legs.
• Then steadily swing the dumbbell directly overhead keeping your arms slightly flexed.
• Once you’ve reached a full overhead position, swing the dumbbell back down through the legs bending slightly forward.
• Repeat this process.

The key to a successful dumbbell swing is maintaining control. You’ll want to keep your back and abs tight so you don’t arch, and keep the feet firmly planted on the ground.

Complete three sets of 15-20 repetitions.

Dumbbells At Home

You can easily achieve a full-body workout using only dumbbells at home. This is a versatile piece of equipment that is inexpensive and takes up a small amount of storage space .

A set of dumbbells will quickly help you progress from beginner workouts to more advanced exercises.

• 10 Dumbbell upper body exercises you can do at home
• 10 dumbbell leg workouts for the home gym

The Dumbbell Workout Plan To Build Muscle At Home

Add size to your arms, chest and shoulders with these four dumbbell workouts

Give a man a pair of dumbbells, and he can crank out a few sets of curls and bulk up his biceps. But if you give that man a pair of dumbbells alongside a dumbbell workout plan, he can make noticeable changes to his entire body in a month.

That’s what this four-strong series of dumbbell workouts can do. Each session is dedicated to a different body part, or combination of body parts – chest and back, arms, legs and abs, and shoulders – so your entire body is trained over the course of the week. Of course, you can pick and choose a particular workout to add to your training if you’re looking to develop a certain body part, or if you’re looking to hit everything in one go try this full-body dumbbell workout .

But the beauty of these workouts is that they programme tweaks to the reps, sets and tempo every week to keep challenging your body and forcing it to build muscle to adapt to the increasing stimulus. It’s a fundamental tenet of hypertrophy training but it’s neglected in most guides to dumbbell training on the internet.

All the moves require only a pair of dumbbells, as opposed to workouts which also require a weights bench, so it’s a great plan for people with a set at home and want to add muscle mass in a month.

Read on for detailed instructions on how to follow this dumbbell workout plan for the best results, along with a muscle-building expert answering some of the most common questions about using dumbbell exercises to build muscle.  

The Dumbbells You Need For This Workout Plan

If you will be following this plan at a gym, then all you need to do is set up camp by the dumbbell rack and keep a training log of how heavy you go for each exercise (and whether it was too heavy or light so you can adjust next time). 

Generally you want a weight that means the final few reps of each set feel hard but leave you feeling that you have a few reps in reserve. So if the target rep total is 10, you want a weight that allows you to complete 13-14 reps if pushed. 

However, if you’ll be completing it at home then you’ll need to choose which dumbbells you buy carefully. That’s dumbbells, plural, because this is a full-body plan and – spoilers – your shoulders can’t handle as much weight as your legs can. If you use one fixed-weight dumbbell for both lateral raises and squats, say, that’s going to make one of those moves very hard or very easy.

Adjustable dumbbells – where you can add and remove plates using a spin lock – are one option, but selectorised dumbbells are best suited to this type of plan because you’re typically getting at least eight weight settings. You can quickly change the weight by either scrolling a dial or pressing a button, which means that not only do they save space compared with a full set of dumbbells, but also that it’s easy to pick the correct weight for the exercise you’re about to tackle. 

These modern marvels typically cost three figures, which is clearly a lot of money, but once you add up the cost of three sets of fixed-weight dumbbells then selectorised dumbbells start to look like better value. They’re also well suited to this style of bodybuilding workout, less so to the dynamic movements you’ll find with functional fitness disciplines like CrossFit.

Here are our recommendations for selectorised dumbbells, and you can read more about each in our round-up of the best dumbbells .

The Dumbbell Workout Plan Explained

Here’s the theory behind your four-week dumbbell workout plan.

1. Body part splits

There are four dumbbell workouts a week and each hits a different body part. Workout 1 targets your chest and back; workout 2 your arms (biceps and triceps); workout 3 your legs and abs; and workout 4 your shoulders.

The body-part workouts have been selected to help you add muscle mass and transform your torso as quickly as possible.

The first three workouts each week hit two different muscle groups, so that while one body part is working, the other recovers, allowing you to keep the intensity level high and lift the heaviest weight possible with good form to stimulate the maximum amount of muscle growth.

You can schedule the workouts throughout the week however you like, but a typical routine runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday or Sunday. 

2. Dumbbell workout structure

All four weekly sessions comprise six exercises divided into three supersets , labelled 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, and 3A and 3B. In a standard reps and sets-based workout, you complete all the sets of one exercise before moving on to the next exercise. In a superset, though, you perform a set of the first exercise of the pair and then a set of the second exercise back to back, only resting after you’ve done all the reps of the second move. Once all the sets and reps of the first superset are completed, you move on to the second superset and repeat the sequence.

Let’s take the first superset of the plan and write it out in full. Here are the instructions you’ll find in the plan. 

1A Floor press – Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 0sec Tempo 2010

1B Hammer bent-over row – Sets 4 Reps 10 Rest 60sec Tempo 2010

That translates to the following in practice. 

• 10 reps of the floor press
• 10 reps of the hammer bent-over row
• 60sec of rest 
• 60sec of rest

With the first superset completed, move on to the next superset and repeat the method.

This approach is fantastic for building muscle faster because supersets maximise both the intensity and the quality of your sets, in part by reducing the amount of rest you take. And the harder you can push your muscles in the gym, the more damage gets done to muscle tissue, which is then rebuilt bigger and stronger when you recover.

3. Dumbbell workout variables

The only way to keep making fast progress is to follow a progressive training plan that continues to challenge your body in new ways each week. That’s what this plan does, increasing the sets or reps in every dumbbell workout each week.

For example, in week one you’ll do four sets of 10 reps per move, which increases to four sets of 12 in week two. In weeks three and four you’ll do five sets of 10 and 12 reps respectively, so every week is harder than the previous week. 

What’s more, in weeks three and four the tempo (the time it takes to do the lifting and lowering for each rep) changes to make the exercises more challenging, so your target muscles experience more time under tension and greater workload.

Tempo is represented by four numbers, which relate to the four phases of any resistance exercise. The first is the time in seconds to perform the eccentric or lowering phase, the second denotes the pause at the bottom of the rep, the third is how long you should take to complete the concentric or most dynamic part of the move, usually the lift, and the final number is the time to pause at the top of the rep.

Pay particular attention to whether the exercise begins with the eccentric or concentric. For instance, a biceps curl begins with a lift, so the time it takes to complete the first movement is dictated by the third number in the tempo code.

How To Warm Up For Your Dumbbell Workout plan

We’re sure you’re excited about diving into this dumbbell workout plan, but first take a moment to consider your warm-up. All the workouts involve completing supersets with minimal rest, and if you haven’t adequately prepared your body you’ll find the first couple of rounds far tougher than you need to, and won’t get as much from them in terms of strength and size gains. You’ll also increase your risk of injury if you’re using heavy weights with cold muscles.

When warming up, merely jogging on the spot for a few minutes to raise your heart rate won’t do. Each of the workouts is designed to target a specific area of the body, and you need to do the same in your warm-up so you’re priming the muscles that are about to be called into action.

You can start with this dynamic stretching routine , which will take mere minutes and will get your whole body moving. Here it is in brief, but there’s a form guide for each in the linked article.

• Static hip flexor stretch 30-60sec each side
• Deep lunge with hip circles 5 circles each leg
• Deep lunge hold with thoracic rotation 5 reaches each side
• Downward dog walk-out 5 reps
• Band shoulder dislocate 10 reps
• Lunge with overhead reach 20 reps

Then move on to an even more specific warm-up for the workout you’re going to do. The simplest way to do this is a round of the exercises you have lined up with no weight, or a very light set of dumbbells if you have them. It won’t take long, and it has clear benefits: a better workout and a little less  DOMS  the following day.

Dumbbell Workout 1: Chest And Back

1a  floor press.

Sets  4  Reps  10  Rest  0sec  Tempo  2010

How  Lie flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your chest with straight arms. Lower the weights towards your chest, then press them back up powerfully to return to the start.

Why  Lying on the floor puts you in a stable position so you can attempt to go quite heavy with this move. The range of motion is shorter than a bench press, so focus on contracting the chest muscles being targeted.

1B Hammer  bent-over row

Sets  4  Reps  10  Rest  60sec  Tempo  2010

How  Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other. Bend forward, hingeing at the hips, then row the weights up to your sides, leading with your elbows. Lower the weights back to the start under control.

Why  This move hits the major muscles of your upper back, while your lower back gets worked to keep your torso upright. Using a hammer grip also hits your forearms and improves grip strength.

2A Dumbbell  press-up

How  Get into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells shoulder-width apart. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. Bend your elbows to lower your chest, then press back up powerfully.

Why  You might think press-ups are easy, but they are still a useful chest-building move – especially when you factor in the instability of the weights to work your chest, as well as your core, harder.

2B  Reverse flye

How  Bend forwards from the hips with a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to shoulder height, then lower them back to the start.

Why  This move looks a lot harder than it is, and it works wonders for your upper back and rear shoulders. Start with light weights and master the movement pattern to maximise muscle gain and minimise the risk of injury.

3A Wide dumbbell press-up

How  Get into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells wide apart. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. Bend your elbows to lower your chest, then press back up powerfully.

Why  Placing your hands in a wider position reduces the involvement of your triceps and shoulders, so your chest has to do more of the hard work to lift and lower your torso.

3B  Renegade row

Sets  4  Reps  10 each side  Rest  60sec  Tempo  2010

How  Get into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells shoulder-width apart. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. Row the weight up, leading with your elbow. Alternate arms.

Why  It works your upper back one side at a time so you can fully engage each of the muscles, as well as recruiting your core and shoulder joints to keep your body stable.

Add two extra reps to each set.

There’s a big jump in difficulty this week. The reps drop back down to 10, but an extra set is added and the tempo changes. Hold the top of the bent-over row, reverse flye and renegade row for one second, and take an extra second to lower when performing both press-up variations.  

The reps go back up to 12 this week, on top of the extra sets and tougher tempo numbers.

Dumbbell Workout 2: Arms

1a  biceps curl.

How  Stand with dumbbells by your sides and palms facing forwards. Keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps at the top. Lower them back to the start.

Why  It’s the classic biceps lift for good reason: performing this move perfectly is one of the fastest ways to add size to your biceps. Just keep your reps controlled to avoid swinging the dumbbells up and down.

1B  Triceps extension

How  Stand tall, holding a dumbbell over your head with one hand and arm straight. Keeping your chest up, lower the weight behind your head, then raise it back to the start. Do all the reps with one arm and then switch and repeat.

Why  Working one arm at a time allows you to focus on making your triceps work hard to keep the dumbbell under complete control throughout the lift and lower, while your core must be engaged to keep your torso upright.

2A  Hammer curl

How  Stand with dumbbells by your sides and palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps at the top. Lower them back to the start.

Why  Adjusting your wrist position so that your palms face each other for the entirety of the set shifts the workload to a different part of your biceps muscles, as well as recruiting your forearms.

2B  Triceps kick-back

How  Lean forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and arm bent holding a dumbbell. Raise the weight behind you until your arm is straight, then lower back to the start. Do all the reps on one side, then repeat with the other arm.

Why  The key to making this an effective triceps-building move is to make sure you fully contract the working muscle as you straighten your arm, and then to lower the dumbbell back to the start position under full control.

3A  Spider curl

How  Bend down and rest your elbows on your thighs, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight. Curl the weights up, squeeze your biceps at the top, then lower back to the start under control.

Why  It may raise a few eyebrows in the gym, but this exercise works your biceps through a full range of motion so you hit them from a slightly different angle, meaning even more muscle fibres are recruited.

3B Narrow dumbbell press-up

How  Get into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells that are touching. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. Bend your elbows to lower your chest, then press back up powerfully.

Why  Bringing your hands close together reduces the involvement of your chest and shoulders so your triceps muscles have to do a lot more of the hard work to lift and lower your torso.

As with dumbbell workout 1, week 2 of workout 2 increases the reps by two.

Again, the reps drop to 10 but another set is added and the tempo changes. Pause in the middle of the movement for one second for the first five exercises.

Add two more reps to each set.

Dumbbell Workout 3: Legs And Abs

1a  dumbbell squat.

How Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your chest up and core braced, bend your knees and push your hips back to squat down as deep as you can, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push back up through your heels to return to the start position.

Why It’s the classic lift for building bigger and stronger legs, and it’s a big compound lift that recruits multiple muscle groups too.

1B  Woodchop

How  Stand holding a dumbbell in both hands to one side. Squat down then stand back up while raising the weight up and across your body until it’s above your shoulder. Reverse the movement. Do all the reps then switch sides.

Why  It’s not as well known as other abs exercises, but do it right and you will build muscle across your entire core, as well as working your shoulders and lower back.

2A  Lunge

Sets  4  Reps  10 each side  Rest  0sec  Tempo  2010

How Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. With your chest up and core braced, take a big step forwards with one foot and lower until both knees are bent 90°, then push off your front foot to return to the start. Do all the reps with one leg, then switch.

Why The lunge provides many of the same benefits as the squat, but keeping your body stable as you lower and raise works your core harder.

How  Stand tall holding a dumbbell in both hands in front of your face. Raise it and move it around your head in a clockwise direction. Do all the reps, then repeat in an anti-clockwise direction.

Why  It will work your abs, which must be fully braced and engaged to keep your torso stable and upright, and it will improve the strength and mobility of your delicate shoulder joints for added injury-prevention benefits.

3A  Goblet squat

How  Stand tall holding one end of a dumbbell with both hands. Squat down, keeping your back straight and core braced, until the weight almost touches the group. Stand back up to return to the start.

Why  At this point of the session your legs will already be close to fatigue but this move, with a single dumbbell as resistance, will tax a few more muscle fibres for growth and keep your heart rate high for fat-loss benefits.

3B  Crunch

How  Lie flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell across your chest. Engage your abs, then raise your torso off the floor. Squeeze your abs at the top, then lower yourself slowly and under control.

Why  The crunch is great for developing your upper abs, but only if you do it right. And the added resistance of the dumbbell will force those muscles to up their game to lift and lower your torso without help from momentum.

Increase the challenge in the second week by adding two reps to every set.

The reps drop back to 10 this week, but the sets rise from four to five. An extra second is added to the eccentric phase for the squats and lunge, and pauses are added to the remaining three exercises.

An extra two reps are added to every set in this final week.

Dumbbell Workout 4: Shoulders

1a  overhead press.

How Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, with your palms facing forwards and elbows out to the sides. Keeping your chest up, press the weights directly overhead until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start.

Why  The key to building bigger, wider shoulders is to make these muscles work through their full range of motion, so make sure you lower the dumbbells all the way back to the start position at the end of each rep.

1B  Lateral raise

How Stand with light dumbbells by your sides and palms facing each other. Lean forwards slightly, then raise the weights to the sides, leading with your elbows. Slowly lower them back to the start under control.

Why This is a fantastic move for hitting your side delts – the section of the shoulder muscles that, when developed, creates a strong and wide upper body.

2A  Arnold press

How  Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing you. Press the weights directly overhead, rotating your wrists as you lift, until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start.

Why  It’s a similar lift to the straight overhead press, except your wrists rotate as you move the weights – and it’s this added movement that will fire up even more muscle fibres.

2B  Upright row

How  Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body with straight arms. Keeping your chest up and leading with your elbows, row the weights up until your hands reach chin height. Lower back to the start.

Why  Building bigger shoulders means you also need to work your traps, which is what this lift does brilliantly. Don’t go too heavy at first – it’s better to perform quality reps than max-weight ones – and never jerk the weights up and down.

3A  Front raise

How  Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body with straight arms. Keeping your chest up and arms straight, raise the weights in front of you to shoulder hit. Lower back to the start.

Why  This lift hits the front of your shoulders predominantly and, as with all shoulder moves, make sure you are controlling the weight at all times – it should never be controlling you. You can’t add muscle if you’re injured.

3B  Shrug

How  Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand with straight arms. Keeping your chest up, core braced and arms straight, shrug your shoulders. Pause at the top, then lower the weights back to the start.

Why  It’s another great move for bigger traps, and the best thing about this move is that you can go heavy because its range of motion is so short. Keep everything tight and shrug the weights up powerfully to make it more effective.

Progress this working by adding two reps to every set of every exercise. 

Add an extra set in the third week, but drop the reps back down to 10 per set. Take an extra second to lower the weights in the press exercises, and pause for one second after lifting the weights for the other four exercises.

Repeat the sets, rest and tempo from week three, but add two more reps.

Dumbbell Workouts FAQs

Can you build muscle just with dumbbells.

“Yes, you can most certainly pack on muscle using dumbbells alone,” says personal trainer Emily Servante, global trainer education manager at Ultimate Performance .

“Research shows that when you factor in variables such as frequency and intensity, machines and free-weight exercises trigger similar amounts of muscle growth. The reason for this is simple: when you’re lifting weights, your body doesn’t know whether you’re using barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, machines, rocks or even carrier bags filled with tinned cans. All the body experiences is the resistance they provide, and the tension your muscles generate to move the load, which is the primary stimulus for building and developing muscle tissue.

“And, in most cases, machines, barbells and dumbbells can apply similar amounts of stress to your muscles, meaning the muscle-building potential is broadly similar.

“If you exercise in a reasonably well-stocked gym, chances are you will have access to dumbbells ranging from 1kg to 50kg, or perhaps even heavier. For the vast majority of people, that is going to be enough to ensure you can continue to progressively overload, which is crucial for hypertrophy [the process of building muscle].”

What are the advantages of using dumbbells versus other weights?

“With dumbbell exercises, you have a greater range of motion than you do with machines or barbells,” says Servante. “ For example, if you’re performing a dumbbell chest press, you aren’t only pushing the weight upwards, you’re also stopping it from falling sideways. As a consequence, dumbbell exercises distribute resistance across more muscle groups than machines. And a greater range of motion will certainly help with increased mobility in your joints. 

“Another great benefit of dumbbells is their ability to let you perform isolation moves. Isolation moves are single-joint exercises that are really effective at targeting specific muscles in a way that is more difficult with barbells, which lend themselves more to compound exercises . 

“While it’s not always the case, most dumbbell exercises also allow you to provide more variation to your training by manipulating factors like grip width. For example, during a close-grip dumbbell bench press your triceps must work harder than with a conventional bench press. In contrast, machines lock you into a given range of motion and are generally less versatile, so you would need multiple machines to allow you to train your whole body.”

Nutrition Tips

When you’re exercising this hard you need to make sure you’re giving your body enough fuel to both complete the workout and repair itself afterwards. That means eating a balanced diet, ideally of home-cooked food if possible.

We’re sure you’re well aware that protein plays an important role in building muscle and you may think you should eat more of it while following this dumbbell workout plan. When we asked dietitian Susan Short how much protein you should eat each day to build muscle , she said 1.2-2g per kg of bodyweight a day, an increase on the 0.8-1.2 per kg of bodyweight a day that’s recommended for everyone. Before mixing up a protein shake, try to keep a rough tally of what you’re eating because you may well find you’re hitting the requirements already – typical diets in the UK and US skew protein-rich already. 

