30 Best Dumbbell CrossFit Exercises, Workouts & WODs

If you want to incorporate dumbbell workouts in your Crossfit training, you need a comprehensive list of all exercises. It’s not easy to get it online because it’s a specific topic, and you’ll have to accumulate all exercises from the various places by yourself.

To save you time and effort, I’ve put a list of the 30 best dumbbell Crossfit workouts in this article that will help you build muscles and increase strength, power, endurance, and performance. So, whether you train at home or in the gym, you can do the following exercises to scale up your fitness level.

I’ve also handed out Crossfit dumbbell WODs so you can work out efficiently throughout the week.

If you like all exercises and the routine, you have an option to download a PDF file of this article which you’ll get at the bottom.

Benefits of Doing CrossFit Workouts with Dumbbells

You can do various CrossFit workouts with dumbbells at home and in the gym. Dumbbells are free weights that allow a full range of motion, so you can swing them in the air and hold them wherever you want.

Moreover, with dumbbells, you can do unilateral movements, using one arm at a time.

Dumbbells also provide freedom to modify exercises and allow you to increase or decrease the movement speed.

Doing Crossfit with dumbbells builds strength, speed, endurance, and muscle and helps you achieve your best physique

Related: 20 Best Crossfit Barbell Workouts For Ultimate Strength

The Ultimate List of Crossfit Dumbbell Exercises

1. Dumbbell Man maker	2. Dumbbell Burpees	3. Dumbbell Push Press
4. Single-Arm Squat Snatch	5. Hang Squat clean	6. Deadlift to Shoulder Press
7. Dumbbell Carry Fast Walk	8. Dumbbell Thrusters	9. Clean And Press
10. Hang Power Clean	11. Dumbbell Swings	12. Pushup To Row
13. Dumbbell Clusters	14. Dumbbell Russian Twist	15. Dumbbell Jumping Jacks
16. Straight Arm Crunches	17. Lunges to Overhead Press	18. Dumbbell Shadow Boxing
19. Dumbbell Leg Raises	20. Stiff-leg DL to Upright Row	21. Side Plank To Reach Under
22. Weighted Pull-ups	23. Bent Over Rows to Fly	24. Dumbbell Box Step-up
25. Dumbbell push jerk	26. Standing IYT Raises	27. Dumbbell Side bend
28. Dumbbell Bench Press	29. Dumbbell Reverse Crunches	30. Overhead Squat

You can also perform bodyweight CrossFit exercises, such as air squats, bar dips, double-unders, handstand push-ups, and running to enhance speed, stability, and balance.

Let’s see how to perform each exercise with step-by-step instructions.

1. Dumbbell Man maker

The Man maker is an advanced workout that works on several muscles, such as arms, shoulders, chest, leg, core, and the back. It helps you build muscles and burn significant calories. If you’re good at pushups, you can include this in your dumbbell Crossfit WODs.

How to do a Dumbbell Man Makers:

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, get into a high plank position with your arms straight below your shoulders and feet two times hip-width apart.
2. Perform a pushup and as you complete it, lift your right arm off the floor and row the dumbbell at your side. Then, repeat the same on your opposite side.
3. Now, return to the standing position, perform one regular squat, and push through your heels to stand upright and press the dumbbell overhead. That is your one repetition.

You can also do it without dumbbells if you’re a beginner.

2. Dumbbell Burpees

Burpee is a full-body exercise that burns more calories than other exercises, helps you lose weight, tone muscles, shoot up strength and stamina, and improve muscle coordination.

How to do a dumbbell burpee:

A dumbbell burpee includes three movements; a quarter squat, push-ups, and jumping. You can see the steps below.

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand upright and keep your hands at your sides.
2. Hinge at your hips, lower the dumbbells onto the ground, kick your legs behind you, and get into the up position of a pushup. Perform one pushup.
3. As you complete the pushup, quickly bring your legs forward and push through your heels to jump in the air. And then land your feet on the ground and go for the push-up again.
4. At the time of the jump, hold your arms straight at your sides. Perform each rep as quickly as possible.

3. Dumbbell Push Press

Dumbbell push press engages multiple muscles from the upper to the lower body, especially the shoulders. It is also suitable for beginners. So if you’re starting a dumbbell Crossfit workout program, you can do push press to maximize your strength and power.

How to perform a dumbbell push press:

1. Start with standing in the hip-width stance, holding one dumbbell in each hand just over your shoulders.
2. Slightly bend your knees and then quickly extend your hips and legs to press the dumbbell overhead until your arms are completely straight. That is your one repetition.

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4. Single-arm Dumbbell Squat Snatch

The dumbbell snatch is another excellent Crossfit movement that helps increase strength and power. It strengthens and tones various muscles from the lower to the upper body and builds an aesthetic physique.

How to perform the single-arm dumbbell snatch:

1. Place one dumbbell on the floor, and stand upright in a shoulder-width stance (in front of the dumbbell).
2. Bend forward, get into a partial squat position and lower your right arm to snatch the dumbbell from the floor.
3. Holding the dumbbell, extend your arm overhead. And as you reach halfway, quickly explode up out of the squat and use the energy to press the dumbbell overhead and stall tall.
4. Do not round your back during the entire movement.

