There’s no fiddling with setting up the squat rack or asking a random person in the gym to spot you. There’s no need to wait for your favorite machine to be free or stand in front of everyone by the mirrors if you don’t want to. There’ll always be a pair of dumbbells on the gym floor, and this one piece of equipment can get you a long way.
Create a heart-raising circuit using functional exercises, focus on building specific muscle groups using lighter loads, or reach further up the rack to make use of big compound lifts that will challenge your entire body. The options of dumbbell workouts are endless for both beginners and experienced lifters.
And if you only find yourself reaching for the dumbbells when you’re doing a home workout or all the squat racks are busy, then you might be surprised to know that using dumbbells can be just as effective (if not more effective) than using a barbell or machine for your workout.
We’re going to break down how to use this one kit wonder piece of equipment by showing you the best dumbbell exercises for each muscle group. No more excuses for the gym being too busy or not knowing what to do: This is your ultimate guide to the best dumbbell exercises.
Benefits Of Dumbbell Exercises
If you thought that barbell exercises ruled the gym, think again–dumbbells are a mighty piece of equipment that gives barbells a good run for their money. Numerous research studies into the effectiveness of dumbbells vs. barbells have proven that dumbbells are just as effective in activating target muscle groups and improving strength and power [1,2].
But if you’re left thinking, ‘Well, how can that be?’ since barbell exercises typically allow you to lift heavier, then we’ll explain:
Dumbbell exercises require greater stabilization.
Controlling two separate loads requires a lot more stability and balance than lifting a barbell or machine. Using dumbbells activates the small stabilizing muscle around the working joint to control the weight, increasing overall muscle activation.
Dumbbells allow you to train unilaterally
: Dumbbells offer the unique ability to train one side of the body at a time, which is ideal for addressing muscle imbalances or building an evenly developed physique.
Dumbbells allow for a greater
range of motion. For example, during a bench press, you can bring the dumbbells all the way down to the side of your chest and then bring your arms together at the top to squeeze your pecs in a way that isn’t possible with a barbell. Numerous studies support using a full range of motion over a shorter range of motion in your exercises for enhanced muscle growth [3].
These benefits make dumbbells a very effective exercise–whether you’re doing slow, heavy reps to build strength under tension, or fast, back-to-back complexes of higher rep exercises for metabolic conditioning (again, making them very versatile for a number of different goals).
If that wasn’t enough, dumbbells are extremely beginner-friendly. They’re also easy to use and safe, so unlike using the squat rack or bench, you won’t need to awkwardly ask for a spotter, as you can easily ‘bail’ a set of dumbbells. On busy gym days, they make the perfect ‘shy girl’ workout you can do in the corner and an effective home workout.
Feeling convinced? Let’s get into our ultimate guide to the best dumbbell exercises.
Upper Body Dumbbell Exercises
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Dumbbell Back Exercises
Whether you’re chasing defined back muscles and size like CBum, or you want to get your first pull-up (or increase the number you can do under fatigue in a workout)–or maybe you’re just conscious of improving your posture after hunching at a desk all day, dumbbells and back exercises go hand in hand. A key benefit is the ability to train unilaterally, unlocking the ability to iron out imbalances and ensure equal development of both sides of the back.
There are actually 40 muscles in the back, but most back workouts focus on the traps, rhomboids, and lats, which are superficial muscles, meaning they sit closest to the surface of the skin and are therefore most visible. The erector spinae is also important, playing a crucial role in posture, stabilizing the spine, and preventing back pain.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Back:
Bent Over Dumbbell Row - A staple for overall back development.
Dumbbell Single Arm Row - Isolates each side of the back, which is great for fixing imbalances.
Reverse Flys – Targets the rear delts and upper traps.
Dumbbell Pullover – Targets the lats and chest.
Seal Rows (Chest-Supported Rows) – Removes any lower-back strain, focusing on mid-back.
Renegade Row - Works the back and core at the same time.
Dumbbell Deadlifts – Builds overall posterior chain strength.