Short also recommended eating a 15-20g portion of protein reasonably soon after your workouts, but don’t rush – there’s no need to choke down a chicken breast before you’ve showered.

Don’t let the importance of protein make you neglect carbs. Short explained that your body will use protein for energy instead of rebuilding muscle if you aren’t getting enough carbs. And, of course, eating a variety of fruit and veg will supply the micronutrients and vitamins needed to build muscle and help your body cope with the demands this plan places on it.

If you need some direction, take some ideas from this muscle-building meal plan , and our guides to what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout – you may be surprised how much protein you can cram into a healthy meal. 

Joe Warner worked for Men’s Fitness UK , which predated, and then shared a website with, Coach . He was a staff writer from 2008 to 2009, then deputy editor until 2013. He returned as editor of Men’s Fitness UK from 2016 to 2019. He is currently group editorial director of IronLife Media and editorial director of the New Body Plan . 

• With contributions from Nick Harris-Fry

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The 15 Best Dumbbell Exercises You Need for Muscle and Strength

Barbells are so, like, yesterday..

• The Exercises
• Dumbbell Benefits

Free weights are great. They’re all the rage in commercial gyms and are the basis for multiple different strength-based sports . But when you get down into the nitty-gritty of it, you might find yourself paralyzed by the options. 

Do you base your workout around the barbell ? What about kettlebells ? They’re having a bit of a moment as well. And then, lined up in front of the mirror in nearly every commercial gym on the planet, stand dozens of dumbbells .

Dumbbells are one of the original tools of resistance training, and for good reason. You can put the power of changing your body (and mind ) directly into each hand, and properly train every single muscle in your body as well. 

Here are some of the best exercises you can perform with a pair of dumbbells, as well as the benefits they provide. 

Best Dumbbell Exercises

Dumbbell bench press, dumbbell row, dumbbell shrug, dumbbell pullover, dumbbell romanian deadlift, dumbbell flye, dumbbell lunge, dumbbell hammer curl, dumbbell skull crusher, incline dumbbell curl, goblet squat, arnold press.

• Renegade Row

Lateral Raise

If the standard push-up is a bit too easy for you, you might need to look beyond calisthenics for building up your chest . 

Any variation of a chest press will work just fine, but dumbbells specifically offer a few unique benefits to chest growth (and strengthening) that you can’t get from a barbell or a plate-loaded machine .

Benefits of the Dumbbell Bench Press

• Easier to perform in a crowded facility with multiple benches.
• Allows you to work your chest independently.
• Provides greater freedom of movement than a barbell.

How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press

Sit on the end of a weight bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. Brace your core and lean backward onto the bench, simultaneously straightening your arms as you settle into the starting position.

From here, lower the dumbbells slowly down until they graze your chest and then return them to arm’s length.

Coach’s Tip: Press up and slightly inward.

It may be hard to see your back without the assistance of a mirror, but, thankfully, a pair of dumbbells can help you build it just fine. The row (and its many, many variations ) is a staple back exercise.

Making dumbbells your weapon of choice is wise as well — something pro physique athletes and strength enthusiasts alike are aware of.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Row

• Can be performed safely with strict or loose form.
• Great for lat and biceps recruitment.
• Lets you even out any potential back imbalances.

How to Do the Dumbbell Row

Support your torso with your non-working arm and the corresponding knee on a bench. Use your working arm to grab a dumbbell and pull it up to your trunk.

Coach’s Tip: Think about putting your elbows in your pockets as you row. 

There’s really only one reliable way to beef up your traps or neck, and that’s the shrug. Simply elevating and depressing your shoulders is an easy enough motion to learn, the real question involves what equipment you should turn to to get the job done.

[Related: Try the Kirk Shrug for Massive Trap Gains ]

Benefits of the Dumbbell Shrug

• More convenient to perform than the barbell variation.
• Provides a strong isolated contraction to your traps.

How to Do the Dumbbell Shrug

Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in each hand. Lean slightly forward. Strongly contract your traps by elevating your shoulders up to your ears, holding for a moment, and then lowering them back down.

Coach’s Tip: You can alternate your reps from shoulder to shoulder or shrug both at once. 

There are a few exercises out there that are just a bit too useful . If you find a movement that works multiple opposing muscles at once — such as the pullover — you should stick with it, if not just for efficiency’s sake.

Luckily, the dumbbell is the perfect tool for performing (and perfecting) the pullover. 

Benefits of the Dumbbell Pullover

• Works both your back and chest at the same time.
• Improves your shoulder mobility provided you have good technique.
• Provides a strong contraction with relatively light weights.

How to Do the Dumbbell Pullover

Lie on your back on a bench with your arms above you, hands clasping the plate of a dumbbell. Slowly lower it back behind your head until your arms are roughly parallel with your torso. Return the dumbbell to directly above your head. 

Coach’s Tip: Try to get the dumbbell fully out of view to ensure proper range of motion. 

The hinge is one of your most foundational and essential movement patterns. You perform it on a daily basis whether you know it or not — bending over to pick up a child, or lift a crate, or even sinking into a respectful bow.

Training the hinge in the gym also helps you develop your hamstrings , calves, lower back, and glutes. Dumbbells are a fantastic choice if you want to make the Romanian deadlift part of your workout routine.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

• Allows for independent stimulation of your hip musculature.
• Hits your posterior chain without requiring a heavy barbell.
• The weights are closer to your midline, making it a bit easier on your back .

How to Do the Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Stand with a pair of dumbbells in your hands and your weight slightly shifted into your heels. From here, break at the hips and shoot your butt backward, allowing the dumbbells to fall down your thigh until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor. 

Coach’s Tip: Keep your head in a neutral position and don’t attempt to lock your gaze on a single location as you hinge. 

You don’t have to be enamored by heavy pressing to successfully add muscle to your chest . Your pecs’ other main anatomical function is humeral adduction, which is fancy phrasing for bringing your arm in toward your torso.

The flye exercise accomplishes just that, and dumbbells are the go-to piece of free weight equipment for the task. 

Benefits of the Dumbbell Flye

• Works your pecs through their biomechanical motion of shoulder adduction.
• Allows you to stress your chest with light weights.
• More convenient to perform than cable flyes , which are often occupied in busy gyms.

How to Do the Dumbbell Flye

Lie on your back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight above you. From here, open your arms slowly, palms to the ceiling. Your arms should open until they’re roughly parallel with your torso.

Coach’s Tip: When lifting the weights back up, think about shoving your upper arm against your torso. 

Squats are all well and good, but you can walk your way to strong, shapely, and powerful legs with lunges . 

By putting one foot in front of the other, literally, and loading yourself up with a pair of dumbbells, you can stimulate almost every muscle in your lower body at once and train your balance to boot. 

Benefits of the Dumbbell Lunge

• Hits both your quads and glutes simultaneously.
• Improves your balance.
• Weights in each hand help you maintain stability.

How to Do the Dumbbell Lunge

With a dumbbell in each hand, take a broad step outward in front of you and bend your knees to sink into a high split squat position. From here, push into the floor with your forward leg, and bring your back leg forward. Then, do the same motion with the opposing leg. Repeat.

Coach’s Tip: Don’t actively push with your back leg. Use it only to balance yourself. 

Dumbbells are the tried-and-true default tool for arm growth in most gyms, and for good reason. You can work your biceps independently to even out imbalances and prioritize the strongest contraction possible.

When it comes to building the brachialis, which lies underneath your biceps proper, your first and only stop should be the dumbbell hammer curl . 

Benefits of the Dumbbell Hammer Curl

• Works both your upper arm and forearm at once.
• Easy on your wrists, especially if you use a thumbless grip.
• Can be performed alternating or simultaneously depending on preference.

How to Do the Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Stand upright (or sitting on a bench) with a pair of dumbbells in your hands and your arms tucked to your sides. With control, bend your elbow and curl the weights upward, keeping your wrists in a neutral position, palms facing inward. 

Coach’s Tip: You can unwrap your thumbs for a bit more forearm activation if you want to challenge your grip.

Skull crushers are great for beefing up the backside of your upper arms, but plenty of people find them uncomfortable to perform for one reason or another. The exercise can sometimes be awkward or painful on the wrist or elbow joints.

Working with dumbbells instead gives you a first-class ticket to big triceps without having to worry about your joints the whole time. 

Benefits of the Dumbbell Skull Crusher

• Works the long head of your triceps.
• Friendlier for your elbows and wrists than the barbell version.

How to Do the Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Lie on your back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms straight above your head. From here, bend at the elbow and lower the weights down toward your head, keeping your upper arms stationary. Reverse the motion and squeeze your triceps to straighten your arms.

Coach’s Tip: You can experiment with different wrist positions to find the most comfortable posture.

You can adjust the stimulus on your arms during a curl by changing your posture. If your arm drifts behind your body, it stretches your biceps to a great degree, forcing them to work harder when you curl.

You simply can’t perform this exercise with the barbell — it’s not physically possible. This makes the incline dumbbell curl an indispensable tool for arm growth. 

Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Curl

• Works your biceps from a unique anatomical position.
• Creates a strong contraction with light weights.
• Simple technique and easy to learn.

How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Curl

Set an adjustable weight bench to roughly 45 degrees or slightly higher. Lie on your back and let your arms hang straight down, a dumbbell held in each. Bend your elbows to curl the weights up high while keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor at all times. 

Coach’s Tip: Set the bench at a high enough angle that your arm can comfortably rest behind your torso. 

Heavy, barbell-based back squats are second-to-none for leg growth and maximal strength. However, they can be intimidating to say the least. Or, you simply can’t get ahold of a squat rack in a crowded gym.

In either case, the goblet squat is at your disposal. It’s a fantastic beginner’s squatting exercise, and can also torch your quads if you’re in a hurry. 

Benefits of the Goblet Squat

• Fantastic teaching tool for learning the squat movement pattern.
• Works your quads and core simultaneously.
• Helps maintain a more upright torso than a barbell squat.

How to Do the Goblet Squat

Stand upright, holding a dumbbell aloft in front of your chest by the plate. The weight should not be resting against your torso. From here, find your squat stance and sit downward slowly as low as you can go. Try to maintain an upright torso and balance the dumbbell in the same place. 

Named after bodybuilding legend himself Arnold Schwarzenegger , this specific movement is tailored perfectly for blasting your entire shoulder. Moreover, the Arnold press is a pressing variation you flat-out can’t perform with a barbell. 

[Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Delivers a Message to the Russian People ]

Benefits of the Arnold Press

• Works all three heads of your deltoid to some degree.
• Stimulates smaller muscles like your serratus anterior .
• Teaches you to control your shoulder through multiple planes of movement.

How to Do the Arnold Press

Sit upright in a seat or bench with a pair of dumbbells in each hand. Your arms should be bent with the weights held in front of your face, palms facing you. From here, rotate your arms outward and up, pressing your arms overhead. Reverse the motion, rotating your arms back into the starting position to complete the rep. 

Coach’s Tip: Remember to rotate your arms and press the weights simultaneously instead of doing each motion separately. 

Renegade Row 

Combining your upper body work with some core training is wise if you’re trying to shave time off your workout routine.

Luckily, you can utilize dumbbells to build up your lats and forge an ironclad set of abs at the same time with the renegade row . 

Benefits of the Renegade Row

• Teaches you to contract your core while you pull a weight.
• Works your abs isometrically and your back dynamically.
• Requires only a pair of dumbbells to perform.

How to Do the Renegade Row

Assume a standard push-up position, but instead of your palms pressed against the floor, they should be gripping a pair of dumbbells that are resting on the floor. Then, alternate your arms as you row one dumbbell up to your trunk while keeping the other arm straight. 

Coach’s Tip: Avoid twisting your torso or sagging your hips as you row. 

For healthy, functional, and aesthetic shoulders , you need to train all three of the deltoid’s heads. To hit the middle, or lateral, aspect of your shoulder, you have to perform the lateral raise . It’s the only practical way.

What piece of equipment is ideally suited for the lateral raise? A pair of dumbbells. 

Benefits of the Lateral Raise

• One of the only ways to stimulate your side delts.
• Easy to learn the technique.

How to Do the Lateral Raise

Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in each hand down at your sides. From here, slowly raise your arms outward and upward until they’re roughly parallel with the floor, palms pointing down.

Coach’s Tip: Raise the weights out and slightly forward for optimal deltoid contraction. 

There are lots of small muscles between your elbow and wrist, and they need love too. Training your forearms takes a delicate touch since the movements you perform are equally delicate — a low amount of weight can go quite far here. 

To train your forearms properly, turn to the dumbbell rack. 

Benefits of the Wrist Curl

• Targets the small muscles of your forearms.
• Strengthens your wrists and your grip .
• Easy to get a good workout in with very light weights.

How to Do the Wrist Curl

Sit on a bench with a pair of light dumbbells in each hand hanging down at your sides. Then, flex your wrists hard to curl the dumbbells up a bit. 

Coach’s Tip: You can rest your forearms on your thighs or find another posture that allows you to comfortably flex your wrists against the resistance of the dumbbell. 

Benefits of Dumbbell Training

Dumbbells are for everyone — first-time gymgoer and professional athlete alike. If you’re wondering why they’re so widely used in the fitness industry, rest assured that they’re far from a fad. 

They aren’t the be-all, end-all of exercise equipment, but working with dumbbells provides more than a few unique benefits that you should be mindful of.

Corrects Muscle Imbalances

By their very nature, dumbbells allow you to work each of your arms or legs independently — as well as the corresponding muscles that move those joints.

This allows you to identify, attack, and remedy any imbalances or side-to-side weaknesses you may have. While a barbell or fixed-path machine can sometimes mask these issues (since you’re moving a single piece of resistance with both your arms, for example), dumbbells will quickly show you where your weak spots are so you can take the right actions against them. 

Targets Weak Points

As the dumbbell is a single-side implement, you can think of it as more of a scalpel than a hammer. Barbell exercises are wonderful for stimulating a lot of muscles quickly and with high loads.

However, barbells can’t hold a candle to the precise stimulation and resistance offered by a dumbbell. You’d find it difficult, for instance, to properly target your side delts with another type of free weight.

Independent Movement

When working with dumbbells, your limbs have more freedom and less restriction than if you used another implement. This can be particularly helpful when performing exercises such as the bench press , where your individual anatomy strongly impacts your form.

No one is perfectly symmetrical side-to-side; dumbbells allow your body to move as it was designed to, rather than having to adhere to a rigid or cumbersome path. 

Teaches Motor Control

Single-arm (or leg) exercises do a lot more for your body than just stimulating the muscle or muscles in question. 

When you load one limb at a time, your body still has to stabilize and control the transfer of force between the weight itself and the surface you’re in contact with. In practical terms, this means that a single-arm press will tax your core as it attempts to stabilize your spine, providing some “bonus” ab training. 

This principle holds true for any movement you opt to perform with, or on, one limb. 

Builds Plenty of Strength

If your priority is maximal strength above all else and at any cost, you should probably spend a lot of time with the barbell — especially if you’re aspiring toward a strength sport like powerlifting .

Barring that, you shouldn’t forsake dumbbells in your pursuit of getting stronger in general. They’ll work just fine for strength, even if you aren’t lifting comparably heavy weights as you would in a similar barbell-based movement. ( 1 )

Use Dumbbells to Lift Well

The equipment you use in the gym is less important than the sets and reps you select, which are less important than having motivation to be consistent in the first place.

That said, the devil is in the details when it comes to maximizing your fitness potential . Dumbbells shouldn’t make up your  entire routine (though they certainly can ) at all times, but they’re versatile, customizable, and easy to use. 

• Heinecke, M. L., Mauldin, M. L., Hunter, M. L., Mann, J. B., & Mayhew, J. L. (2021). Relationship of Barbell and Dumbbell Repetitions With One Repetition Maximum Bench Press in College Football Players. Journal of strength and conditioning research , 35 (Suppl 1), S66–S71. 

Featured Image: Adelaides / Shutterstock

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

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BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

The Ultimate Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

Looking for a full-body dumbbell workout routine to build muscle, gain strength, and get ripped? With Andy Speer's ultimate dumbbell circuit, you can work out wherever your gym is.

You don't need a gym filled with equipment to build serious muscle, strength, and conditioning. All you need is two dumbbells and a plan! I put together four complexes, each using nothing more than a pair of dumbbells and your body. Each complex will challenge you in a unique way.

Complexes are great because they force you to complete a high-volume workout in a short amount of time. The key is to hang on to the weight until you've completed all the movements. No rest until you've finished a round!

Try this workout, and if you like this style of training as much as I know you will, try the full 8-week program Total Fitness with Andy Speer in BodyFit!

Total Fitness is unlike any program you've ever tried, and perfect for training at home as well as in the gym. The first two-week phase, titled GPP + Total Fitness, includes only workouts that combine body weight with simple, strategic dumbbell work like loaded carries. And that's just 2 of the 8 weeks! 

Ready to try the best workout plan you never knew existed? Sign up for a 7-day free trial of BodyFit , and you can choose this, or one of our other programs, and start training better today!

Andy Speer's Dumbbell Strength Conditioning Workout

Watch the video - 7:12

The Ultimate Full-Body Workout

Before you get going on the workout, grab a 10-12-pound dumbbell and warm up by doing the following:

Once you've completed the warm-up , grab a set of dumbbells and get your mind ready. The first time you do the routine, just work through each complex as best as you can, and don't worry if it feels a bit awkward or the weights you have aren't ideal.

If you have more than one pair of dumbbells available, you'll probably want to increase or decrease the weight depending on the complex. In general, use as much weight as you can, but don't go so heavy you can't move well. Rest 2-3 minutes between complexes, and be ready to work.

Complex 1: Power and Strength Complex

When doing the cleans, use powerful hip extension to explode the dumbbells up, much like you would in the barbell clean.

When you're done with your second, clean them one more time and then start the push-presses. Use your legs! These aren't military presses . And definitely make sure to get a solid lockout at the top with your core tight.

After the third press, bring the dumbbells down to a rack position with the dumbbells at your chest, either in a somewhat neutral grip or facing you, whichever is most comfortable. Keep your core tight, and sit back to perform the front squats.

Complex 2: Hypertrophy

Now that you've done some explosive work, it's time to up the rep range for muscle growth.

For the first movement, lie on the floor and squeeze the dumbbells together as you press up, which will bring more chest into the otherwise triceps-heavy floor press. During the row, hold a safe spinal position, and really try to get a good squeeze at the top between your shoulder blades.

Don't alternate your legs on the reverse lunge. Perform 10 lunges on one leg before you switch to the next to maximize the stimulus each one gets. If your grip is feeling shot at this point, it's fine to hold the dumbbells in the rack position. The rack's going to give you a little more core work, but both exercises work the legs the same.