5. Dumbbell Hang Squat Cleans

The hang squat clean is a highly effective Crossfit movement for developing explosive power and endurance. It also helps you perform other Crossfit dumbbell exercises efficiently.

How to perform Dumbbell Hang Squat Clean

1. Start with standing in the hip-width stance, holding a dumbbell in each hand, and keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing your body.
2. Driving through your heels and explode up while shrugging the dumbbells to catch them on your shoulders.
3. Extend your hips quickly to stand straight and lower the dumbbells to the start. That’s your one rep.
4. Dumbbells should be close to your body during the entire movement.

6. Dumbbell Squat to Shoulder Press

The squat to press is one of the best dumbbell compound exercises that target multiple muscles across your body, primarily quads and shoulders. It is a combination of two exercises, so it also saves your time.

How to perform dumbbell deadlift to shoulder press

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, stand straight in the hip-width stance and hold the dumbbell on your shoulders.
2. Perform a squat. And pushing through your heels to return to the standing position.
3. Now, press the dumbbell up until your arms are straight overhead.
4. Keep your core tight and back straight throughout the movement.

7. Dumbbell Carry Fast Walk

Walking with holding weights can help develop stamina and strength. This movement seems easy. However, holding weight and walking 200 to 500 meters can be challenging for many people.

To do this movement, grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, hold them at your sides, and walk as fast as possible.

Pick dumbbells according to your strength. You can also do this exercise on the treadmill.

8. Dumbbell Thrusters

The thruster is one of the crucial exercises in Crossfit training. It works on multiple muscles simultaneously, mainly the legs and shoulders. A few studies suggest that it helps increase endurance, explosiveness, strength, and balance.

How to do a dumbbell thruster

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, stand straight in the shoulder-width stance. Keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing each other.
2. Slightly push your hips back and drive up while swinging the dumbbells above your shoulders.
3. Now, keeping your core engaged, lower your body in the squatting position. Again, dumbbells should be resting on your shoulders.
4. Lastly, explode up and extend your knees and hips to stand upright. And then press the dumbbells overhead. That is your one rep.
5. Do this exercise as fast as possible but maintain a proper form.

9. Dumbbell Clean And Press

The clean and press is a total body compound movement that improves agility, strength, and explosiveness. Moreover, it also burns serious calories in a short time.

I’ve already shared a complete guide on clean and press, so you can check it out to learn more about it.

10. Dumbbell Hang Power Clean

The hang power clean is an intense movement that increases blood flow, pumps your heart, and burns decent calories in a quick time.

Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate, you can do this dumbbell Crossfit workout at your home to improve your fitness.

How to do a Dumbbell power clean:

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, stand upright and let the dumbbell hang at your sides close to the body.
2. Slightly bend your knees and swing the dumbbells back.
3. Now, swiftly extend your knees and hips, and pull the dumbbells upward until they are on your shoulders.

11. Single-arm Dumbbell Swing

You don’t always need a kettlebell to perform the dumbbell swing. You can also do that efficiently with dumbbells. The dumbbell swings help improve speed and endurance and burn decent calories.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall in the shoulder-width stance, holding one dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip in front of your hips.
2. Slightly bend your knees and lower the dumbbell, so it comes between your legs.
3. Extend your knees, thrust your hips forward, and simultaneously swing the dumbbell upward until it is in front of your face. That’s your one repetition.

12. Dumbbell Pushup To Renegade Row

The push-up to renegade row is a strength workout and excellent for strengthening upper body muscles such as arms, shoulders, back, and chest.

With this exercise, you’ll not only develop a muscular body but also burn significant calories, enhance balance, and improve performance.

Steps to perform a push-up to renegade row:

1. Gripping the dumbbells with a neutral grip, get into a high plank position with your arms straight underneath your shoulders and feet two times wider than hip-width apart.
2. Perform a push-up and row the dumbbells at your sides alternatively.
3. Keep your core tight and back straight throughout the movement.

13. Dumbbell Clusters

The dumbbell cluster is one of the challenging variations of squat to press, where you have to do a squat jump and overhead press together. The overall movements of this exercise help boost strength, endurance, and explosiveness and burn serious calories in a short time.

How to do a Dumbbell Cluster:

1. Place one dumbbell beside your feet and stand tall in the hip-width stance.
2. Push your hips back, bend your knees and grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip. Your back should be flat while lowering down.
3. As you grab the dumbbells, drive through your heels and explode up while shrugging the dumbbells to catch them on your shoulders.
4. Then extend your hips and legs quickly to stand straight. And then press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight overhead.
5. As you press the dumbbells overhead, quickly push your hips back and lower the dumbbell until they touch the ground (besides your feet) and repeat for the desired number of times.
6. Keep the dumbbells close to your body during the entire movement.

