Best Dumbbell Exercises
If time is a deciding factor in whether you get to put in sets and reps in the gym, one of your best options is to workout using dumbbells.
There are 5 benefits to training with dumbbells:
• Handling dumbbells requires greater stability and balance which means more muscle groups are involved in the exercise.
• Dumbbells provide a greater range of motion compared to a barbell. This leads to better development and improved flexibility.
• With dumbbells, you’re not limited to linear exercises. You can perform exercises that involve rotational and lateral movements.
• They’re safer to work with. If you cannot complete a rep, just drop the dumbbell.
• It’s easier to move dumbbells around and they don’t occupy much space to work with.
In fact, if work in the office gets in the way of your workouts in the gym, you can simply buy 2 pairs of dumbbells of varying weight and exercise in your own home.
12 Best Dumbbell Exercises
You can get a whole body workout with just dumbbells. It can be quite challenging to workout with dumbbells because it will create shifts in body weight from time to time.
Here are 12 dumbbell exercises you can use to train the entire body:
1. Bulgarian Split Squat – Thighs, hamstrings, glutes, calves, abs
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift – Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
3. Dumbbell Step Up – Thighs, glutes, hamstrings, calves, lower back, abs
4. Dumbbell Lunges – Thighs, glutes, hamstrings, calves, abs
5. Dumbbell Swing – Lower back, upper back, hamstrings, abs, shoulders
6. Dumbbell Squat Press – Thighs, glutes, hamstrings, abs, lower back, shoulders, triceps
7. Bent Over Dumbbell Row – Middle and lower back, rear shoulders, traps, biceps, forearms
8. Dumbbell Bench Press – Chest, shoulders, triceps
9. Incline Dumbbell Press – Upper chest, shoulders, triceps
10. Seated Dumbbell Press – Shoulders, upper back, triceps
11. Alternate Dumbbell Curl – Biceps, forearms
12. Tricep Extension (Standing) – Triceps, front shoulders
Sample Dumbbell Workouts
Exercising with dumbbells can be fun because you can come up with interesting variations.
You can do a straight sets program to have better focus on each muscle group or use complexes if your goal is to burn off body fat.
I. Straight Sets Workout: Rest for 1 minute between sets and 2 minutes between exercises.
Monday – Lower Body
1. Dumbbell Split Squat – 4 sets x 10 reps
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift – 4 sets x 10 reps
3. Dumbbell Step Up – 4 sets x 10 reps
Tuesday – Upper Body
1. Bent Over Dumbbell Row – 4 sets x 10 reps
2. Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets x 10 reps
3. Tricep Extension (Standing) – 2 sets x 10 reps
Thursday – Lower Body
1. Dumbbell Squat Press – 4 sets x 10 reps
2. Dumbbell Lunges – 3 sets x 15 reps
3. Dumbbell Swing – 3 sets x 15 reps
Saturday – Upper Body
1. Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 10 reps
2. Seated Dumbbell Press – 3 sets x 10 reps
3. Alternate Dumbbell Curl – 2 sets x 10 reps
II. Dumbbell Complexes
Monday:
Instructions: 10 reps per exercise; no rest in between exercises for a total of 4 intervals. Keep your rest periods between intervals to 2 minutes.
1. Dumbbell Squat Press
2. Dumbbell Swing
3. Bent Over Dumbbell Row
4. Dumbbell Bench Press
Wednesday:
Instructions: Superset 2 exercises; no rest during supersets. You can rest up to 2 minutes before proceeding to the next superset.
1. Lower Body Superset – 3 supersets x 10 reps
• Dumbbell Split Squat
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
2. Upper Body Superset – 3 supersets x 10 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press
• Seated Dumbbell Press
3. Arms Superset – 2 supersets x 10 reps
• Tricep Extension (Standing)
• Alternate Dumbbell Curl
Friday:
Instructions: Time Under Tension; 30 seconds per exercise, perform as many reps as possible, no rest between exercises. Perform a total of 4 intervals, you can rest up to 2 minutes between intervals
1. Dumbbell Step Up
2. Dumbbell Swing
3. Dumbbell Lunges
4. Dumbbell Squat Press
5. Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Always warm up properly with dynamic stretches before starting your workouts and warm down with static stretches after each session.
Choose weights that will allow you to perform each exercise in good form. Exercises that involve the larger muscle groups such as legs, back and chest will need heavier weight than arms and shoulders.
If you are exercising from home and you don’t have an adjustable bench, you can replace Dumbbell Bench Press and the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press with the Dumbbell Floor Press.
Instead of Seated Dumbbell Press, you can substitute the standing version or Dumbbell Shoulder Press.