Complex 3: Core

You may not see anything in the exercises listed below that screams "core" like, say, the hollow-body rock from my " Quick Total-Body Workout ," but trust me, you'll feel these where you should.

To make this work as a complex, perform all of the exercises with your right arm, rest for 60 seconds, then go through the exercises with your left arm. Keep your core tight the whole time!

During the snatch, keep your core tight and posture solid, even when you start breathing heavily. When performing the farmer's carry, your body will naturally want to lean away from the weight, but try to lean into the weight to keep your torso nice and straight.

The get-up sit-up, or half get-up, is a great exercise for your core and far less complex than the full get-up. Keep your eyes on the dumbbell and your shoulder locked into the socket. Push through your heel on the bent-leg side.

When doing plank rows, I like to elevate my nonworking arm on a dumbbell so I get a full range of motion . Widening your legs will help your hips square to the floor.

Complex 4: Conditioning

The final complex in this workout will test your conditioning . It may not look like much, but if you spend a little time in a split stance, you'll see why I use this as a finisher. When you're in a split stance, keep that back glute really tucked and tight and your torso vertical while you do the hammer curl. Switch legs before moving to the shoulder press.

During the split switch, try to keep your hips as low as possible. You'll get off the ground a little bit, but you don't want to be jumping around a lot. The key is to move your feet quickly and keep your torso nice and vertical.

Implementing This Workout

Perform this workout twice per week for 2-3 weeks, resting at least two days between the workouts. If you like the results, keep going with it! Once the workouts start to feel static, add weight or reps, or decrease the reps. Do whatever you can to challenge yourself every time!

Ultimate Full-Body Dumbbell Workout: Full Version

About the Author

Andy Speer's 25-year career in athletics and fitness has given him more opportunities, confidence, and purpose than he could have ever dreamed. His passion is helping others improve...

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17 Best Full Body Dumbbell Exercises (& 4 Total Body DB Workouts)

Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder

Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute

July 21, 2021

Most would agree that big, compound, FULL BODY exercises are the best way to build muscle, increase strength, lose body fat, and even improve athleticism...or, in other words, get into tip-top shape.

And while barbell and bodyweight exercises are great, thanks to the versatility of dumbbells, your options for effective total body dumbbell exercises are innumerable. Dumbbells are arguably the best equipment for full body workouts.

On that note, we’ve put together 17 of the best full body dumbbell exercises (meaning exercises that hit both the upper and lower body in one go) that you can add to your workouts. We also have highly effective total body dumbbell workouts at the end for those who want to do dumbbell-only workouts that target muscles head to toe.

BENEFITS OF TOTAL BODY EXERCISES & WORKOUTS?

When it comes to compound exercises, full body exercises and complex exercises, the main benefits are:

• You burn a lot more calories, which is great if your goal is fat loss.
• You improve intramuscular coordination, which is great if you want to improve athleticism.
• Your heart rate will elevate higher, which is great if you want some cardiovascular health benefits.
• You will be moving through a greater range of motion, which is great for improving flexibility and mobility (resistance training is a form of dynamic stretching) AND your muscles will have greater stretching tension and contraction tension, which is great for hypertrophy. 
• You can typically use heavier loads, which is best for improving strength and muscle mass.
• You will get an increase in the good hormones (like testosterone), which will make you feel great and, of course, further increase your ability to build muscle. 

When it comes to total body dumbbell workouts using big compound movements, you get all of the same benefits above, but in regards to the workouts themselves, the main advantages are:

• Your workouts will be far more efficient.
• You’ll get a high weekly frequency of muscle stimulation (studies show hitting each muscle group twice or multiple times per week is best for building muscle and strength)
• You are much less likely to get DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) since you are hitting your muscles more frequently and with less total volume per workout.
• You only need to workout 3-4 days per week.
• Workouts are easy to plan as there is no “fluff” involved. You will do three to five big movements and that’s it.
• You can’t throw off your routine if you miss a workout as all your muscles are still going to be stimulated that week regardless. 

MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS & MOVEMENT PATTERNS

Although full body exercises act on multiple joints and activate multiple muscle groups, a single exercise will not emphasize every single muscle in your body and they typically won’t involve more than two movement patterns, so it’s important to have variety in your exercise selection. 

Ideally, each big compound exercise in your workout will have at least two major muscle groups as the primary movers.

Moreover, each week, you will want to work your body through the basic movement patterns, which are squat/lunge, hinge (vertical and horizontal hinges), push (vertical and horizontal pushes), pull (vertical and horizontal pushes), and core (through all three planes of motion). As you'll see, many of our total body dumbbell exercises involve a combo of two movement patterns. 

For reference, here are the major muscle groups to target:

You have many other muscles in your body that are important of course, but by doing compound, full body exercises, the smaller muscles should have sufficient stimulation.

Note: Although pretty much every major muscle group will be activated to some degree each workout, as you are doing full body movements, you don’t have to specifically target each muscle group every workout. For example, one workout may emphasize your quads, glutes, core, chest, and triceps (i.e. focusing mainly on squat and push patterns), while the next emphasizes your calves, hamstrings, glutes, core, back and biceps (i.e. focusing on hinge and pull movement patterns). These are still full body workouts even though you aren't doing an exercise for every single muscle group. Just be sure that everything gets checked off ✅ each week. 

CAN YOU BUILD A GOOD PHYSIQUE WITH ONLY DUMBBELLS?  

Dumbbells are extremely effective for building muscle, increasing strength, improving athleticism and burning fat. Furthermore, they are probably the most versatile training tool there is. So, if all you had access to was dumbbells, you most certainly can build a good physique. Dumbbell exercises and bodyweight exercises are more than enough to get in and stay in stellar shape.

WHAT SIZE DUMBBELL FOR FULL BODY EXERCISES?  

This is going to depend on your fitness and strength level. It is also going to depend on what the full body exercises is that you are doing. Some full body exercises are best done with heavy dumbbells (relative to your strength) while others should be done with light dumbbells, even if you are really strong. So, you will have to use your best judgement, which will be pretty easy as even by just looking at the exercises below you can get a good idea if its an exercise that should be done with a light, medium or heavy load. Overall, when it doubt, start light.

Related: What weight dumbbell should I buy?

17 BEST FULL BODY DUMBBELL EXERCISES

Below are 17 of the best total body dumbbell exercises. Most of these are not just simple compound exercises, they are truly full body dumbbell exercises as they will involve both the lower and upper body, acting on multiple joints and targeting multiple muscle groups.

After going over all the exercises, we have some full body dumbbell workouts that incorporate these exercises. So, stick around...

1. Dumbbell Squat with Bicep Curl  

When it comes to total body compound exercises, the dumbbell squat with bicep curl is actually pretty simple in terms of mechanics, which makes it a great exercise for all fitness levels. 

The main target of this exercise is the quads, glutes, biceps, and forearms, but your core and back will also be working hard to maintain stability and good posture. 

How to do the Dumbbell Squat with Bicep Curl:

• Stand up straight with your feet about hip width apart and the dumbbells held in a neutral grip extended to your sides.
• Squat down to parallel, keeping the dumbbells extended to your sides.
• Drive up from your heels while simultaneously curling the dumbbells. Try to keep your elbows pinned in place to your sides as you curl the dumbbells.
• When in the standing position, slowly lower and rotate the dumbbells down to your sides into a neutral grip. This is one rep.

2. Dumbbell Forward Lunge with Tricep Extension

The dumbbell forward lunge with tricep extension is not only a great exercise for your legs, glutes and triceps, but it is also a good athletic builder as it is going to test your balance and coordination, which means you are going to build good core stability with this one.

And, of course, like other total body dumbbell exercises, it is going to burn a lot of calories fast. 

How to do the Dumbbell Forward Lunge with Tricep Extension:

• Stand up straight with your feet hip width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
• Press the dumbbells up overhead and then down behind your head so your elbows are flexed at about a 90 or less than 90 degree position.
• Step forward with your left foot and lunge down until your legs are at about 90˚.
• From the lunge position, extend at the elbows to bring your arms straight up overhead. 
• Bring the dumbbells back down behind your head then press through the heel of your front leg to get back to a standing position.
• Repeat to the opposite side. That’s one complete rep.

3. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge with Single Arm Front Raise

Like the prior full body exercises, this one combines a standard compound leg exercise with an isolation arm exercise. In this case, it is a reverse lunge with a front raise. 

As such, this exercise is going to work the legs, glutes, front delts , and serratus anterior , as well as the upper chest to a degree.

Being that it is a single leg, single arm unilateral movement, it is also going to significantly involve core and back strength for stability and posture.

All in all, this is a really great exercise to build up athleticism and get that heart rate pumping.

How to do the Dumbbell Reverse Lunge with Single Arm Front Raise:

• Step back with your right leg while keeping your left leg planted in position. As you lunge back and down, simultaneously perform a front raise with your right arm (keeping the dumbbell held in a neutral position).
• When you reach the bottom of your lunge, drive force from the heel of your left foot to come back to a standing position, and as you do this, slowly lower the dumbbell so that it is back at your side when you reach the standing position.
• Perform this movement on the same side for a number of reps, then repeat for the same number of reps on the opposite side. If you left leg stays in front, then your right arm raises, and if your right leg stays in front, then your left arm raises.

4. Dumbbell Burpee  

The dumbbell burpee is definitely an advanced exercises as the bodyweight burpee alone is killer.

However, if you think you have what it takes to scale up the intensity of the already-brutal movement and want to add a little more hypertrophy potential, grab a pair of dumbbells and get to burpee-ing. 

Overall, this is the true definition of a full body exercise. Dumbbell burpees are going to activate every single muscle in your body and they are going to burn a ton of calories. It’s going to be brutal, but worth it.

How to do the Dumbbell Burpee:

• From a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand held to your sides in a neutral position, squat down then place the dumbbells to the floor about shoulder width apart and hop your feet back into a plank.
• From the plank position, you can either perform a push up or immediately hop back into the squat/deadlift position, then lift the dumbbell up (while keeping your spine as straight as possible).
• As you come up, explode off your feet so your jump into the air with the dumbbells at your sides.
• Try to land as softly as possible, so land with a slightly bend in your knee, not with your knees fully extended. This is one complete rep. 

Be sure to start light. This is not an exercise where you will want to go heavy. Jumping with heavy kettlebells can put too much pressure on your spine. You can also skip the explosive jump at the end and rather just squat up to a standing position. 

Related: Benefits of Burpees

5. Dumbbell Clean  

The dumbbell clean is typically thought of as a kettlebell exercise, but it can most certainly be done with dumbbells, and effectively so. 

It’s a great complex, multi-phase, multi-joint exercise that is going to help you build mass and brute strength while burning a lot of calories at the same time. The clean is also an exercise that can be done with relatively heavy dumbbells. 

The primary muscles worked are your hamstrings, quads, glutes, calves, spinal erectors, traps, shoulders, and biceps, and essentially all other muscles are working to stabilize the movement.

How to do the Dumbbell Clean:

• Pick the dumbbells up off the floor and stand up straight with the dumbbells at your sides. This is the starting position.
• Push your hips back and lower yourself into the bottom of a squat. The dumbbells will be at your sides. Make sure to keep your shoulders back and your spine straight.    
• From this bottom squat position, drive up from the heels of your feet just like a normal squat.
• When the dumbbells reach your knees start to explode through your hips by driving them forward. At the same time, shrug your shoulders towards your ears and whip the dumbbells up your sides, bringing your elbows back and then driving them forward to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders (in a hammer curl position).
• When the dumbbells reach your shoulders (you can keep them pressed against your shoulders/body), pull yourself to the bottom of a squat and press back up through your heels with the dumbbells remaining at shoulder level.
• Once you are back in the standing position, carefully let the dumbbells come back down to your sides with your arms extended. This is one complete rep. 

Go light to start. Really work on getting your form down pat. Only then can you start attempting heavier dumbbell cleans.

6. Dumbbell Close Grip Shoulder Press Sit-Up  

The dumbbell close grip shoulder press sit up is not technically "full body", as it is doesn’t act on the lower body. However, it does involve the entire upper body , so it is still a fit for this article.

The exercise is a sit up with a simultaneous overhead press. As such, it is going to hit the core/low back (big time), chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and even upper back.

If you don’t have a strong core, work on building core strength with standard sit ups and planks before attempting this exercise, because if you don’t have the strength, it can put too much pressure on your spine. 

How to do the Dumbbell Close Grip Shoulder Press Sit Up:

• Get into a sit up position. Ideally, you want something to hold your feet down.
• Place the dumbbells on your chest and upper abs, like a close grip hammer press.
• Perform a sit up while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells up overhead. By the time you reach the top of the sit up, your arms should be extended overhead.
• Lower back down from the sit up slowly while bringing the dumbbells down carefully and controlled. Don’t let your elbows flare out.

7. Dumbbell Overhead Carry  

The dumbbell overhead carry is a farmer’s carry with the dumbbells held up overhead. Ergo, it’s a harder variation. 

Like standard farmer’s carries (aka farmer’s walks), this is a total body exercise for improving strength, power, cardiovascular health and endurance. It’s great for the legs, core, and traps, and since the dumbbells are held overhead, your shoulders, upper chest, triceps, and entire back are going to be working overtime to keep them there. 

Note: You’ll have to go a lighter than you would with farmer’s carries. After all, you are holding the dumbbells up overhead rather than to your sides, but you should still attempt this exercise with relatively heavy dumbbells when you are ready.

How to do the Dumbbell Overhead Carry:

• Stand up straight with your dumbbells held using a neutral grip (hammer grip).
• Press them up overhead (still neutral grip).
• Walk, slowly and controlled. Aim for 15-50 meters per set. 

There are other variations that you can try, such as doing single arm overhead carries or up down overhead carries (with one pressed up overhead and the other dumbbell in the starting press position up by your shoulder).

Regular overhead carries are great for the core, but these other variations bring balance, coordination, and stability into play more.

8. Dumbbell Front Plank Arm Leg Raise  

This is like a plank on steroids. So, if you have trouble with regular bodyweight only planks, you might not be ready for this. You are going to need some serious core strength and stability to perform this exercise.

Essentially it is a bird dog from a plank position while holding onto dumbbells. Again, not easy.

It is going to work your pretty much every muscle in your body one way or another (either isotonically or isometrically), but it emphasizes the abs, obliques, low back, shoulders, chest, triceps, upper back, hamstrings, and glutes.

Start light and use hex or 12-sided type of dumbbells as the round ones will only make things harder to stabilize.

How to do the Dumbbell Front Plank Arm Leg Raise:

• Get into a high plank position with your hands on the dumbbell handles. The dumbbells should be placed horizontally using an overhand grip.
• Make sure your spine is straight (don’t let your hips sag). Stay solid.
• Simultaneously raise your right hand and left leg up. Your arm, back and leg should make a straight line almost parallel with the floor.
• Hold the position for a second, then lower your hand/dumbbell and leg back down to the floor.
• Reset to ensure your body is stable, then repeat on the opposite side (left hand and right leg up). 

9. Dumbbell Iron Cross

You’ve probably never seen this exercise before, but it is one we recommend testing out. 

The iron cross is a total body dumbbell exercise that places emphasis on the quads, glutes, shoulders, and chest, but as you are holding the dumbbells out in front of you or to your sides throughout the exercise, your back and core will be working very hard to stabilize the movement and keep your posture upright.

How to do the Dumbbell Iron Cross:

• Stand up straight with your feet about shoulder width apart and the two dumbbells held in a neutral grip.
• As you squat down, raise the dumbbells up and forward so your arms are extended and in line with your shoulders. Squat down to parallel.
• As you come up from the bottom of the squat, pull the dumbbells away from each other so that when you reach the standing position, your arms are extended directly to your sides (still at shoulder level).
• Squat back down and as you do so, rotate the dumbbells back to your centerline.
• Then squat up and rotate them to your sides again. The dumbbells will remain at shoulder height with your arms extended for the duration of the exercise. 

10. Dumbbell Kneeling Hold to Stand

Here we have a full body dumbbell exercise that is great for building durability and brute strength. We highly recommend this one for athletes who want to build power and injury resilience.

The dumbbell kneeling hold to stand is going to work all your major muscle groups, especially the quads, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, and traps, as well as your entire core, which includes your obliques and erector spinae . 

How to do the Dumbbell Kneeling Hold to Stand:

• Get into a high kneeling position.
• Press the dumbbells up overhead using an overhand grip. This is your starting position.
• Bring your left foot up and step it into a half-kneeling position (keeping the dumbbells up overhead).
• From here, press up from the ground into a standing position (maintaining the dumbbells position overhead).
• From the standing position, step your right foot back and drop down into the same half kneeling position.
• Then, to a tall kneeling position.
• The next rep, do the same thing but this time your right leg will be the leading leg.
• Repeat for an even number of reps so that you work both sides equally. 

11. Dumbbell Single Leg Knee Drive Step Up with Bicep Curl

The step up alone is a great exercise for the quads, hamstrings and especially the glutes. This full body variation takes things to the next level. It involves a knee drive and a bicep curl as you perform the step up, which is going to work the hip flexors, biceps, and forearms, but also is going to seriously test your balance. To maintain balance, your core and glutes/hip abductors are going to need to be fully engaged.

So, if you are looking for an athletic based total body dumbbell exercise that fills a lot of needs with one deed, this is a great one. 

How to do the Dumbbell Single Leg Knee Drive Step Up with Bicep Curl:

• Standing in front of a platform or bench with the dumbbells held at your side using a neutral grip.
• Step your right foot onto the platform and drive your body up with that leg while simultaneously performing a knee drive with your left leg and a bicep curl with both arms.
• From this position, lower your left leg back to the floor and the dumbbells back to your side. Then, bring your right foot off the platform and back to the floor.
• Repeat the same movement pattern with the opposite leg (left leg) stepping onto the platform this time.

12. Dumbbell One Arm Snatch  

The dumbbell snatch is an explosive exercise that will increase total body power and strength with an emphasis on your shoulders, quads and back. Being that this is a “single arm” variation, it is also an anti-lateral movement, so your core is going to have to fight to keep your body from leaning to the working side. 

How to do the Dumbbell One Arm Snatch:

• Grab the dumbbell with your right hand using an overhand grip. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your hips down into a squat position until the dumbbell is resting on the floor in-between your feet. Try to align your working side’s shoulder with the dumbbell.
• Explosively pull the dumbbell straight up while simultaneously extending your knees and hips.
• As you whip the dumbbell up overhead, put a bend in your knee and then once the dumbbell is overhead with your arm extended, drive up from your heels to a full standing position with the dumbbell still up overhead.
• Carefully bring the dumbbell back down from overhead and then repeat.

13. Dumbbell Thruster

The dumbbell thruster is one of the best total body exercises in the game. The movement is pretty simple, but it is definitely not easy, especially if you are using a reasonable weight load. 