Dumbbell Tricep Exercises
Whether you’re chasing bigger arms to show off in your power t-shirt or to sculpt and define your muscles in a tank top, training your triceps has a massive impact on both arm size and strength. Making up about two-thirds of your total arm size, stronger triceps will allow you to build weight on your bench press, power in your push press, and pace on your press-ups.
The triceps are made of three heads: the lateral, long, and medial heads. While you can’t isolate each head, changing your grip can emphasize certain heads more.
Dumbbells are an ideal way to isolate the triceps and make you focus on mind-muscle connection, allowing you to consciously focus on the muscle(s) you are using during the exercise, in this case, the triceps. Numerous researchers have proved the effectiveness of this training method, with a 2018 study by the European Journal of Sport Science finding that mind-muscle connection enhanced muscle hypertrophy after 8 weeks due to better muscle recruitment [4].
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Triceps:
Dumbbell Skull Crusher - One of the best for triceps hypertrophy (works the lo g & lateral heads) [5].
Tricep Kickback - Great for high reps and triceps definition (works the lateral head)
Single Arm Tricep Extension - Best for fully stretching and engaging the long head.
Close-Grip Dumbbell Press - Mimics is a close-grip bench press with dumbbells that target all three heads.
Tate Press (Dumbbell Triceps Press) - Hits the triceps from a different angle (works the lateral & medial heads).
Reverse Grip Dumbbell Press - Changing the grip activates the lower triceps (AKA medial head).
Dumbbell Bicep Exercises
When it comes to training arms, the muscle that probably comes to mind first is the biceps. Look by the dumbbell rack at any time, and you’ll probably see at least one gym bro pumping out a set of bicep curls.
But even if you’re not chasing that sleeve-stretching bicep pump, stronger biceps will help your compound lifts, like deadlifts and pull-ups, enhance arm endurance valuable in many sports, such as swimming and rowing, and help with daily activities such as carrying groceries.
Bicep exercises target the short and long heads of the biceps, with many also working the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, which work in synergy with the biceps to flex the elbow.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Biceps:
Dumbbell Bicep Curl - The classic movement for overall biceps growth.
Hammer Curls – Targets the brachialis (muscle under the biceps) for thicker arms.
Dumbbell Preacher Curl – Eliminates momentum to focus purely on biceps contraction.
Zottman Curl – Combines a regular curl and reverse curl to hit all parts of the biceps and forearms.
Concentration Curls – Maximizes biceps peak by isolating one arm at a time.
Spider Curls – Keeps constant tension on the biceps for better definition.
Reverse Curls – Hits the brachialis and forearms for balanced arm growth.
Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises
You might find yourself overly focusing on the biceps and triceps when it comes to arm workouts, but strengthening your shoulders is just as important. Not only is it important for building strength in overhead lifts, but it also improves your posture, stability, and range of motion of the upper body.
Dumbbell shoulder exercises mainly target the deltoids (which include the anterior, lateral, and posterior head), but they’ll also strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles of the shoulder joint, including the rotator cuff muscles.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Shoulders:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Targets all three heads, emphasizing the front delts.
Arnold Press – Adds rotation to hit all three heads, especially the front delts.
Neutral-Grip Shoulder Press – A safer variation for people with shoulder pain.
Front Raises – Isolates the front delts for definition.
Lateral Raises – The best isolation exercise for the side delts.
Reverse Flys – Great for rear delts and upper back.
Dumbbell Shrugs – Builds strong, defined traps.
Dumbbell Chest Exercises
If you thought the barbell bench press was the only way to bigger pecs, think again. Dumbbells provide some pretty hefty competition when it comes to building the chest muscles, and studies have proven the dumbbell bench press can elicit greater activity in the pecs major compared to its barbell counterpart [6].
The pecs have two main sections: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The first is the larger muscle, which includes the upper, lower, and inner chest muscles, which together give your chest its bulk and strength. The pectoralis minor is located underneath the major muscle and stabilizes your shoulder blade.