This exercise is as compound as it gets, acting on all your joints. As such, it really does work almost every muscle in your body, but it emphasizes your quads, glutes, core, and shoulders. If you are looking for an exercise that can build muscle and power while also burning a ton of calories, the dumbbell thruster is it.

Note: You can also do single arm dumbbell thrusters if you want to change up the dynamics of the exercise a little.

How to do Dumbbell Thrusters:

• From a standing position with your feet about shoulder width apart, bring the dumbbells up to shoulder level keeping neutral grip. Your elbows will be shooting forward.
• Squat down as low as you can with good form.
• Drive up from the heels of your feet while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells up overhead. As you press the dumbbells up, rotate your hands outward so your palms are facing forward as the dumbbells reach the top.
• Lower the dumbbells back down to a neutral grip at shoulder level. This is one complete rep. 

14. Dumbbell Squat Press  

The dumbbell squat press is essentially a goblet squat with a Svend press added at the bottom. 

Assuming you don’t know what a Svend press is, it is simply a press out of a dumbbell (or plate) with your hands together from the center of your chest. So, from a vertical position, you press the weight straight out from your chest until your arms are fully extended. This primarily works the pec major and the shoulders. 

As such, the main target of the dumbbell squat press is the quads, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, chest, and even your biceps. Moreover, it also requires your core and back to work isometrically as to maintain stability and an upright posture.

How to do the Dumbbell Press Squat:

• Get into a standing squat stance and hold a single dumbbell in a vertical position with both hands on the handle. Keep the dumbbell just in front of your chest, but not touch your chest.
• Squat down as deep as you can and when you reach the bottom of the squat, press the dumbbells straight forward until your arms are extended (keeping the dumbbell at upper chest level).
• Return the dumbbell back close to your chest, then squat up, driving force from your heels. This is one complete rep.

15. Dumbbell Push Press  

The dumbbell push press is an explosive overhead press that brings the hips and knees into play to allow for heavier dumbbells to be used. This makes it a great exercise for building muscle mass and explosive strength. 

The primary lower body muscles targeted during a push press are the glutes (the prime movers of the quarter squat portion of this exercise), hamstrings, quads, and calves. The primary upper body muscles are the deltoids (prime mover of the overhead pressing motion), traps, forearms, and triceps. And like any full body dumbbell movement, the core and scapula stabilizers are worked to maintain stability and good posture.

How to do the Dumbbell Push Press:

• Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width apart. Bring the dumbbells up to shoulder level (however, not touching your shoulders). The dumbbells should be held with a neutral hammer grip throughout the exercise.
• Perform a quarter squat and as you come up (explosively), press the dumbbells straight up overhead. When the dumbbells reach the top of the press, you will be standing with your legs extended and hips in a neutral position (although a slight bend in your knee is good for stability).
• Lower the dumbbells down slowly to shoulder level. This is one rep.

Related: Push Press Exercise Guide

16. Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat  

The dumbbell renegade row to squat is a complex exercise that involves multiple exercises combined into one. 

This movement combines a plank, row, and a squat all in one. As such, you are going to be working all your major muscle groups, whether isotonically or isometrically.

The plank hits your glutes, core, chest, triceps and shoulders in an isometric fashion. The renegade row (which is a row from a plank position) works your biceps, back, and rear delts. And the plank to squat works your legs, glutes, low back and traps. 

All in all, you can expect this exercise to be exhausting. 

How to do the Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat:

• Get into a high plank position with your hands on the dumbbell handles. The dumbbells should be placed vertically in a neutral grip.
• Perform a right arm row, then a left arm row.
• From the plank position, hop your feet up so the dumbbells are in-between them.
• Then lift the dumbbells off the floor and squat up. When performing the squat and picking the dumbbells up off the floor, be sure to get your hips low and keep your back straight by pulling your shoulders back and keeping your chest up as much as possible.
• When you reach the top of the squat, squat back down and put the dumbbells to the floor in a neutral position, then hop back into the plank. This is one complete rep. 

17. Dumbbell Jumping Lunge  

The dumbbell jumping lunge is an explosive exercise that is going to work your legs, core, arms and traps. However, this is primarily a dumbbell leg exercise , and thanks to the explosiveness of the movement, one of the main benefits of this exercise is increased calorie burn.

You should not use heavy dumbbells. Basically, the dumbbells are used just to scale up the intensity of the jumping lunge, which is normally just a bodyweight plyometric movement (similar to doing dumbbell burpees). 

We love to incorporate this kind of whole body dumbbell exercise at the end of our workouts as a burnout. It also makes for a good addition to an intense HIIT workout. 

How to do the Dumbbell Jumping Lunge:

• Hold the dumbbells in a neutral grip and step your left foot back so you are in a split squat position.
• Lower your back leg down, then explode up into a jump bringing your back foot forward and your front foot back so that when you land, your left foot is in front and your right foot is in back.
• Repeat, lunging then jumping one foot forward and one foot back for the duration of the set.

BONUS EXERCISE: THE DEVIL'S PRESS

FULL BODY DUMBBELL WORKOUT  

You are obviously not going to do all of the above total body exercises in one workout, so you will need to pick and choose exercises that fit well together. 

Here are some examples of full body dumbbell workouts using the exercises above...

WORKOUT #1 - SETS X REPS:  

• Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat: 3 sets x 10 reps
• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge with Front Raise: 3 sets x 10 reps each side
• Dumbbell One Arm Snatch: 3 sets x 10 reps each side
• Dumbbell Jumping Lunge: 3 sets x 20 reps total

WORKOUT #2 - CIRCUIT:

• Dumbbell Squat with Bicep Curl x 10 reps
• Dumbbell Push Press x 10 reps
• Dumbbell Burpees x 5 reps

Repeat for 2 more rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds. 

• Dumbbell Clean x 10 reps
• Dumbbell Overhead Carry x 20 meters
• Dumbbell Squat Press x 10 reps

Repeat for 2 more rounds. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds.

WORKOUT #3 - AMRAP:  

10 Minute Total (As Many Rounds As Possible):

• Dumbbell Forward Lunge with Tricep Extension x 8 reps
• Dumbbell Thruster x 8 reps
• Dumbbell Kneeling Hold to Stand x 8 reps
• Dumbbell Burpee x 8 Reps

Rest only when needed. The goal is to do as many rounds as possible within 10 minutes. 

WORKOUT #4 - HIIT:

• Do all 17 exercises above, one after the other, 30 seconds work followed by 15 seconds rest. This will take you about 12.5 minutes. 
• Dumbbell Burpees x 20 seconds
• Dumbbell Thruster x 20 seconds
• Dumbbell Jumping Lunge x 20 seconds
• Dumbbell Close Grip Shoulder Press Sit-up x 20 seconds 

Do one exercise after the other with 10-15 seconds in-between exercises. Repeat for 4 rounds. This is a total of 8-10 minutes. 

More Dumbbell Resources:

• Dumbbell Chest Exercises
• Dumbbell Back Exercises
• Dumbbell Quad Exercises
• Dumbbell Glute Exercises
• Dumbbell Hamstring Exercises
• Dumbbell Arm Exercises
• Dumbbell Rear Delt Exercises
• Dumbbell Biceps Exercises
• Dumbbell Triceps Exercises
• Dumbbell Ab Exercises

Sam Coleman

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18 best dumbbell exercises for a full-body workout

While cardio exercise gets all the glory when it comes to heart health, strength training is an important component of a  heart-healthy fitness routine .

The American Heart Association recommends adding strength training to your routine at least twice a week. But a recent  study  found that weight training even just once a week can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Dumbbells are a go-to when it comes to strength training equipment, and for good reason. Whether you’re a beginner , have lofty strength goals or are in a time crunch, dumbbells can be the answer to an effective workout. Regardless of your fitness level or location, you can easily pick up a pair of dumbbells and get a good sweat in! 

Best full-body dumbbell exercises

These 18 dumbbell exercises are great staple moves to get you started. You can string 5-7 together for a well-rounded, full-body workout. The moves will target your entire arm (including your biceps, triceps and shoulders), your core and your legs . I recommend starting with light weights (think: 2 or 3 pounds), and working to increase your repetitions to 15 before increasing the weight.

Hold the weights down by the thighs; keeping them vertical. Bring the arms up on a diagonal and out as wide and as high as the shoulders. Lower the weights down. Repeat 10 times.

Marching in place with bicep curl

This move combines a simple march in place with a bicep curl. Begin marching in place, making sure to bring your knee up so that your thigh is parallel with the ground. Once you establish a pace, begin to incorporate the bicep curl. When your right knee is in the air, perform a bicep curl with your left arm. Continue to alternate, keeping a comfortable pace. Perform 10 bicep curls with each arm.

Curtsy lunge with dumbbell

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the dumbbells in front of your chest. Step your right leg behind you and to the left, crossing it behind your left leg, while lowering into a lunging position (as you would to perform a curtsy). Return that leg to a standing position before lunging with the left leg by crossing your left leg behind the right. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Side extension with calf raise

Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and reach the arms down along your sides. Pull the abs in. Then extend the arms straight out to the sides and up as high as the shoulders. Rock forward onto your tip toes and engage your calves. Then lower the arms down to the starting position and lower the heels. Repeat 10 times.

Renegade rows

Before you set up in a plank position, come on to all fours and place a dumbbell on either side of you, next to your shoulders. In tabletop position grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Then push up into a plank position or a modified plank position on your knees. With your back straight and core engaged, keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor as you drive your left elbow up toward the ceiling. Lower back to starting position. Alternate arms, performing 10 repetitions on each side. 

Squat with punches

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, one in front of each shoulder. Bend down into a squat , squeezing your glutes and abs. As you return to a standing position, extend your right arm straight out in front of you in a punching motion. Bring your right arm back in and squat back down. This time as you return to standing, extend your left arm straight out in front of you in a punching motion. Repeat 10 times per arm.  

Standing overhead reach with side taps

Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold one dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows and lift the dumbbells into a goal-post position so that they are aligned with your shoulders. Breathe in and push the left arm up overhead as you tap the left foot out to the left, then come back to center. Repeat to the right. Alternate sides for 10 reaches per side.

Russian twist

The Russian twist is a great addition to any core workout . The twisting motion works your obliques, so you’re activating multiple core muscles at once, and adding a dumbbell takes it one step further. Sit on the ground with your knees bent and feet either hovering above the floor or resting on the ground. Tilt your upper body backward to a 45-degree angle (this will feel like you are at the top position of a situp ). Hold one dumbbell with both hands, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your shoulders away from your ears. By lifting your feet off the ground, you’ll give your abs an extra challenge. (For a modification, keep the feet on the ground.) Keeping the dumbbell in front of your chest, twist your torso to the right reaching the dumbbell toward the floor. Then move back through center and twist to the left, tapping the dumbbell on the floor. Perform 10 times on each side.

Overhead press

To start, hold the dumbbells in a goal-post position with the weights in alignment with the ears. The upper arms should be parallel to the ground and the forearms perpendicular to the ground. Press the weights up overhead, in front of your forehead slightly so that you can see them with your eyes without tilting your head up. Then bring them back to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times.

Tricep kickback

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one weight in each hand, and let your arms hang down at your sides. Hinge forward at the waist so that your chest is tilted at a 45-degree angle toward the ground. Perform a row by pulling your elbows up toward the sky, hugging them into your sides. Then, holding the elbows static, bring the weights up and back toward the back of the room into a tricep kickback , working the upper back and back of the arms. Come back to the row position and then repeat 10 times.

Bent over row

Stand with both feet on the floor, knees slightly bent and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms and fingers facing in. Hinge at the hips tilting the chest toward the ground at a 45-degree angle. Keep your chest open, looking forward, and roll your shoulders back. Pull both arms back as if you’re lifting a box from the floor. You’ve completed your first rep! Be sure to keep your elbows hugged in to your sides and your back straight. Repeat 10 times.

Backward lunge

Plant your feet on the ground and stand tall, keeping your back straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides; they should remain here throughout the exercise. Step your right foot back and lower down until there is a 90-degree bend in your right knee. Your right thigh should be parallel to the ground. Step back to standing tall and then repeat with your left leg. Alternate, performing 10 repetitions on each side.

Hammer curl

Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides and your palms and fingers facing in toward your body. Making sure your palms remain facing in toward the body, lift both arms up toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows glued to your sides. Slowly lower both arms back down to your sides. Repeat 10 times.

Overhead tricep extension

Stand with your feet hips-width apart. Grab one dumbbell with each hand and extend both arms straight up overhead. Bring your hands together so that the weights are touching. Keeping your elbows facing forward and your biceps glued to your ears, lower the weight directly behind your head. Bring your arms back up to the extension over your head and repeat 10 times.

Good mornings

Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold them on your shoulders with palms facing inward. Slightly bend your knees, keeping your back straight and core engaged as you hinge at the hips. Push your hips back until your torso is parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position, then repeat 10 times.

Romanian deadlift

Standing with feet hip-width apart, slightly bend your knees. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, push your hips back to hinge forward. Think of trying to push your butt against a wall behind you or shut a door with your butt. Maintain an engaged core. Press your feet into the floor as you allow the dumbbells to brush down your legs stopping around your shins. Each person is different, but the goal is to continue moving down your legs until your hips can’t push back any further and you feel a  stretch in the hamstrings . Pause, then return back to the starting position by engaging the hamstrings. Repeat 10 times.

This exercise only requires one dumbbell. Lie on your back on a flat surface and grab your dumbbell with both hands, think of cupping one end of the dumbbell for an optimal holding position. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Raise the dumbbell up so it’s over your chest. Slowly let the dumbbell move behind your head, keeping your arms straight, until it creates a 45-degrees with the floor. Return back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and  weight-loss coach  for women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-loss  challenge and follow her for daily inspiration on  Instagram and in her  new app .

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The 12 Best Dumbbell Workouts You Can Do at Home

By Christa Sgobba, C.P.T.

You don’t need a gym’s worth of equipment to get in a solid workout. The best dumbbell workouts—which can work every muscle in your body—can be done right in your living room. So even if your gym or fitness studio is closed due to the new coronavirus , your fitness routine can still continue at home.

Dumbbells are great equipment options because they are super versatile. You can use them to hit your entire body, from the smaller muscles in your arms like your biceps and triceps to the larger muscles in your chest, back, and legs. They’re also helpful for unilateral work, where you work one side at a time (like with a single-arm overhead press), which is key to identifying and fixing strength imbalances.

If you don’t already have a pair or two at home, though, they can be kind of hard to find right now, as many people are beefing up their home gyms while their physical gyms are temporarily shuttered. There still are some options at bigger retailers like Amazon and Target , but I’ve found better inventory at speciality retailers like Perform Better and SPRI . (If you can’t find any weights available, you can also use whatever you can find at your house, like water bottles or laundry-detergent containers. They might be lighter (or heavier, depending on what you’re using) than what you’re used to, though, so you may have to change up your reps, how long you rest, or how quickly you move through the exercises.

Once you have your equipment ready, take a look at the best dumbbell workouts below to find your next new favorite workout. There are options here that’ll smoke your entire body (like Workout #2), make you sweat buckets (HIIT-focused Workout #9), or really hammer your upper body (Workout #3), butt (Workout #12), or lower body (Workout #4). Try a few to slot into your weekly routine.

An Upper-Body Workout That’s Gentle on Your Shoulders

In order to keep your shoulders healthy, it’s important to train the muscles that surround them—like your lats, triceps, and biceps—without stressing the joints themselves. This dumbbell workout does just that. Created by Corinne Croce, D.P.T., cofounder of Body Evolved in NYC, this dumbbell workout uses moves like chest press, bent-over rows, and skull crushers to work your upper body while protecting your shoulders.

Try the workout .

A Full-Body Workout With Dumbbells

This full-body routine is a great choice when you want to work every muscle in your body during one workout. Created by Amy Eisinger, C.P.T., this workout includes lower-body moves like curtsy lunge to lateral lunge, upper-body exercises like biceps curl to overhead press, and core moves like tuck-ups. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself with heavier weights for this one—as long as your form remains on point.

A Chest Workout That Hits Your Arms and Shoulders Too

The best kind of chest workout doesn’t only include exercises that specifically hit your chest muscles. In order to make the most of your workout, you need to work the supporting muscles, like your shoulders and triceps, which help you perform those “pushing” movements. Created by Sivan Fagan, founder of Strong With Sivan in Baltimore, MD, this dumbbell workout supplements staple moves like chest press and push-up with shoulder presses and triceps extensions to work all those muscles.

A 4-Move Lower-Body Workout

Some of the best workouts are super simple: You don’t need a lot of moves to get in a solid routine. This workout, which was created by Eisinger, uses just four moves—goblet squat, marching glute bridge, split squat with lateral raise, and bicep curl to overhead press—but because they’re performed in a ladder format (decreasing the number of reps each set before climbing back up), your muscles will definitely be feeling it.

The 15-Minute Workout That Will Light Up Your Arms

If your only equipment is a set of medium-weight dumbbells, this is the workout for you. Created by Kara Faulk, personal trainer and instructor at Barry’s Bootcamp in New York City, this workout uses compound movements like overhead presses and isolation moves—think lots of bicep-curl and tricep-kickback variations—to work the front and back muscles of your upper arms. There are 12 moves total, but you’ll be done in 15 minutes.

By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

By Ashia Aubourg

By Malia Griggs

A Total Body Low-Impact Workout

Low impact doesn’t have to mean low intensity. This full-body workout, which was created by Nate Bahr, a certified personal trainer and corporate personal trainer at Anytime Fitness, uses compound moves—like goblet squats, rows, and single-leg deadlifts —to help you get your heart rate up. You’ll definitely break a sweat, but it’s low impact on your joints.

A Simple Dumbbell Workout That Will Challenge Your Core

There are just three moves in this workout—wide squat to narrow squat, split squat with lateral raise, and toe-touch crunch—but they’re all you need to get in a great lower-body workout. Designed by Eisinger, this dumbbell lower-body workout is a solid choice for beginners, but you can play with the rest and work intervals to make it challenging for advanced exercisers too. Try the workout .

This Legs and Arms Workout Takes Just 20 Minutes

If you have only 20 minutes to work out—and you want to get your upper body and lower body working—you definitely should try this circuit created by Eisinger. You’ll start with the curtsy lunge to lateral lunge, go right into the biceps curl to overhead press, and then finish off with bird-dog crunch. If you still want more after that, you can try a bonus extra core move at the end.

A 10-Minute Total-Body Dumbbell HIIT Workout

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a great choice for exercisers when they want to work hard but have a limited amount of time to do so—it involves intense bursts of work interspersed with little rest. This workout, created by Gerren Liles , NASM-certified personal trainer at Mirror, includes six different circuits, but it takes just 10 minutes to complete. And when you’re done, you’ll have completely challenged your quads, glutes, back, arms, and core.

An Easy-to-Follow Lower-Body Strength Routine for Beginners

If you’re just getting started lifting weights—maybe you’ve already done some bodyweight moves, but want a little more challenge—a simple, easy-to-follow workout is key. Created by Alyssa Expósito , a certified personal trainer in New York City, this workout uses four exercises to work your front and back leg muscles, as well as your glutes. The best part is, the exercises are based on super-functional movements, like the hip hinge and squat, so you’ll be creating a strong lifting foundation too.

An Upper-Body Dumbbell Workout for Beginners

If the workout above is all you need for leg day, then this is the routine for beginners if you want to try upper-body work too. Created by Expósito, this upper-body workout focuses on functional movement patterns, like pulling and pushing, to get you familiar with some common exercises, like rows and presses.

The Dumbbell Butt Workout That Takes Just 15 Minutes

Get ready to work your butt muscles from all angles. This workout, which was designed by Lena Marti, a NASM-certified personal trainer in New York City, targets your gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius with a range of exercises like sumo pulse squats, donkey kicks, single-leg deadlifts, and Bulgarian split squats.

• The 12 Best At-Home Workouts You Can Do Without Any Equipment
• 10 Amazing Triceps Exercises That Will Seriously Work the Back of Your Arms
• 11 Great Leg Workouts to Kick Up Your Lower-Body Routine

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Home Dumbbell Workout

HOME DUMBBELL WORKOUT

More on: total body.

• Full Body Workouts
• Calisthenics Workouts: The Complete Guide
• 10 Minute Full Body Home Workout
• Best Beginner Full Body Workout

You can build muscle at home with the dumbbells you have now if you know how to train properly with them.

Not all of us have access to entire sets of dumbbells or a gym membership. I’m going to show you a full-body dumbbell workout to get the most out of the dumbbells you have at home, including the exact exercises to do, the sets, reps, and rest times.

One dumbbell, a pair of dumbbells, lighter weight, heavier weights, or adjustable dumbbells…it doesn’t matter.

The great thing about this home workout is that you’ll be training your entire body with no additional equipment outside of your dumbbells, not even a bench!

There are 6 total lifts. The first 4 hit your shoulder muscles, arms, chest, back and legs, and the last 2 are optional direct arm work thrown in for a killer workout.

HOME DUMBBELL EXERCISES

This workout allows you to select a single or pair of dumbbells for each exercise. Reps and sets are easy to remember.

Rest times vary depending on how heavy your weights are.

The first 4 exercises are going to be done in sets of three in the 6 to 8 rep range. If the dumbbells that you have allow you to fail within that range, then you’ve got the right dumbbells.

But what happens if you don’t?

If you have heavier weights, perform the single dumbbell exercise variation. If you have lighter weights, use a pair of dumbbells, or simply do the set until you reach failure with dramatically decreased rest time to increase the metabolic effect.

Rest between sets for 90 seconds to 2 minutes if you’re able to fail within the 6-8 rep range.

If you have lighter weight dumbbells that don’t allow you to fail before 8 reps, perform the exercise to failure followed by 45-60 seconds of rest. Adjusting recovery time helps equalize the workout program for everyone, no matter what weight you’re using.

1) DUMBBELL CLEAN UP AND OVER / clean and press

This is an explosive dumbbell lift that works your shoulders , back , biceps , brachialis, and legs , in one exercise.

Explosively clean the dumbbell up to one shoulder, press it up and overhead to the other side, bring it back down to the floor and repeat.

Proper form is important here. Keep your core tight. Catch the dumbbell on your shoulder at the same time you plant your feet flat so that you’re in contact with the ground, ready to absorb the dumbbell weight eccentrically, which prepares you for an explosive overhead clean to the opposite shoulder.

If you’re using a pair of dumbbells, do the Dumbbell Clean and Press.

Clean and press the left dumbbell to your left shoulder and right dumbbell to your right shoulder, dip down into the press-up position, then press, lower, and repeat.

These clean variations work the same muscles, but use slightly different techniques, depending on whether you have one, or a pair of dumbbells. If you have limited weight, choose the single dumbbell option.

Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions, choosing a weight that would allow you to fail within that range. Rest time in between sets would be 90 seconds to 2 minutes if you’re doing higher reps using lighter weight.

Perform these to failure and simply decrease recovery time to 45-60 seconds rest to turn this into a metabolic burnout.

2) DUMBBELL GOBLET Lunge / dumbbell lunge

The second exercise will brutalize your leg muscles, whether you use one dumbbell or a pair of dumbbells.

This single move combines reverse lunges and goblet squats.

Raise a single dumbbell into the starting position for goblet squats. Step backward into a reverse lunge, then back up and then perform a goblet squat.

If you’re using two dumbbells, choose the weight you can do for 6 to 8 repetitions on each leg for 3 total sets.

Maintaining a slightly wider stance is key to this exercise. Starting position is the goblet squat stance for a wider base of support when you go back into your reverse lunge.

People too often lunge directly backwards, narrowing the base of support too much, so you wind up losing your balance. When the goal is building muscle, balance should not be your focus. Keeping your legs a little bit wider will provide you with the stability you need to focus on new muscle growth.

3) DUMBBELL T-BAR ROW

The T-Bar Row is a classic lift you can do with a single dumbbell. Use a crush grip to mimic the mechanics of the T-Bar Row form.

If you have access to a pair of dumbbells, you can do this variation.

Utilize your legs for the first quarter of the motion to help you to move bigger weights and to move them more explosively.

Focus on correct form as you perform the exercise. Tilt the heels of your hands downward for extra range of motion so the dumbbell is less likely to hit your torso at the top.

Bend enough at the waist to create a greater load on your lats but do so without compromising your low back and rounding it.

Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions.

4) DUMBBELL CRUSH GRIP FLOOR PRESS / FLOOR PRESS

No bench, no problem. The Crush Grip Floor Press is a great upper body pushing exercise that’s going to hit your chest muscles, shoulder muscles and triceps.

If you’re only using one heavy dumbbell, squeeze both hands as hard as you can on the handle with an inward force to create that isometric abduction to really light up your chest.

Extend the dumbbell up and over your body to work your shoulders and triceps like you would with any other bench press.

If you have a pair of dumbbells, the traditional floor press is an option. Choose a weight that’s going to cause failure in the 6 to 8 rep range for 3 sets.

Keep those reps higher if you’re using lighter weight dumbbells and decrease rest time to no more than 45 to 60 seconds.

ADD THESE EXERCISES FOR JACKED ARMS

If you’re looking for bigger, jacked arms add these two additional exercises: direct lifts for biceps and triceps.

The direct triceps exercise of choice here is one I’ve done myself and it is very challenging.

5) DUMBBELL TRICEPS FLOOR EXTENSIONS / diamond grip floor extensions

It can easily be done with a pair of dumbbells or converted into a single dumbbell option by simply using an open palms-up diamond grip.

Use a hammer grip if you’re using a pair of dumbbells. Let all the motion be at your elbow joints. Don’t drive too much with your lats.

Concentrate instead on your triceps by bending at the elbow joints, limiting the range of motion to elbow flexion–not shoulder extension. The upper arm should remain pretty still and the forearm should be what moves. The shoulders shouldn’t be moving much at all.

Do 10 to 12 reps to failure for 3 sets.

6) DUMBBELL WAITER CURLS / ALTERNATING DB CURLS

Our biceps exercise–the Dumbbell Waiter Curl–is tailor made for a single dumbbell.

This is the dumbbell waiter curl. Because you can go pretty heavy with this curl variation, you can really build up your biceps. This is one of my favorites, so I hope you try it.

Hold the dumbbell on one end, using the palms up grip. This decreases the mechanical advantage of the biceps by lengthening the lever arm an inch or two. Be sure to keep your core braced, as the weight will be a little farther in front of you than it is with classic dumbbell curls.

As with our triceps extension, do 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

If you have a pair of dumbbells and don’t want to utilize this option, use the classic biceps lift, Standing Dumbbell Curls. It’s another great way to target your biceps. Use alternating form so you can make sure the biceps are doing all the work here, and I’m not limiting yourself by either strength or core weakness.

Here’s a recap of the “Jacked” home dumbbell workout. Remember to select the exercise variation that’s best depending on light dumbbells or heavy dumbbells, and adjust rest times for the weights you have available.

If you know how to train with dumbbells, there’s always something you can do no matter how many dumbbells you have: one dumbbell, a pair of dumbbells, a whole rack of dumbbells. I predict this will be one of the most challenging dumbbell workouts you’ll find.

This dumbbell exercise routine will hit your entire body utilizing no extra equipment, making it the perfect option to help you get jacked at home.

If you’re looking for a complete training program that you can do at home with just dumbbells, look no further.  Check out our ATHLEAN-X programs to see which of our programs best fits your needs.

• You don’t need an entire rack of dumbbells or a commercial gym membership to get a full-body workout.
• This workout can be done in your home with just one dumbbell or a pair of dumbbells.
• There are 4 lifts that hit your entire body: shoulders, chest, back, and leg muscles, and two optional exercises that work biceps and triceps.
• Exercise selection can be tweaked based on whether you have one, or a pair of dumbbells.
• The first 4 dumbbell exercises are performed for 6 to 8 reps for 3 sets with 90 seconds to 2 minutes’ rest time in between. If your dumbbell option doesn’t allow you to fail before 8 reps, perform the exercise to failure then drop rest between sets to 45-60 seconds.
• The optional biceps and triceps exercises are performed for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, applying the same rules for rest between sets.

HOME DUMBBELL WORKOUT FAQS

Can I build muscle with just dumbbells?

Yes, you can definitely build muscle with just dumbbells. It’s possible to train the entire body with no additional equipment outside of your dumbbells, not even a bench.

Can you work out at home with just dumbbells?

Yes, you can work out at home with just dumbbells and no other equipment. It’s possible to work all of the muscles in the body with just the dumbbells you have at home.

Can I get ripped with dumbbells only?

Yes, it is possible to get ripped with only dumbbells. To build muscle over time, you will need a set of adjustable dumbbells that will allow you to adjust the weight upward as you become stronger.

What size dumbbells should I use for a home workout?

You can do this home dumbbell workout regardless of what size dumbbells you have at home. If your dumbbells allow you to fail in a 6-8 rep range, you have exactly the correct weight. But if your dumbbells are heavier you can use the single dumbbell exercise variation. If your dumbbells are too light, you can use the pair you have and either do the set until you reach failure and/or reduce rest time.

Jeff Cavaliere M.S.P.T, CSCS

Jeff Cavaliere is a Physical Therapist, Strength Coach and creator of the ATHLEAN-X Training Programs and ATHLEAN-Rx Supplements. He has a Masters in Physical Therapy (MSPT) and has worked as Head Physical Therapist for the New York Mets, as well as training many elite professional athletes in Major League Baseball, NFL, MMA and professional wrestling. His programs produce “next level” achievements in muscle size, strength and performance for professional athletes and anyone looking to build a muscular athletic physique.

Read more about Jeff Cavaliere by clicking here

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Build full-body strength at home with this seven-move dumbbell workout

Build muscle and boost your metabolism with this 30-minute routine

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• The workout

Strength training isn't just for muscle-bound men and women in the gym; it's for everyone. Doing it regularly will not only help you build muscle, it will also strengthen your bones and joints, improving your mobility and reducing your risk of injury.

If you're looking for a simple routine to get started, try this seven-move strength session from fitness trainer James Stirling ( London Fitness Guy ). It works your entire body using just a couple of dumbbells.

To do it, perform the seven exercises for 12 repetitions each, resting 20 seconds (or more, if needed) between each move. 

Decathlon 10kk/22lb adjustable dumbbell: was $59.99 , now $25 at Target

Save $34.99 Want the perks of a premium adjustable dumbbell without the inflated price tag? Then look no further. This Decathlon set offers weight options from 2kg to 10kg per dumbbell, thanks to the removeable weight plates, as well as quick clip collars to save you time when changing the load. It's currently discounted, ahead of the Black Friday sales. 

Watch the London Fitness Guy's full-body strength workout

A post shared by LFG / HOME WORKOUTS 💪🏻 (@london_fitness_guy) A photo posted by on

Stirling's top tips

To make this routine as effective as possible, Stirling recommends choosing a challenging weight: "If it’s too comfortable in the last few reps, go heavier," he says.

Your body adapts to handle new challenges, so by tasking it to lift a really heavy dumbbell you'll achieve the stimulus needed to build strength.

You'll need to keep increasing your weights if you want to continue to get stronger. This process is called progressive overload and it's the key to building muscle. 

A pair of adjustable dumbbells can be a great tool for training this way at home, offering plenty of weight options in one compact package. 

Benefits of this workout

Stirling's workout is time-savvy and accessible. You can do it at home, as long as you have 30 minutes to spare and a set of dumbbells. 

The compound exercises he's chosen will work every major muscle group in your body, including the arms, shoulders, back, chest, legs and core. It's a comprehensive routine that should build full-body strength. 

Your bone density, joint strength and mobility will also be boosted by strength training, leaving you less susceptible to injuries. 

Need some help choosing weights? Our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells can help.

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Harry Bullmore is a Fitness Writer for Fit&Well and its sister site Coach, covering accessible home workouts, strength training session, and yoga routines. He joined the team from Hearst, where he reviewed products for Men's Health, Women's Health, and Runner's World. He is passionate about the physical and mental benefits of exercise, and splits his time between weightlifting, CrossFit, and gymnastics, which he does to build strength, boost his wellbeing, and have fun.

Harry is a NCTJ-qualified journalist, and has written for Vice, Learning Disability Today, and The Argus, where he was a crime, politics, and sports reporter for several UK regional and national newspapers. 

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There’s something intensely satisfying about lifting with barbells . After all, there’s nothing like loading up a bunch of steel and conquering a new personal best in the deadlift . But when push comes to press, dumbbell training offer a lot more versatility. As far as equipment goes having a dumbbell lying around doesn’t take up much space, there easily accessible and can be found in the dinkiest of hotel fitness center or a family members garage.

Many people who want to change their bodies believe that they need access to a fancy gym thats stocked with expensive gym equipment to get the job done. They hem and haw about paying the gym membership fees and consider paying for a personal trainer. Which is all well and good except more often than not they pay and just don’t go. So skip the gym membership and invest in yourself rather than a personal trainer.

Using just a pair of dumbbells and this dumbbell-only routine you’ll be able to hit all the major muscle groups in your body, and build a stronger body in only 30 minutes a day.

Why it works

Dumbbell training allows you to workout one side of your body at a time, which is great for curing any strength imbalances you’ve developed. And because each limb moves independently, your core has to brace harder to prevent you from tipping to one side. So with this in mind dumbbell workouts are great for stabilizing the core and building abs.

Frequency: Do this workout three times per week, in the following sequence, resting at least a day between each session.

How to do it: Perform as straight sets, completing all the prescribed sets for one exercise before moving on to the next. On all one-handed (or one-legged) moves, repeat with opposite limb. That’s one set.

The 7 Advantages of Dumbbell Training

Ditch the barbell and pick up a pair of dumbbells.

Want a copy on the go?

The total-body dumbbell workout, do 3 times per week, floor press, bentover dumbbell row, weighted situp, renegade row, goblet squat, one-arm overhead press, single-leg romanian deadlift, dumbbell one-arm swing.

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• Workout Routines

The Best Dumbbell Workouts You Can Do At Home

Looking for a free dumbbell workout routine you can do at home ? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve created a ton of different workouts for a variety of goals, schedules, and preferences over the years, but most were designed with a gym in mind. That’s why they often contain a mix of dumbbell exercises, barbell exercises, machine exercises, and body weight exercises.

This is great if you actually have all of this equipment available to you… but what if you don’t ?

What if you’re working out at home and there’s:

• No fancy machines.
• No barbell with hundreds of pounds of plates.
• No squat rack.
• No adjustable bench.

What if all you have available are dumbbells ? In that case, this one is for you.

Here Are Two Dumbbell Workouts

I’ve taken two of my most popular workouts and redesigned them so they can be done at home with practically nothing but dumbbells.

The Beginner Dumbbell Workout Routine

The muscle building dumbbell workout routine.

Let’s take a look at both…

Just like my original beginner workout , this dumbbell-only version uses the same  3-day full body split  with the same alternating “ABA BAB” format.

Here’s what that looks like…

• Monday:  Workout A
• Tuesday:  off
• Wednesday:  Workout B
• Thursday:  off
• Friday:  Workout A
• Saturday:  off
• Sunday:  off
• Monday:  Workout B
• Wednesday:  Workout A
• Friday:  Workout B

As you can see, even though there are 3 training days per week, there are just 2 actual workouts.

The first is the “A” workout and the second is the “B” workout. You then alternate between them each training day so that you end up doing ABA one week, and then BAB the next, and so on.

Also note that the exact days of the week you choose to train on is up to you and your own schedule. All that really matters is that you keep the same every-other-day format intact with 2 consecutive days off at the end (as shown above).

Now let’s look at the workouts themselves…

• Dumbbell Squats, or Goblet Squats, or Split Squats, or Lunges (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was barbell squats in the original routine, so in this workout, we’re simply replacing it with a dumbbell squat variation. You can pick whichever one you like best.
• Dumbbell Bench Press, or Dumbbell Floor Press, or Push-Ups (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was originally flat barbell bench press, so here we’re changing it to flat dumbbell bench press (if you have a bench), dumbbell floor press (if you don’t have a bench but still want to do a pressing movement), or push-ups (if you don’t have a bench, don’t like floor presses, or just happen to prefer push-ups in general). Just keep in mind that in order to progress with push-ups, you’ll eventually need to find a way to add resistance (by wearing a weighted vest or backpack filled with weight, using a band, etc.).
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rows, or Inverted Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: Bent over dumbbell rows can be done with both arms simultaneously, or one arm at a time. If preferred, some form of inverted row can be done in this spot instead, although it will require some additional home-friendly equipment, such as TRX. Band rows can also work in this spot if you have bands.
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was conventional deadlifts in the original routine, but the problem with doing a conventional deadlift with dumbbells is that it turns into more of a squat/deadlift hybrid exercise due to the line of pull, so my preference is to do dumbbell Romanian deadlifts instead to keep the emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes rather than the quads.
• Pull-Ups, or Band Pull-Downs, or Bent Over Dumbbell Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was pull-ups in the original workout, so if you have a way to do them at home, that’s perfect. If not, you can get a set of bands (super cheap and not going to take up any space) and do band pull-downs (just like lat pull-downs, but with a band). If neither of those exercises are doable, the next best option would be another type of rowing movement (e.g. bent over dumbbell rows, band rows, etc.). To place more emphasis on your lats (like pull-ups and lat pull-downs would), do these rows with your elbows tucked in close to your sides and pull the weight more toward your hips/lower stomach rather than your upper stomach/chest.
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This can be done seated or standing, whichever you prefer.

Beyond the changes in exercise selection that were made to suit a home-friendly dumbbell workout, everything else about the original version of this routine (the method of progression , the importance of focusing on proper form first , etc.) applies here just the same.