Using dumbbells allows you to stretch both sections of the chest through a greater range of motion and contract them to a greater degree at the top of each rep.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Chest:
Dumbbell Bench Press - Great for overall chest development, targeting the middle portion of the chest.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - Focuses on the upper chest, helping to build a fuller chest shape.
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press: Targets the lower chest, helping to add balance and definition.
Dumbbell Chest Fly - Targets the chest adductors, allowing for a focused contraction on the inner chest muscles.
Dumbbell Pullover: This exercise stretches the chest muscles through a wide range of motion, targeting the lower chest fibers while also engaging the lats and other upper body muscles.
Dumbbell Squeeze Press: Enhances chest contraction and engagement by focusing on the inner chest.
Dumbbell Push-Up: Increases range of motion and activates the chest more intensely than regular push-ups.
Dumbbell Core Exercises
Maybe you’re bored of your traditional crunches and bodyweight planks. Adding dumbbells to your ab workouts will not only ramp up the difficulty of your current ab exercises but also open up the possibility of new ab exercises, such as anti-rotation and anti-side bend exercises that require weight for the body to resist to make the movement possible.
Dumbbell core exercises will work your ‘six-pack muscles’ (the rectus abdominis), the transversus abdominis (the deepest muscle of the abs that wraps around the waist to support the spine), and the internal and external obliques, which run down the side of the core.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Core:
Dumbbell Russian Twists: Targets the obliques and improves rotational strength.
Dumbbell Side Bend: Focuses on the obliques, helping sculpt the sides of the waist.
Dumbbell Deadbug: Engages the core and stabilizes muscles while promoting good posture.
Dumbbell Leg Raises: Strengthens the lower abs and hip flexors, working the entire core.
Dumbbell Woodchoppers: A twisting motion that targets the obliques, abs, and lower back.
Dumbbell Renegade Row: Engages the core, shoulders, and back while maintaining a plank position.
Dumbbell Pallof Press: Strengthens the core and improves stability with an anti-rotation movement.
Dumbbell Leg Exercises
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Whether you’re looking for some lower body accessory exercises to do after a compound lift, exercises to pair in a superset, or it’s peak gym time and you’re limited on equipment, dumbbells are an extremely valuable training tool for leg day.
Dumbbells can be used for compound leg exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and RDLs, or isolation exercises, targeting the main muscles of the legs: the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
Dumbbells also allow you to train your legs unilaterally, correcting muscle imbalances, strengthening each leg individually, and improving symmetry in a way that can’t be done using a barbell.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For The Legs:
Dumbbell Squats - Targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes; a fundamental compound movement for overall leg strength.
Dumbbell Lunges - Focuses on the quads, hamstrings, and glutes; helps correct imbalances and improves stability.
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat - Target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings; great for balance and unilateral strength.
Dumbbell Deadlifts - Engage the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, strengthening the posterior chain and improving hip hinge mechanics.
Dumbbell Step-Ups - Work the quads, glutes, and hamstrings; excellent for functional strength and unilateral leg work.
Dumbbell Goblet Squats - Targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings; allows for deeper squats and engages the core for stability.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: Focuses on the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back; emphasizes the hip hinge movement for posterior chain strength.
Dumbbell Calf Raises Target the calf muscles, which makes them great for calf growth and strength. They can be performed standing or seated.
Dumbbell Sumo Squats: Focus on the glutes, quads, and adductors, as well as targeting the inner thighs and glutes with a wider stance.
Dumbbell Glute Bridges: Primarily work the glutes and hamstrings. These activate the posterior chain and improve hip thrust power.
Full Body Dumbbell Exercises
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What if you want to work your upper and lower body at once while building strength and ramping up your heart rate, too? Similar to kettlebells and barbells, dumbbells are ideally suited to performing full-body exercises that improve coordination, muscular endurance, strength, and balance.
You’ll often see these functional exercises crop up in hybrid training programs. When done in a cyclical motion, you can seamlessly transition between these dumbbell exercises to increase the metabolic demand.