Check out the original program for all of those details: The Beginner Weight Training Workout Routine

On to the next one…

And now for the dumbbell version of my intermediate muscle building routine . Just like that original program, this one is built around the 3-4 day upper/lower split .

Here’s what the 4-day version looks like…

4-Day Upper/Lower Split

• Monday:  Upper Body A
• Tuesday:  Lower Body A
• Wednesday:  off
• Thursday:  Upper Body B
• Friday:  Lower Body B

If you have the available schedule and recovery capabilities to handle 4 weight training workouts per week in this format, this is the split you should use. And while this is probably the most common way to schedule it (many people like having weekends off), the exact days you choose doesn’t matter as long as a similar template of training days and rests days is kept intact.

3-Day Upper/Lower Split

• Wednesday:  Lower Body A
• Friday:  Upper Body B
• Monday:  Lower Body B
• Wednesday:  Upper Body A
• Friday:  Lower Body A

If you can’t work out 4 days per week, or have issues with recovery when training 4 days per week, or if you just prefer training 3 days per week instead of 4, then this 3-day version of the split is perfect for you. Yet again, the exact days you choose isn’t important as long as a similar structure is kept intact.

Now for the workouts themselves…

Upper Body A

• Dumbbell Bench Press, or Dumbbell Floor Press, or Push-Ups (choose one) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was originally flat barbell bench press, so here we’re changing it to flat dumbbell bench press (if you have a bench), dumbbell floor press (if you don’t have a bench but still want to do a pressing movement), or push-ups (if you don’t have a bench, don’t like floor presses, or just happen to prefer push-ups in general). Just keep in mind that in order to progress with push-ups, you’ll eventually need to find a way to add resistance (by wearing a weighted vest or backpack filled with weight, using a band, etc.).
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rows, or Inverted Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes:  Bent over dumbbell rows can be done with both arms simultaneously, or one arm at a time. If preferred, some form of inverted row can be done in this spot instead, although it will require some additional home-friendly equipment, such as TRX. Band rows can also work in this spot if you have bands.
• Incline Dumbbell Press, or Any Chest Compound Exercise (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes:  This was incline dumbbell press in the original routine, so if you have an adjustable bench, it would still be ideal in this spot. If you don’t, the next best option would be pretty much any other chest compound exercise (dumbbell floor press, any sort of push-up variation, band chest press, etc.), preferably one that is different in some way from the one you’re doing earlier in this workout.
• Pull-Ups, or Band Pull-Downs, or Bent Over Dumbbell Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was lat pull-downs in the original workout, so pull-ups would be a great replacement if you have a way to do them. If not, you can get a set of bands (super cheap and not going to take up any space) and do band pull-downs (just like lat pull-downs, but with a band). If neither of those exercises are doable, the next best option would be another type of rowing movement (e.g. bent over dumbbell rows, band rows, etc.). To place more emphasis on your lats (like pull-ups and lat pull-downs would), do these rows with your elbows tucked in close to your sides and pull the weight more toward your hips/lower stomach rather than your upper stomach/chest.
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises 2 sets of 10-15 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes:  This can be done with both arms simultaneously, or one arm at a time.
• Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes:  This can be done with both arms simultaneously (holding a single dumbbell), or one arm at a time.
• Dumbbell Curls 2 sets of 12-15 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes:  Any form of dumbbell curl variation could be done in this spot. For example, standing curls, alternating curls, seated curls, concentration curls, hammer curls, or anything similar. Pick your favorite.

Lower Body A

• Romanian Deadlifts 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was the barbell Romanian deadlift in the original program, so replacing it with the dumbbell version works perfectly.
• Dumbbell Squats, or Goblet Squats, or Step-Ups, or Lunges (choose one) 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was leg presses in the original, so pretty much any quad-dominant compound exercise that can be done with dumbbells would be fine in this spot.
• Home Leg Curl, or Hip Thrust Variation, or Glute Bridge Variation (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was leg curls in the original workout, so the closest replacement here would technically be some type of similar hamstring isolation exercise involving knee flexion. There are a few home-friendly ways to do leg curls (like this , this , or this ). Or, if you’d simply prefer to have more glute emphasis in this program, you can do some type of glute bridge or hip thrust variation in this spot instead.
• Standing Calf Raises 4 sets of 6-8 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was standing calf raises in the original routine as well, only now you’ll need to do them off of a step (or something like it) while holding a dumbbell for additional resistance.
• Abs x sets of 8-15 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes: Just like in the original version of this workout, I don’t have any specific recommendations for ab exercises . Just spend about 10 minutes or so doing a few sets of whatever you want.

Upper Body B

• Pull-Ups, or Band Pull-Downs, or Bent Over Dumbbell Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes:  This was pull-ups in the original workout, so if you have a way to do them at home, that would still be ideal. If not, you can get a set of bands (super cheap and not going to take up any space) and do band pull-downs (just like lat pull-downs, but with a band). If neither of those exercises are doable, the next best option would be another type of rowing movement (e.g. bent over dumbbell rows, band rows, etc.). To place more emphasis on your lats (like pull-ups and lat pull-downs would), do these rows with your elbows tucked in close to your sides and pull the weight more toward your hips/lower stomach rather than your upper stomach/chest.
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This can be done seated or standing.
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rows, or Inverted Rows, or Band Rows (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: Bent over dumbbell rows can be done with both arms simultaneously, or one arm at a time. If preferred, some form of inverted row can be done in this spot instead, although it will require some additional home-friendly equipment, such as TRX. Band rows can also work in this spot if you have bands.
• Dumbbell Bench Press, or Any Chest Compound Exercise (choose one) 3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was flat dumbbell bench press in the original workout, so if you have a flat bench, it would still be ideal. If you don’t have a bench, then pretty much any other chest compound exercise you’re able to do (dumbbell floor press, any sort of push-up variation, band chest press, etc.) would be fine here.
• Dumbbell Fly, Dumbbell Floor Fly, or Band Chest Fly (choose one) 2 sets of 10-15 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes: This was dumbbell flies in the original routine, so if you have a bench, that would still be a good choice here. If you don’t have a bench, dumbbell floor flies or some type of band fly (which is basically cable flies with a band instead of a cable) would be the next best options to choose from.
• Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes: Any form of dumbbell curl variation could be done in this spot. Pick your favorite.
• Dumbbell Skull Crushers 2 sets of 12-15 reps. 1 minute rest between sets. Notes: This can be done on a bench if you have one, or on the floor if you don’t. If skull crushers bother your elbows , you can do tricep kickbacks instead, or some type of overhead dumbbell extension, or some type of band push-down if you have bands.

Lower Body B

• Dumbbell Squats, or Goblet Squats, or Step-Ups, or Lunges (choose one) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. 2-3 minutes rest between sets. Notes:  This was barbell squats in the original routine, so we’re replacing it with some other quad-dominant dumbbell exercise. Pick whichever one you like best.
• Dumbbell Split Squats  3 sets of 8-10 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was split squats in the original version, so doing dumbbell split squats here works perfectly. If you’d prefer to use split squats as your primary exercise in this workout and do one of the other variations in this spot instead, that’s perfectly fine.
• Home Leg Curl, or Hip Thrust Variation, or Glute Bridge Variation (choose one) 3 sets of 10-12 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was leg curls in the original workout, so the closest replacement here would technically be some type of similar hamstring isolation exercise involving knee flexion. There are a few home-friendly ways to do leg curls (like this , this , or this ). Or, if you’d simply prefer to have more glute emphasis in this program, you can do some type of glute bridge or hip thrust variation in this spot instead.
• Seated Calf Raises, or Standing Calf Raises (choose one) 4 sets of 10-15 reps. 1-2 minutes rest between sets. Notes: This was seated calf raises in the original routine, so if you’re able to safely recreate that with dumbbells, it’s doable. If not, or if you’d just prefer not to, you can simply do standing calf raises again like you did in the Lower Body A workout.

Beyond the changes in exercise selection that were made to suit a home-friendly dumbbell workout, everything else about the original version of this routine (the method of progression, etc.) applies here just the same.

Check out the original program for all of those details: The Muscle Building Workout Routine

Frequently Asked Questions

Now let’s answer some questions you may have about these workouts…

1. Is it okay to do the same exercise twice? For example, what if we only have one type of row or one type of chest pressing exercise? Can we repeat it?

Yes you can. In an ideal scenario, you’d be able to do different exercises or different variations of the same exercise. So, for example, when I say to do a chest press in the A workout and some other chest press in the B workout, it would be great if you had two different chest pressing exercises to choose from to make this work.

However, when you’re working out at home with limited options, this isn’t always possible. So, if you have more than one option, that’s great. But if you don’t, then repeating the same version of the same exercise will still work.

2. What if I don’t like a certain exercise? Or can’t do a certain exercise? Or if I just don’t have the equipment for doing a certain exercise?

Simple. Find a similar exercise to the one you’re unable to do, and do that instead.

This is a topic I cover in detail in The Home Workout Guide , where I provide 170+ exercises (categorized by muscle group) for you to choose from for this exact purpose.

So if you can’t do a certain quad exercise, choose some other similar quad exercise. Can’t do a certain type of row? Choose some other similar type of row. Same thing applies for every other type of exercise. Whatever you can’t do, replace it with the closest version of what you can do.

3. What about your other workouts from Superior Muscle Growth ? Can those be made into dumbbell-only versions as well?

Yes. Virtually every workout in existence can be redesigned to suit different forms of equipment and exercise availability, because every exercise can be replaced with something that is at least kinda close to what was originally prescribed.

Sometimes it’s really easy and the replacement is damn near identical (like replacing a barbell shoulder press with a dumbbell shoulder press), and sometimes it’s a little trickier and/or may require some form of additional equipment (like bands, TRX, weighted vest, etc.).

And sometimes it may require doing something that isn’t a completely perfect replacement, but is still close enough to get the job done (like replacing pull-ups with some type of row).

Either way, there are almost always options available to make things work.

4. Is working out at home with dumbbells as effective as working out in a fully equipped gym when it comes to building muscle ?

Here’s the thing. Your muscles don’t know or care what equipment you’re using, nor do they know or care if you’re at home or in a big fancy gym. All your muscles understand are tension, fatigue, and damage, and the frequency, intensity, and volume with which that stimuli is being generated.

Now, sure, a gym is obviously a more ideal scenario, because your options for exercises and progression are virtually unlimited.

But, as long as you’re doing the major stuff right, the exact equipment you’re using and where you’re using it is a minor detail.

So yeah, you can absolutely build muscle while training at home with nothing but dumbbells.

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• I Want To Build Muscle If you want to build lean muscle without gaining excess body fat, spending all of your time in the gym, using a diet or workout that isn't customized to you, or doing myth-based nonsense that only works for people with amazing genetics, check out: Superior Muscle Growth
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Dumbbells Workout at Home for Beginners

Home » Home Workout Routines » Dumbbells Workout at Home for Beginners

• Written By: David Williams

Who says we need a fully-stocked gym to have an effective workout? A dumbbells workout at home for beginners is a lot simpler than you think! This workout is quick, effective, and will help you burn fat and build lean muscle.

Because the fact is, all you need are a couple of dumbbells, a bit of floor space, and the right mindset.

So, if you’re looking for a dumbbells workout at home for beginners, then look no further. Today, we’ll go over everything you need to do.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

The Dumbbells You Will Need

For the best possible training experience, you should purchase two to four sets  of dumbbells.

See our recommendations below:

It is best to have two light sets of dumbbells for smaller muscles (biceps, triceps, shoulders), and two heavy sets of dumbbells for larger muscles (back, chest). That way, with only fours sets of dumbbells, you don’t have a full room packed with 30 dumbbells. And more importantly, it’s not necessary to achieve a really great workout.

The dumbbells you purchase are based on your experience and fitness level. The guidelines above are accurate and tested.

The key is to keep it simple!

Four sets of dumbbells are a good idea because they allow you to cover more exercises. For example, you can use the 10-pound dumbbells for exercises that work smaller muscles like your arms and shoulders. And use the 25-pound dumbbells for larger muscles like your back.

The Dumbbells Workout at Home For Beginners

Here is the dumbbell workout at home for beginners:

The Best Exercises For Each Muscle Group

Here are the most effective movements for every muscle group:

Push-Ups – one of the most versatile exercises you can do for your chest, shoulders, and triceps. 

See more exercises at home chest workout .

One-Arm Rows – an irreplaceable exercise that should be in every dumbbell workout at home for beginners. 

Two-Arm Rows – Similar to one-arm rows, but offering a bit of variation.

See more exercises at home back workout .

 Shoulders

Dumbbell Side Raises – an exercise that isolates and strengthens your middle deltoids.

Dumbbell Front Raises – an excellent isolation exercise for your front delts.

Standing Dumbbell Press – this movement helps strengthen your core and develop your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest.

See more shoulder exercises here .

 Biceps

Dumbbell Curls – a classic exercise that strengthens and develops your biceps.

Hammer Curls – a variation of dumbbell curls that work the bicep with a slightly different angle.

See more bicep work at home arm workout .

 Triceps

Dumbbell Extensions – a great movement that strengthens your triceps and puts great emphasis on the medial and lateral heads.

Dumbbell Kickbacks – when done correctly, this exercise trains your entire tricep and puts a lot of emphasis on the long head.

Tricep Dips – these are a great variation to dumbbell extensions, and work your inner triceps.

Crunches – one of the easiest and most effective exercises you can do for your rectus abdominis.

Flutter Kicks – a great exercise to work your abs, and don’t require any type of equipment.

See more ab exercises at home ab workout .

Bodyweight Squats – a movement that strengthens your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. And the best part is, all you need is a bit of free space to do it.

The Incredible Benefits of Working Out At Home

1. you don’t need a gym membership.

The gym membership might seem insignificant, but the costs add up, especially when you factor in other expenses such as:

• Commuting to and from the gym
• Paying a maintenance fee (which many gyms have);
• Spending money on the protein bar;
• Training at home is free and, over a year, saves you quite a bit of money.

2. You Can Train Anytime You Want, Even In Bad Weather

Whether you enjoy early morning workouts or late at night before going to bed, training at home is incredibly convenient. What’s more, you don’t have to worry about the weather and how it might impact your workouts or commute.

3. You Can Train Just As Effectively At Home

Prevailing wisdom suggests that we need all sorts of fancy gym equipment to have productive workouts. But, plenty of people have been able to train just as effectively at home with no equipment or with only the most basic of things. ( 1 )

With that said, having a good home workout plan is always a benefit because it will play a vital role in your overall success. And having two sets of quality dumbbells is very useful, as it gives you a great range of exercises. ( 2 )

Click to return to more dumbbell workouts .

David Williams

A diet and fitness enthusiast, David Williams is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach, and spending time with his wife and daughters.

• Fetters, K. A., Millard, E., Groth, L., Bedosky, L., Chai, C., Sullivan, K., & Asp, K. (n.d.). A complete guide to at-home workouts . EverydayHealth.com. https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/everything-you-need-to-know-about-working-out-at-home/

Rogue dumbbells – weight training – rubber hex . Rogue Fitness. (n.d.).  https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-dumbbells?a_aid=6194eeeb8ccf7

Calisthenics Home Workout

Lats workout at home for strength and width, 15 minute workout at home, beginner chest workout at home, chest and tricep workout at home, lower chest workout at home.

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Two dumbbells, 20 minutes and five exercises to develop upper body muscle

It’s perfect for beginners too!

You don’t need exotic exercises to build muscle or fancy weight machines. In fact, one of the best ways you can do this is using a set of dumbbells and doing simple strength exercises , consistently. This 20 minute workout offers just that and is ideal for those looking to start their strength training journey (or if you fancy a switch up from your usual upper body session). Just have your dumbbells at the ready and let’s get to it!

As well as building a more defined physique, lifting weights and developing muscle is also beneficial for those trying to lose weight, as this style of training can boost your metabolism. According to Everyday Active : “Muscle tissue is metabolically active. This means it burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.” While another study has shown that your Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (basically, the calories that you continue to burn after you’ve finished your workout) is higher with strength training than aerobic exercise.

A post shared by James Stirling - HOME WORKOUTS 💪🏻 (@london_fitness_guy) A photo posted by on

For this workout you’ve got five simple exercises to get through, some requiring two dumbbells and others, just one. You’ll do 12 to 15 reps of each exercise, resting for 30 to 40 second in between each. Make sure you have something soft beneath you, like an exercise mat, as a couple of the exercises are floor-based. You’re aiming to complete three to four rounds of the exercises in total. Ready? Here’s your workout:

• Elevated chest press (do this in a glute bridge position)
• Bent over row
• Kneeling alternating Arnold press
• Kneeling bicep curls
• Lying down tricep extension

We hope you enjoyed that workout and that it was a nice introduction to upper body strength training. There’s plenty more beginner-friendly workouts here on T3 too. Why not give this bodyweight upper body workout a go next? You may not need any weights for it, but it’s still great for developing strength and muscle. If, however, you feel it’s time for leg day, here’s a beginner leg workout that targets your quads using a pair of dumbbells. If it’s your entire lower body you want to work on though, try this five-move dumbbell workout that targets your quads, calves and glutes.

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Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.

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Two dumbbells, 15 minutes and five exercises to build total body strength

We love a full-body workout here at T3, as they work all the muscle groups in your body, making them a great starting point for beginners. They’re also very time efficient too, just like this 15 minute one, which will help develop your strength and, in time, build muscle. Just grab a pair of dumbbells and your workout shoes (you'll be cursing yourself if you drop a dumbbell on your toe).

Full-body workouts often consist of compound exercises , those that work multiple muscles in the body. These aren’t only great for building strength and muscle, but also improving your cardiovascular health too. According to fitness brand, Centr : “Compound exercises increase the heart rate more than isolated exercises, because the body needs to oxygenate more muscles at one time, meaning the heart has to pump more blood around the body. To do that, the heart rate has to rise.” So, basically, you're getting the best of both worlds.

This workout is made up of five combination exercises (two exercises combined into one movement), to challenge your body even further. You want a pair of medium dumbbells, as you've got quite a few reps to get through, so you don't want anything that's too heavy or too light. Take a 30 to 45 second rest between each movement. Once you've completed one round of the workout, rest for 90 to 120 seconds, then repeat two more times. Here's your exercises:

Front squat into an Arnold press 10 to 12 reps

Lateral lunge into a dumbbell row 10 to 12 reps each side

Reverse lunge into a hammer curl 10 to 12 reps each side

Squat with a clean press - 10 to 12 reps

Cross-body mountain climbers - 30 seconds

If you liked this workout then we've got plenty more! After all, we did say they're our favourite. Try this four-move full-body workout that's a little shorter than this one but, again, you will need a pair of dumbbells for it. If you have more time on your hands then try this 30 minute workout , which only requires one dumbbell (or you could even use a single kettlebell ) which is great for building muscle.