Many of these full-body dumbbell exercises use a long range of motion for each rep, making them incredibly demanding.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises For Full Body:
Devils Press - Works the chest, shoulders, triceps, back, core, and legs and is a powerful movement for full-body conditioning, strength, and endurance.
Farmer’s Carry - Works
grip strength, core, shoulders, and legs, improving posture, grip endurance, and full-body stabilization.
Dumbbell Thruster - Targets the quads, glutes, shoulders, triceps, core. Good for Improving strength and endurance with a powerful combination of squats and overhead presses.
Dumbbell Hang Clean - Targets the legs, back, shoulders, core, arms, building explosive power, coordination, and muscle control while developing strength in the posterior chain and shoulders.
Dumbbell Snatch - Works the shoulders, legs, core, and back. Good for power development, explosiveness, and full-body coordination.
FAQs
How Long Should A Dumbbell Workout Be?
There isn’t a set duration for how long a dumbbell workout should be, and it could range from 5 minutes to 60 minutes or more–it really depends on how you structure your workout and your goal.
You might choose to structure a set number of dumbbell exercises in an EMOM (every minute on the minute) for a set duration, or you might build a full dumbbell strength workout by combining any of the exercises above into supersets and tri-sets for a longer strength workout.
After some compound strength movements, you might also do a shorter, higher-intensity dumbbell workout. This is typical in functional fitness classes, which might have an AMRAP or ‘For Time’ workout at the end of the session, typically lasting 8 to 15 minutes.
Can You Build Muscle Only Using Dumbbells?
Yes–Although it is widely believed that you need to lift heavy enough to challenge your muscles within the hypertrophy range to build muscle (8 to 12 reps), research has proven that muscle hypertrophy can be achieved using both heavy (high-load) and light (low-load) resistance training, as long as sets are taken close to failure. Since dumbbells allow for both heavy and light loads, they can be just as effective for muscle growth [7].
To maximize muscle growth, you should also:
Progressively overload: Gradually increase the intensity by increasing the weight, reps, or time under tension.
Use a full range of motion: A key benefit to dumbbells is the ability to train through a greater range of motion. Focus on this during training, ensuring proper form through each exercise.
Utilize drop sets: Drop sets are a great way to train your muscles to failure. They involve using a lighter weight for the last set of an exercise to perform as many reps as possible.
Control the eccentric phase: Slow down the lower portion of each rep to maximize time under tension and make your muscles work harder to resist the weight.
Eat to support muscle growth: Eat in a calorie surplus and ensure you eat adequate protein to enhance muscle growth.
What Weight Dumbbells Should I Use?
This depends on the exercise you are doing, along with your training experience and goals.
You can use moderate to heavy dumbbells for lower (and full) body exercises.
Light weights are all you need to effectively activate smaller muscle groups (mainly those in the upper body, e.g., the shoulders or core).
You should generally start with a lighter weight if you’re a beginner, getting the form right before increasing the weight. Once you’ve mastered the exercise, you should aim to use a challenging weight, but you can complete all the prescribed reps. This will change depending on your goal and is generally understood to be:
Endurance: A lighter weight, you can do 10-14 reps per set for 2-3 sets.
Hypertrophy: A medium weight, you can perform 6-10 reps for 3-6 sets
Strength: For a heavy weight, you can perform 2-6 reps for 3 to 5 sets
Once you have selected a weight you think will be right, try a couple of reps before stating your sets to ensure the weight is correct.
Are Adjustable Dumbbells Worth it?
If you’re working out from home, adjustable dumbbells are definitely a worthwhile investment. Rather than relying solely on bodyweight exercises, doing dumbbell exercises at home allows you to add greater resistance and train specific muscles under load with both compound and isolation movements. This makes it easier to build muscle and strength from home than solely relying on bodyweight exercises.