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This Dumbbell Workout Plan Uses Ten Minute 'Blocks' To Build Size and Strength

Two dumbbells and half hour. That's all it takes to add slabs of muscle to your frame

Welcome to the Men’s Health Dumbbell Club, your weekly plan for a fitter, stronger body, using just two dumbbells. With workouts lasting from 20-40 minutes, and designed to add lean muscle, build fitness and increase strength, your weekly dose of dumbbell goodness drops every Monday.

New This Week…

The fourth week of our exploration of density blocks sees us moving into a ‘repeat and beat’ phase. For the next three weeks we’ll be taking another crack at workouts from part one of this series, aiming to smash our previous rep ‘scores’, invoking the sacred and swoly principle of progressive overload , and in turn earning gains in strength, as well as muscle growth. Remember, if you’re seeing improvements in the notebook, improvements in the mirror won’t be far behind.

How To Perform Density Blocks

Each 10-minute ‘density block’ consists of two back-to-back movements, designed to compliment each other. Your goal is to perform as many rounds as possible (with perfect form ). Suggested rep ranges are given – choose your weights accordingly if you have access to a selection of dumbbells . If not, begin each block by ensuring you have around 3-5 reps still left in the tank, but keep your rest to a minimum until it becomes increasingly difficult to hit your target reps. Eventually you may have to drop the reps, but keep moving, resting just long enough to make a note of how many reps you achieve in each set, creating a total for each movement, at the end of each block.

Rest for 3-4 minutes between blocks — changing weights if necessary — before attacking each new block following the above guidelines.

Day One (W32/D1)

Warm-up, grab your dumbbells, set a countdown timer for 10 minutes and get to work on your first ‘block’. Rest as necessary to keep your form on point, but push yourself hard to beat your scores from Week 29.

Rest for 3-4 minutes before moving into the next block..

1A. Push Press x 10-12

Clean your dumbbells onto your shoulders, palms facing in. Take a breath and create tension in your core. (A) Dip at the knees and use your legs to help (B) press your dumbbells overhead. Lower with a controlled tempo to your shoulders and repeat. If your weights feel a little too light, don’t use any drive from the legs and focus on a strict press from the shoulders.

1B. High Pull x 10-12

Stand tall with your dumbbells at your waist, in front of your body. (A) Keeping your core tight, hinge forward slightly before explosively standing back upright and pulling the dumbbells up towards your chin, driving your elbows up and back (B). Slowly lower back down to your waist under complete control. Avoid simply dropping your dumbbells back to your waist to build more muscle and avoid injury. If your dumbbells feel light, avoid the help from your hips and simply stand tall and pull the weights up by driving your elbows to the back of the room.

2A. Dumbbell Floor (or Bench) Press x 10-12

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows ( A ). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor ( B ), close to your body, pause here before explosively pressing back up. If you have a bench, use it.

2B. Renegade Row x 20-24 (total)

Drop into a press-up position with your hands on your 'bells and midline tight ( A ). Shifting your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip ( B ). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on your left side (each row equals one rep).

3A. Tempo Press-ups on Dumbbells x 15-20

Drop your 'bells to the ground and assume a long-armed plank position. With your core tight and hands gripping your dumbbells (A) , bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the floor over a strict count of three seconds (B) . Keep your elbows close to your body and pause for one second, feeling the deep stretch through your chest as you push back up explosively. Break your set when you can no longer control your descent or explode back up.

3B. Single ‘Bell Crush Curl x 15-20

Stand upright leaving one of your ‘bells on the ground, grip the remaining 'bell with both hands, holding the outer ‘heads’ palms facing each other ( A ). With minimal momentum, curl the dumbbell upwards until it’s beneath your chin ( B ). Squeeze here and lower the weight under control, fighting it all of the way.

Day Two (W32/D2)

1A. Front Squat x 10-15

Clean your dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders ( A ). From here, drop into a front squat, by pushing your hips back and bending at the knees until your thighs pass parallel to the ground ( B ), before driving back up explosively. Keep those dumbbells secured high, with a strong, upright torso throughout.

1B. Romanian Deadlift x 10-15

Stand tall with your dumbbells at your sides, feet at shoulder width ( A ). With a slight bend in the knees, push your hips back and slowly lower the bells towards the ground ( B ), pinching your shoulders back and maintaining a flat back. When you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, pause and explosively return to an upright position.

2A. Reverse Lunge x 20-30 (total)

Drop your dumbbells to your sides ( A ). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground ( B ). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg. Alternate back and forth. Each step equals one rep.

2B. Split Squat Jump x 20-30 (total)

Step one foot backward and sink into a deep lunge, with your rear knee lightly touching the floor ( A ). Next, explode upward, jumping into the air and switching legs mid jump ( B ) to land in a lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat the movement, alternating legs each rep. Keep this movement as fast paced as possible, focussing on maximising the height of each jump.

3A. Burpee over ‘Bells x 15

No rep range here, just aim to perform exactly 15 reps, as quickly as possible, with good form. With both dumbbells on the floor next to you step back and hit the deck into a press-up position. Lower your body until your chest touches the floor ( A ). Stand back up and jump powerfully over the dumbbells ( B ) – driving through your hips when you take off. Land and immediately drop to the floor and repeat. The dumbbells keep you accountable for the height of each jump.

3B. Air Squat x 25

Again, no rep range, just go for 15 and get stuck back into those burpees. Standing tall with your chest up (A) , sink your hips back, bending your knees to drop your thighs until you reach a deep squat (B) . Drive back up explosively and repeat. Keep a controlled tempo and tight form, but don’t dawdle. These may be simple, but they shouldn’t be easy.

Day Three (W32/D3)

1A . Alternating Hang Snatch x 16-20 (total)

Hinge down and grab your dumbbell from on the ground between your legs, keep your knees soft and back flat (A) . Explosively drive up through your hips and knees, generating momentum to help pull the dumbbell directly overhead in one fluid movement (B) . Once locked out overhead, lower the dumbbell to between your legs, switching hands on the way down and repeating with the other arm. Alternate back and forth in this fashion, each arm equals one rep. Aim for 16-20 total.

1B. Tempo Push-ups on dumbbells x 15-20

Drop your 'bells to the ground and assume a long-armed plank position, with your core tight and hands gripping your dumbbells (A) , bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the floor over a strict count of three seconds (B) . Keep your elbows close to your body and pause for one second, feeling the deep stretch through your chest as you push back up explosively. Break your set when you can no longer control your descent or explode back up.

2A. Hang Cleans x 10-12

Stand up and hold your dumbbells at your side. Hinge at the hips to lower them to your knees ( A ). Stand back up with a slight jump, using the momentum to pull the dumbbells on to your shoulders ( B ). Stand up straight, then lower under control to your sides and repeat.

2B. Laying (or Hanging) Leg Raises x 15-20

Lay flat on your back, with your heels just off of the ground, your dumbbells behind your head, gripping them as an anchor (A) . Keeping your feet together, curl at the stomach – lifting your legs towards the ceiling until your hips peel from the floor (B). Pause here for a second before slowly lowering. Once you start, try to keep your feet off the ground throughout. If you have a bar to hang from to perform these, use it.

3A. Hammer Curl x 6-10

Go slightly heavier here if you have a selection of dumbbells. If your dumbbells are heavy, drop the reps but keep your form sharp. Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides (A) , with minimal momentum and keeping your upper arms tight to your body, curl both dumbbells upwards, making sure your palms facing each other throughout (B). Lower both 'bells and immediately repeat.

3B. Bench/Box Dip x 15+

Aim to max out on each set of these. Sit on the edge of a box or bench, with your legs outstretched. With your hands next to your hips, support your weight with your arms as you shift off the edge of the box ( A ). Flex at the elbows to lower your body until you feel a stretch across your chest ( B ). Straighten your arms explosively to push back up. Elevate your feet and put your dumbbells in your lap to increase the difficulty.

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.    

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.   

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.   

 You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.

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• Main content

Our top picks for the best dumbbells

• Best overall
• Best adjustable
• Best for comfort
• Best budget
• Best versatile
• Best traditional set

How we test dumbbells

The 6 best sets of dumbbells for at-home strength training.

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Dumbells are among the most common and sought-after pieces of workout equipment, no matter if you're at a gym or workout out at home . Not only can they be effective when used correctly but they're highly versatile, capable of sufficing for a variety of workouts like curls, presses, or rows.

It's because of that multi-purpose use that shopping for dumbbells typically goes one of two ways; either it's far too expensive to buy multiple pairs of weights or they're just entirely out of stock. This sort of Catch-22 makes shopping for dumbbells an arduous task. 

But within that problem came a reasonable solution: increased brand competition. And the true winner of this influx in options is anyone looking to buy them. 

As the fitness editor of the Insider Reviews team, I took to the task of finding the best for anyone's home gym setup — and rounded up my six favorites below. I've also included answers to a few FAQs , as well as insight into how I test dumbbells , at the end of this guide.

Best overall:  Powerblock - See at Amazon Powerblock's dumbbells are highly versatile in that they offer a wide range of weight variations in just one, easy-to-stow form factor — if you can find them for sale, buy them.

Best adjustable: NordicTrack iSelect - See at NordicTrack NordicTrack's latest adjustable dumbbell set uses voice controls to allow users to easily change the weight of each handle by just asking any Alexa-enabled device, allowing for quick and easy adjustments between sets. 

Best for comfort: Thompson Fat Bells - See at Rogue Fitness You won't find these in any commercial gym but the Thompson Fat Bells are an innovative take on the classic dumbbell.

Best on a budget : Titan Fitness Olympic Dumbbell Handles - See at Amazon Though these dumbbells from Titan Fitness require you to buy weight plates, the handles themselves are one of the best deals you'll find.

Best versatile: Kabuki Strength Kyubells - See at Kabuki Strength Kabuki Strength's Kyubells aren't your typical dumbbell as they were designed to be multi-functional, allowing for variable grips which open them up to be used for more than just curls.

Best traditional set:  CAP Barbell 150-pound Dumbbells - See at Amazon The CAP Barbell 150-pound Dumbbell set (with rack) is a great starter set for beginners and feels (and looks) the most familiar.

Best overall: Powerblock

Pros: Max weight of 90 pounds, relatively affordable, sturdy and natural feeling

Cons: Slightly awkward weight-changing mechanism, may be a little long at max weight

The first time I saw these sitting in a weight room, I figured they'd be horribly awkward to lift. The rectangular dumbbells appear large and clunky but I was surprised by how well they moved during workouts like Romanian deadlifts or chest presses. 

Powerblock dumbbells feature a handle that's more centered in the apparatus. The weight surrounds your hands on all sides and as a result, they feel comfortable to move. They're also constructed from steel, making them feel stronger and sturdier compared to other options built from plastic.

My favorite aspect of these dumbbells is that they're able to load up to 90 pounds, which is enough to ensure you get plenty of mileage out of them as you get stronger. I've used these sparingly but they will, without a doubt, be my first purchase when I start building my ultimate home gym. 

To be finicky, I'd say the selecting mechanism isn't as efficient compared to Bowflex's dial system. With Powerblock, you select the weights directly on the bell with a vertically-set pin. Changing the weight requires you to pull the pin from the side of the bell and move it either up (lighter) or down (heavier). While it's not as smooth to use as a dial, it's not a complete dealbreaker.

Overall, these will save you from buying 28 pairs of individual dumbbells — or roughly 2,565 pounds of weight. That's thousands of dollars of savings on its own.

Best adjustable: NordicTrack iSelect

Pros: Easily adjustable via an Alexa-enabled device, solid, durable design that doesn't feel unnatural regardless of the weight you use, comfortable grip, compatible with iFit workouts

Cons: Expensive (but  does compensate for a wide range of available weight)

NordicTrack has long offered a premium set of adjustable dumbbells but its latest release takes the technology even further with the addition of voice-controlled weight adjustment via an Alexa-enabled device. The unit does  still have an easy-to-use dial if you either don't have a compatible device or want a quick change but the voice-activated feature is a neat new addition. 

Beyond the 21st Century upgrade, the iSelect dumbbells are yet another high-quality set of home gym equipment from NordicTrack and one that also features access to an interactive set of workouts via iFit. I've written about iFit before when talking about the brand's treadmills and exercise bikes , and the classes available for the dumbbells are just as enjoyable (and sweat-inducing). 

Though perhaps this set's best feature is how many different sets of weights it offers in just one package — which helps make its $600 price tag much more reasonable when you break down the variety of what you get. Spanning from 5 lbs on up to 50 lbs, you essentially get 10 different pairs of dumbbells in this one set. If you were to try to buy each individual pair of weights on their own, you'd have a hard time spending less than $500 (if not much more). 

It's because of that versatility, as well as access to a wide range of interactive classes, the ability to adjust the weight using only your voice, and its premium design, that NordicTrack's iSelect dumbbells are easily the best set of adjustable dumbbells I've tested thus far — and would make an excellent addition to anyone's home gym. 

Best for comfort: Thompson Fat Bells

Pros: Very comfortable, more natural to lift, made from durable cast iron

Cons: Expensive, have to buy multiple pairs, not space-friendly

Invented by powerlifting legend Donnie Thompson in 2006, Fat Bells are a unique take on the kettlebell — though, to me, they're interchangeable with dumbbells, too.

What I like about these is that you're able to become one with the weight. Instead of holding a clunky piece of iron, you have a compact load you'll hardly notice —other than the fact it's heavy. They do feel slightly off at first due to the fact you're not used to where the weight is centered but you'll get over that quickly. I like to use them for moves such as chest presses and rows, since I typically go heavier, and these feel more secure.

Fat Bells aren't cheap and you'll most likely need to buy more than one pair. If you're looking to splurge on your home gym, I'd say opt for one moderate pair (35-50 pounds for men and 15-35 pounds for women) so you have the most versatility with them. 

Best budget: Titan Fitness Olympic Dumbbell Handles

Pros: Inexpensive, can handle as much weight as you own, great grip, space-friendly

Cons: Requires weight plates, not as easy to load as adjustable dumbbells

The biggest plus to handles like these is how affordable they are compared to other options. Of course, you'll have to buy weight plates but if you're a home-gym owner, there's a good chance you have some sitting around. I also recommend investing in a set of barbell collars to stop the weights from sliding off of the handles.

The sleeve, or end of the dumbbell, fits standard Olympic weight plates. If you already own a squat rack and a barbell, then the plates you have should suffice, though it's worth it to double-check before purchasing.

Another plus is that these handles from Titan Fitness are 20 inches, meaning you're able to load them with a lot of weight. If you're a stronger lifter, then you won't be limited to just 90 pounds for moves like rows and chest presses. For reference, many powerlifters and bodybuilders can press and row weights well over 100 pounds.

One minor nitpick to using these is that having to manually load plates isn't as easy as using adjustable or fixed dumbbells. 

Best versatile: Kabuki Strength Kyubells

Pros:  Variable load design allows for a variety of workouts, available from 10 pounds on up to 50 pounds, can buy as singles or as a pair, premium quality and construction, not terribly expensive 

Cons:  May not be intuitive for beginner users (Kabuki does offer training videos, though)

Don't let the funky design of Kabuki Strength's Kyubells fool you: these unique dumbbells are one of the most versatile and high-quality options on the market. Dubbed a "handheld training system" by the brand, the Kyubells offer far more than what you'd get from a typical dumbbell — and on first glance, it's clear these are anything but typical.

Featuring three different handles, the Kyubells support a variety of grip types allowing for a range of exercises like curls, pec flies, lateral raises, and chest presses (among others). That variable load also means that you can do the same exercise with a different grip angle to get different results.

What's so great about that is that what's typically reserved for a more experienced weight lifter is made available to beginners as well. There is a bit of a steeper learning curve but Kabuki provides helpful videos on its site that go through different examples of how to use the Kyubells and the various ways they can be held and utilized. 

I was outfitted with a set of 20-pound Kyubells, though they come in increments of ten starting at 10 pounds on up to 50 pounds. And they're available for purchase either as a pair or by themselves, which allows buyers to mix and match as they see fit.

Best traditional set: CAP Barbell 150-pound Dumbbells

Pros: Feels familiar, great grip, stable when lifting

Cons: Have to buy multiple pairs which can get expensive, takes up a lot of space, included weight only goes up to 25 pounds

Practically speaking, these aren't the best dumbbells you can buy but, as the saying goes, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. These dumbbells don't offer any sort of fancy weight mechanism or require a complicated method for use —and that's their major appeal.

The handles are nicely knurled (i.e. they feature a pattern of angled lines etched into the steel of the dumbbell) so they won't slip out of your hands, and the hexagonal rubber ends won't roll around on the floor. From personal experience, I like using this type of dumbbell for heavy chest presses since they feel stable in my hands and the weight is more evenly distributed compared to the modern models in this guide.

Now, the downsides: You have to buy multiple pairs to have access to a variety of weights. This means the cost adds up rather quickly. Plus, the more dumbbells you own, the more space it'll take up, so you'll likely have to buy a dumbbell rack to hold your increasing collection.

Each set of dumbbells in this guide went through a series of tests to see how well they compared across these four categories:  Design, quality, portability,  and  value . Here's how each category specifically factored into which dumbbells made this guide:

Design:  Dumbbell design is mostly straightforward, though unique innovations from brands like Powerblock and Bowflex have turned the humble dumbbell into a versatile all-in-one gym. What I mean by this is that both of the dumbbells featured in this guide from those brands are designed to be several sets of dumbbells in the form of just one set.

This means you don't have to buy a set of 5 lb weights, a set of 15 lb weights, and a set of 25 lb weights. You buy either of those and you have the adjustability to hit any weight you'd need. The design choices I looked for in standard dumbbells were how well they felt while holding and if they were versatile for a variety of lifts. 

Quality:  Most steel dumbbells feature a quality that allows them to last literal decades (if taken care of) before you'd even need to think about replacing them. Because of this, it's easy to spot a dumbbell that's made of anything other than quality metal. Thankfully, this never was an issue during testing. This category was useful when judging how well the adjustable systems of the Bowflex and Powerblock dumbbells would hold up over time. 

Portability:  Yet another category where praise heaps onto the adjustable dumbbells are portability. When you're forced to buy multiple sets of dumbbells in different weights, the problem of how to store them can add up quite quickly. Though some come with their own stand like the traditional set from CAP, not all options are that convenient. 

Value:  Considering how expensive dumbbells can get when buying multiple sets (and especially when stock is low and demand is high), value is a key component. But it's also important not to buy an inferior set if it's your only option. I view value as the combination of the categories listed above as well as its final sticker price — and feel that spending more on a quality product is better than spending less, more often on something that's second-rate.

Which kind of dumbbells is best?

Rubber dumbbells have a lower chance of doing damage to flooring (or walls), so these are best for anyone working out on hardwood floors or linoleum, and likely for anyone working out in a small space. 

Steel dumbbells, on the other hand, would be a better choice for someone who has some sort of rubber flooring mat in a dedicated home gym room or a garage . This isn't to say they're  only for people with protected flooring but if you do decide to get steel dumbbells and use them on hardwood or some sort of damageable flooring, take extra precaution.

How much should I expect to spend on dumbbells?

Dumbbells can range anywhere from a hundred dollars (for something in the 5 to 10-pound range) on up to multiple hundreds of dollars (this includes higher pound individual weights or smaller varied sets). 

The exact amount you should spend is mostly contingent on your budget. If you can only afford to spend less than $200 or even $100, find something suitable in that price range that still meets your fitness goals. You can get creative, too, and mix and match dumbbells with resistance bands, which some feel are even more effective .  

What kinds of workouts can I do with dumbbells?

Dumbbells allow you to do a variety of workouts that aren't just limited to bicep curls. These include squats, flies, bent over rows, Romanian deadlifts, and should presses, among so many others. 

Check out our guide to the best dumbbell lifts for some added inspiration.

What's the proper way to use dumbbells?

Your goal for a dumbbell workout should be to slightly increase your volume for each move. Add volume by adding weight or increasing your total reps. 

A general rule of thumb is to find a weight you're able to use for three sets of eight reps. Add one rep to each set each week and once you reach 12 reps, add five pounds and start back at eight reps.

It's good to have a light, moderate, and heavy pair of dumbbells if this is your primary source of exercise. That way, you can increase your total volume without having to pump out an insane amount of reps with a lighter pair.

Can anyone use dumbbells?

Dumbbells are versatile for any weight lifter and are a great foray into weight training for beginners. Anything you're able to do with a barbell, you can do with a dumbbell — albeit with lighter weight.

Lifting dumbbells is a great way to teach yourself moves like the squat, overhead press, and row before graduating to the heavier weight a barbell often affords. They're also less cumbersome than barbells and much easier to store in your home or apartment. 

More advanced trainees benefit from the fact dumbbells allow you to better isolate your muscles unilaterally (one side at a time), as your right and left sides need to work independently to balance the weights. In turn, you'll strengthen your weaker side, which translates to stronger and more efficient lifts overall.

Are dumbbells only effective for arm workouts?

While they are great for arm workouts, that's not their only benefit. According to personal trainer, Chris Parnell , lifting with dumbbells is also a great way to give your abs extra attention.

Parnell told Insider that, compared to barbells, dumbbells challenge your body's stability more. With a barbell, you work with a singular mass versus the dumbbell that uses two separate masses.

"Dumbbells provide the beginner or advanced lifter with an opportunity to exercise using compound movements [moves that move more than one joint at once] with low to high intensity using two separate masses," Parnell said.

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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8 best dumbbells to add to your home workout routine in 2023

Many people prefer to incorporate at-home workouts in their fitness routine for a variety of reasons, including comfort and accessibility. In fact, according to a 2021 survey by McKinsey & Company, a little more than 10% of the population set up home gyms during the pandemic and more than 60% of those who exercise regularly say they prefer a mix of going to the gym and working out at home. For those who rely on at-home workouts, getting the right equipment can be crucial — in addition to stationary bikes , treadmills and ellipticals , basic fitness equipment like dumbbells can be a worthwhile investment to help you maintain a workout routine at home while building strength and muscle.

SKIP AHEAD The best dumbbells to shop | What to consider when shopping for dumbbells | How to safely use dumbbells

Experts told us that dumbbells can be extremely versatile since they can be incorporated into many types of workouts. But with many options on the market, finding the right one for your home gym can be daunting if you don’t know what to look for. We spoke to personal trainers and fitness experts to help break down the different types of dumbbells and what to consider when shopping for them. We also compiled a list of some expert-recommended and top-rated options to shop.

What are the benefits of dumbbells?

Dumbbells are considered free weights, which means they’re not attached to another piece of gym equipment and can be picked up and moved around. All of our experts noted that they can be a great workout tool for just about anyone — whether you’re a beginner or an experienced weightlifter — because you can easily determine the weight that’s most comfortable for you.

“If you are just starting to exercise, dumbbells can help you add intensity slowly so you don’t get injured as you are getting stronger,” said Traci Thompson , associate professor of health and kinesiology and director of PEAK Health and Fitness at the University of Utah Health. “Dumbbells come in progressively higher weights, so you can continue to get stronger,” she added.

Dumbbells can also be more shoulder-friendly for upper body exercises — “the shoulder joint seems to self-select a path that’s most comfortable when using dumbbells [and] this isn’t as achievable with a straight bar,” according to Mike Boyle , co-founder of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning.

Both fixed and adjustable dumbbells (more on that below) can also provide some variety to your weight training since you can utilize them for practically any weighted exercise, ranging from bicep curls and overhead presses to lunges and squats. They can also encourage more range of motion within the exercises and help challenge your joint stabilizer muscles — muscles like the gluteus medius and triceps that help stabilize your body while performing different exercises — by requiring more balance to control two weights versus one, explained Jordan Rowe, a certified personal trainer and founder of NOEX Fitness in Richmond, Virginia.

Rowe added that dumbbells — especially adjustable dumbbells — can be useful for those building a home gym because they don’t take up as much space as other popular gym equipment. “Dumbbells tend to take up less space versus a barbell and plates — you can easily stack a couple of dumbbell sets even in an apartment,” she said.

But keep in mind that you will need to lift the dumbbells into position when you work out, which can be an issue if you suffer from back pain. “I often caution those with lower back issues to be careful with heavy dumbbells as the back stress of lifting them into position can be significant,” Boyle said.

Shopping Best TRX-style suspension trainers

The best dumbbells to shop in 2023.

To help you determine the best dumbbells for your home gym, we consulted fitness experts about their favorite fixed and adjustable dumbbells. Each of the following options — which we broke up into two categories for fixed and adjustable — are made from durable metal, rubber or neoprene material in line with our experts’ guidance.

Best fixed dumbbells

Amazon basics rubber encased hex dumbbell.

Rowe recommended Amazon Basics dumbbells — which earned a Select Wellness Award — as an affordable rubber-coated option, noting that they can be “a great investment for a beginner.” Amazon Basics offers single hexagonal dumbbells that range from 10 pounds to 50 pounds — they have rubber-encased ends and equip a solid cast iron core with a non-slip textured surface for a more secure grip, according to Amazon. Amazon Basics does not offer these dumbbells in pairs, which means you’ll have to buy two if you’re hoping for a set.

REP Fitness Rubber Hex Dumbbells

Rowe said she’s been “very pleased” with the workout equipment from REP Fitness, including these fixed rubber hex dumbbells. “They have been continuously putting out quality home gym equipment at an affordable price in comparison to other companies,” she said. The dumbbells — which have rubber-encased ends that the brand says can minimize noise and limit wear and tear to both the dumbbells and the floor — come in pairs, with weights ranging from 2.5 pounds up to 125 pounds. The handles are also fully knurled, meaning they contain ridges that can provide a more comfortable and sturdier grip when working out, according to the brand.

REP Fitness Rubber Hex 20-Pound Dumbbells

Cap barbell coated dumbbell.

“Any chrome-plated handle with a hex rubber grip is a perfect choice — lots of companies offer this style when it comes to a fixed dumbbell,” Rowe said. She noted that CAP Barbell, which makes both fixed and adjustable dumbbells , “offers a standard, quality dumbbell that is a great fit for anyone.” The rubber-coated hex dumbbells from the brand come in singles and are available in a range of weights from 3 pounds to 115 pounds. If you’re willing to splurge on a set, CAP Barbell’s Dumbbell Set comes with five pairs of weights ranging from 5 pounds to 25 pounds as well as a rack to store them in your home.

CAP Barbell Coated 20-Pound Dumbbell

Titan fitness rubber hex dumbbells.

These rubber-coated dumbbells from Titan Fitness are “reasonably priced for home gym users,” Rowe said. They feature a hexagon-shaped head that deadens the sound when they’re dropped to the ground and ergonomic chrome handles for comfort, according to the brand. You can purchase them either in singles that range from 5 pounds to 100 pounds (with limited availability for each) or as sets of 10 dumbbells with multiple weight options that go up in increments of 5 pounds, including a 5-pound to 55-pound set and a 55-pound to 100-pound set .

Best adjustable dumbbells

Powerblock pro exp adjustable dumbbells.

Both Boyle and Craig Levergood , a personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist, recommended the PowerBlock dumbbells, noting that they both use them in their respective gyms. “PowerBlocks are some of the best adjustable dumbbells you can get in the fitness industry,” Levergood said. These dumbbells have durable urethane-coated steel plates and the attachments allow them to go up to 90 pounds per dumbbell. You can adjust the weight by inserting a pin into the plate of your choice, according to the brand. These dumbbells also include an auto-lock lever on the handle that can help make micro-adjustments in 2.5-pound increments, PowerBlock says.

PowerBlock PRO EXP 5-50 Stage 1 Set

Nuobell 80-pound classic adjustable dumbbells.

Rowe recommended these Nuobell adjustable dumbbells for those looking for a wider weight range — you can adjust the weight from 5 pounds to 80 pounds. She called out their easy-to-use adjustment mechanism, which involves twisting the handle instead of using a dial. These dumbbells come as a pair and include a portable cradle to store both dumbbells and avoid damaging your floors, according to the brand.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

Bowflex’s adjustable dumbbells can be great if you “just want the basic stuff,” Rowe previously told us. These SelectTech 552 dumbbells have circular weights and can be adjusted from 5 pounds to 52.5 pounds — you simply need to place the dumbbells on the included resting tray and twist the selection dial to adjust. Former Select editor Morgan Greenwald said she’s used these weights in the past and loves how much they resemble normal dumbbells. Bowflex’s SelectTech dumbbells also work with the Bowflex SelectTech app, which lets you manually keep track of your reps. If you’re looking for more heavy lifting during your workout, the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 goes up to 90 pounds.

FLYBIRD Adjustable Dumbbell

If you’re looking for a more affordable adjustable dumbbell, FLYBIRD’s Adjustable Dumbbells can be a great option to consider. These dumbbells come in two weights — 5-25 pounds and 11-55 pounds — and, like many other adjustable dumbbells we covered, they use a weight dial system that is adjusted by turning the dumbbell’s handle when the weight is in its tray, according to the brand.

Shopping How my massage gun helped me become more flexible

What to consider when shopping for dumbbells ​​.

Not all dumbbells are created equally, and certain factors can affect the quality of your workout. As you’re shopping for dumbbells, experts recommended considering the different dumbbell types, materials and shapes available.

Fixed versus adjustable dumbbells

Dumbbells usually offer either a fixed or adjustable weight, each of which our experts said can be beneficial for specific types of workouts and personal preferences.

Fixed weights are sold either individually or in pairs and offer one set weight — in other words, “a 15-pound dumbbell can only be and will always be a 15-pound dumbbell,” Rowe said. Experts told us these are best for people who are just starting to lift weights or want to focus on one area of the body. If you’re considering buying multiple fixed weights, you’ll need to consider storage space and will likely need to invest in a storage rack to keep your dumbbells together.

Adjustable weights offer multiple increments of weights that can be adjusted using a rotating dial or a removable pin. They can provide variety without taking up as much space as a full rack of fixed dumbbells, according to Levergood. Adjustable dumbbells can also be good for people who like to lift heavier weights and weight train since weight increments tend to go higher.

Rowe noted that adjustable dumbbells can ultimately be a more affordable option than investing in a whole set of weights. “Not only do [sets of weights] take up space, but it’s going to cost you a lot of money in comparison to some of these [adjustable dumbbells],” Rowe previously told us in our guide to adjustable dumbbells . “In an ideal situation, fixed dumbbells will always be better when it comes to durability, convenience, functionality and simplicity, but the price difference between the two options can be substantial for many,” she added.

Dumbbell material

Dumbbells can be made using several different types of material, including rubber, neoprene and metal. You’ll typically see dumbbells with cast iron or steel heads that are rubberized or coated in neoprene, but some are made entirely of cast iron or other types of metal. The material “[makes] no difference in exercise — this just comes down to personal preference,” Thompson said. However, she noted that metal is more durable, while rubber and neoprene are softer and less prone to damaging floors.

Dumbbell shape

Fixed dumbbells come in two shapes: hexagon and round. Dumbbells with hexagonal ends (which our experts said they typically prefer) are much less likely to roll away when placed on the floor compared to round dumbbells and typically run a little cheaper, Rowe noted. Either shape can be made of any material.

Our experts agreed that the shape of your dumbbell doesn’t typically affect the type of workout you’re doing. “The shape is really going to be dependent on what you find and how you use it, but in my experience, the dumbbell shape doesn’t really matter whatsoever,” said Levergood. In some instances, you can benefit from using one shape over the other — for example, if you’re using your dumbbells as platforms (for something like a renegade row), you’ll likely want a hexagon shape.

How to safely use dumbbells during your workout

For anyone just starting out with weights, Thompson noted it’s important to develop a proper lifting technique. “If you have not lifted weights or are unsure how to lift weights safely, you should meet with a certified personal trainer to help you dial in the technique so you don’t get injured,” she said.

Once you nail down the technique, “it’s important to increase weight gradually — a good rule to follow is to lift a weight that’s challenging by the time you reach the recommended number of repetitions, but you can still complete with proper form,” Thompson said. For example, if you’re doing 12 repetitions of a biceps curl, you should choose a weight that’s heavy enough to make the last repetition hard, but not to the point where you’re compromising your form just to finish.

Thompson added that if you can do your weight lifting exercises very easily, you probably need to increase the weight. “Muscles need to be challenged; If it doesn’t feel challenging, you may not be using enough weight to receive benefits,” she explained. However, “if you’re unable to do 12 [repetitions] without ‘cheating’ by letting your form deteriorate — arching your back or swinging your arms, for example — you need to reduce the weight,” she added.

Meet our experts

At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

• Traci Thompson is an associate professor of health and kinesiology and director of PEAK Health and Fitness at the University of Utah Health.
• Mike Boyle is the co-founder of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning.
• Jordan Rowe is a certified personal trainer and founder of NOEX Fitness in Richmond, Virginia.
• Craig Levergood is a personal trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Mili Godio is an updates editor for Select on NBC News.

Fit&Well

Build muscular arms in 10 minutes with these four simple dumbbell moves

Posted: November 7, 2023 | Last updated: November 7, 2023

Building strength in your upper body can make everyday tasks like carrying groceries and moving furniture feel a bit easier. It can also help you avoid injuries and improve your athletic performance. 

You don't need a lot of equipment to strengthen your arms either; you can build muscle at home with a simple pair of dumbbells. 

This workout created by personal trainer Sadie Lee Thomas combines four exercises designed to increase muscle mass in the triceps, biceps, chest and other upper-body muscles.

It only takes 10 minutes, so you can do it as a standalone session or combine it with a leg workout for a full-body routine.

Decathlon 22lb adjustable dumbbell: was $59.99 , now $25 at Target

Save $34.99 Black Friday is only a few weeks away but we're already seeing some good discounts on workout gear. This cheap adjustable dumbbell set can be adjusted from 2kg (4.4lb) to 10kg (22lb), thanks to its removeable weight plates. It also boasts quick clip collars to save you time when changing the load.View Deal

Watch Sadie Lee Thomas' upper-body workout

Complete 15 repetitions (reps) of each exercise four times, taking minimum rest in between each set. Opt for a weight that is challenging but manageable; you should be able to complete the full 15 reps, but the last few should feel difficult. 

Invest in a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells if you don't know what the right weight is for you. This way, you can adjust your load to find the perfect biting point. You'll also be able to add weight to your dumbbells as you get stronger, so you don't hit a training plateau.

And if this routine is too challenging for you, or you don't have equipment at home, try this bodyweight arm workout, which is an effective way of building muscle for beginners.

How to fuel your workout

If your goal is to build muscle, you need to make sure you're eating adequate amounts of protein. That's because the macronutrient is responsible for building, maintaining and repairing muscle tissue. 

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a person who regularly lifts weights should aim to eat around 1.2-1.7 grams of protein per day per kilogram of body weight. 

Most people can get enough protein through food sources, but if you need to top up, you can buy special protein powders or bars. Have a look through our guide to the best protein powders for weight loss, if you want to top up your protein levels without consuming additional fats or sugars. 

Looking for some new weights? Our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells can help

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Build muscle at home for 58% less with this discounted Decathlon adjustable dumbbell

This beginner-friendly weight is a great way to start working out at home, and you can buy two for less the price of one before the deal ends.

Adjustable dumbbells don’t often come cheap; a premium set could easily set you back a few hundred dollars. But you don’t have to break the bank if you’re looking for some reliable weights to build muscle at home, as the Decathlon Adjustable Dumbbell is  58% off at Target  right now.

As with many of the  best adjustable dumbbells , you can easily change the weight either mid-set or gradually as you get stronger. The plates are made from iron, so they’re durable enough to store outdoors or be packed away into the carry case.

There’s a textured grip on the bar too, so you can focus on your form whether you use gloves or bare hands. However, they’re sold as individual dumbbells, so you’ll need to buy two to make up a pair. But at $50 for two, that brings them in at the same price as the entry-level  Amazon Basics Adjustable Dumbbells .

Decathlon Adjustable Dumbbells

Was : $59.99

Now :  $25 at Target

Overview : The Decathlon Adjustable Dumbbell is a great beginner-friendly option for working out at home. The weight plates are held in place with quick-release collars, so you can adjust the load between 4.4lbs and 22lbs per dumbbell, allowing you to add resistance to bodyweight exercises like squats, or tackle muscle-building moves like biceps curls.

Price comparison :  $25 at Target  |  $25 at Walmart  |  $25 at Decathlon

Price history : The Decathlon Adjustable Dumbbell isn’t often on sale, and the last time we saw it down at this price was Black Friday 2021 at Walmart. Although all three stores (Target, Walmart, Decathlon) have it at the same price, Target claims it can deliver quicker.

Type : Weight plates

Weight range : 4.4-22lbs

Size : 49.5 x 19 cm / 19.5 x 7.5 inches

Warranty : 5 years

Buy it if : This adjustable dumbbell is an affordable way to get into resistance training at home. The weight plates are simple to adjust, the collar keeps them tightly in place (so you won’t have weights flying across the room), and the textured handle means you don’t have to worry about the dumbbell slipping out of sweaty hands.

Don't buy it if : The 22lb maximum weight is good for beginners, but you’ll need something heavier if you want to challenge your muscles as you get stronger. Plus, changing the plates is a manual process. If you want something a bit more convenient, then a set like the 55lb  Flybird Adjustable Dumbbells  is a better option.

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James is a Staff Writer for Live Science's sister site, Fit&Well . Before joining Future in 2021, he was the Buyer's Guide Editor and a Senior Staff Writer for the consumer technology website MakeUseOf and has bylines at Blocks Decoded,  Lifewire , and Happiness. 

He regularly tests out fitness equipment, including smartwatches, headphones, and writes about affordable ways to improve your health and wellbeing. James studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey, which is where he learned about the fundamentals of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and material design. 

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