With the ability to change the weight of the dumbbell, you can effectively carry out a wide variety of dumbbell exercises to target different body parts during your home dumbbell workout. Adjustable dumbbells also make it easier to progressively overload compared to if you only have a singular dumbbell weight or bodyweight, allowing you to increase the load as you get stronger.
What Are The Best Dumbbell Exercises For Beginners?
Dumbbells are among the most effective and accessible training tools, making them ideal for beginners starting strength training. Start by focusing on compound dumbbell exercises, such as goblet squats, dumbbell deadlifts, and lunges. Using multiple muscle groups at once, these exercises will help you get the best bang for your buck and also teach you proper form for key movement patterns, which is essential before moving on to barbell exercises.
For beginners, the most important thing is to start using light dumbbells, focusing primarily on form over weight. Ensure you get the technique exactly right first and build confidence with it before moving on to heavier loads.
How Long Should A Dumbbell Workout Be For Beginners?
As a beginner, you should focus on quality over quantity! You should start with full-body dumbbell workouts using compound exercises lasting as little as 20 minutes. As you get more comfortable with the exercises, you can gradually increase the duration of your workouts.
What Other Exercises Can I Pair With Dumbbell Exercises?
Dumbbells are incredibly versatile, making them easy to pair with a variety of other training methods to create a well-rounded workout. Whether you’re looking to build strength, endurance, or athleticism, combining dumbbell exercises with other modalities can maximize your results.
Bodyweight exercises: Dumbbell exercises can easily be paired with other bodyweight movements to increase volume without excessive load.
Barbell exercises: Although barbells allow you to lift heavier weights, dumbbells are a good exercise pairing to correct imbalances and emphasize certain muscle groups. You could include dumbbell exercises after your main barbell lifts or even superset them with a barbell exercise to increase the intensity.
Cardio & Conditioning: Look at any hybrid workout, and you’ll see dumbbells play a key part in many WODs (workout of the day). They are an ideal pairing to cardio exercises, often included in a superset, AMRAP, or EMOM-style circuit to improve endurance and overall athleticism, for example, alongside erg work, bodyweight cardio movements (e.g., burpees or squat jumps) or other weighted cardio exercises (e.g., wall balls or battle ropes).*
Don’t Underestimate The Effectiveness Of Dumbbell Training
Dumbbells are one of the most effective and versatile tools for building strength, muscle, and endurance.
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned lifter, incorporating dumbbell exercises into your workouts can help you improve balance, coordination, and overall fitness. Plus, they’re perfect for home and gym training, allowing you to work out anytime, anywhere.
Whether you do a full dumbbell-only workout, incorporate some dumbbell exercises after a barbell lift, or even pair them with an erg in a complex, dumbbell exercises are an effective way to get stronger and fitter, whatever your goal.
So grab those dumbbells and get training–and don’t forget to download the Gymshark Training App to get inspired by preprogrammed dumbbell workouts. The app makes it easy to track your sets, reps, and weights along the way.
*An AMRAP refers to ‘As Many Rounds As Possible,’ challenging you to complete as many reps or rounds of a set workout as possible within a given time frame. An EMOM refers to ‘Every Minute on the Minute,’ where you perform a specific number of reps at the start of each minute, then rest for the remainder of that minute before repeating.
References:
Smoak, Y. (2023). A Randomised Trial Comparing Barbell and Dumbbell Bench Press on Maximal Strength and Power Output.
Saeterbakken, A.H., van den Tillaar, R. and Fimland, M.S. (2011). A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements.
Schoenfeld, B.J. and Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Vigotsky, A., Contreras, B., Golden, S., Alto, A., Larson, R., Winkelman, N. and Paoli, A. (2018). Differential effects of attentional focus strategies during long-term resistance training
Maeo, S., Wu, Y., Huang, M., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H. and Isaka, T. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position.
Solstad, T.E., Andersen, V., Shaw, M., Hoel, E.M., Vonheim, A. and Atle Hole Saeterbakken (2020). A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males.
Schoenfeld, B.J., Peterson, M.D., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B. and Sonmez, G.T. (2015). Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men.