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14. Dumbbell Russian Twist

The Russian twist is a core strengthening exercise that works primarily on obliques and helps thicken six-pack abs muscles.

How to perform the Russian Twist:

1. Grab one dumbbell with your hands and sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent.
2. Bend your elbows and hold the dumbbells in front of your stomach.
3. Lift your feet some inches off the floor and twist your torso from right to left and left to right for as long as possible.

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15. Dumbbell Jumping Jacks

Doing jumping jacks is an excellent way to pump your heart, increase blood flow, and burn decent calories quickly.

It works on various muscles throughout the body and increases muscular endurance.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall, holding one light dumbbell in each hand at your side.
2. Now jump your feet out and raise your arms over your head simultaneously.
3. Jump as high as possible and then softly land your feet on the ground.

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16. Dumbbell Straight Arm Sit-ups

Sometimes you need to do weight abs exercises to forge your core and build ultimate strength. Having a solid core revamps your workout performance and helps you create an athletic physique.

How to perform sit-ups with dumbbells:

1. Pick one dumbbell in each hand, lie on the mat on your back and hold your arms straight over your chest.
2. Bend your knees in front of you, brace your core and lift your torso off the floor until your abs are entirely engaged. Now, return to the starting position.
3. Keep your arms straight throughout the movement.

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17. Dumbbell Lunges to Overhead Press

The lunge to overhead press is a multi-movements exercise that works on multiple muscles from the upper to the lower body. Incorporating this kind of exercise into a Crossfit training program is crucial to building up total body strength.

How to Dumbbell Lunges To Overhead Press

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand to a level of your ears, stand straight in the hip-width stance.
2. Take one large step forward, perform a lunge, and press the weight until your arms are straight.
3. Lower the dumbbells and repeat on the opposite side to complete your one repetition.

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18. Dumbbell Shadowboxing

You don’t always need a punching bag to punch hook, jab, cross, and uppercut.

You can do that by holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Doing shadowboxing with dumbbells is excellent for burning significant calories and enhancing endurance.

How to do it:

Grab a pair of light dumbbells, stand in front of the mirror, and do various boxing punches, such as jab, the cross, uppercut, and the hook.

19. Dumbbell Leg Raises

The leg raise is a core strengthening exercise that primarily works on the lower abs and strengthens and tones abdominal muscles.

How to perform dumbbell leg raise:

1. Sit on the mat and clamp a dumbbell between your feet.
2. Extend your legs straight on the floor, lie on your back and raise your legs toward the ceiling until your abs are fully engaged.
3. Hold for a second and lower your legs back on the ground.

20. Stiff-leg Deadlift to Upright Row

Crossfit isn’t only about strength and power; it’s also about balance. And doing various kinds of exercises helps develop overall fitness ability. That’s why I’ve included “stiff-leg deadlift to upright row.”

A stiff-leg deadlift to upright row is a total body compound workout that simultaneously builds up multiple muscles, such as the hamstring, glute, lower back, shoulder, and trapezius.

Strengthening all these muscles will help you enhance your overall performance.

How to do it:

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand upright in the shoulder-width stance.
2. Pushing your hips back, bend forward and lower the dumbbells till they reach your shin level.
3. Extend your hips to return to the standing position and pull the dumbbells toward your neck to complete the row.

21. Dumbbell Side Plank Rotation

The side plank rotation is an advanced exercise that mainly engages obliques, improves core stability, and helps build solid abs.

Steps to perform it:

1. Get into the side plank position, holding one dumbbell straight over your body in your hand.
2. Bring the dumbbell down and reach under while keeping your torso stable.
3. Then bring your arm back to the starting position. That’s your one rep.

22. Weighted Pull-ups

The pull-up is a superior upper body workout that helps develop a wider and sizable back. It also activates other muscles, such as the biceps and abs. And adding a dumbbell to it makes this workout super effective.

How to do pull-ups with a dumbbell:

1. Get onto the pull bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell with both feet. That is your starting position.
2. Pull yourself up until your face crosses the bar, lower it down and repeat.

23. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows to Fly

The row to fly is a compound movement that develops the back and rear deltoid and helps you perform several exercises efficiently, such as the deadlift, pull-ups, and upright row.

Steps to do it:

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lean forward and keep your arms straight below your chest.
3. Pull your elbows in until your lats are entirely engaged, and return to the start.
4. Now, raise your arms outward until your feel the full contraction in the back of your shoulders.

24. Dumbbell Box Step-up

The step-up is an excellent workout to increase strength, endurance, and mobility. It strengthens and tones legs and glutes and boosts your athletic performance.

It is suitable for all fitness enthusiasts. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate, male or female, you can incorporate step-ups in your Crossfit dumbbell strength workout.

25. Dumbbell push Jerk

Push jerk is one of the explosive dumbbell Crossfit movements that works nearly every muscle throughout the body. It accelerates your speed, power, and stamina and improves jumping and running.

The steps to perform push jerk are almost the same as push press except for the jump movement. During the push press, your feet stay on the floor while you slightly jump in the air during the push jerk.

26. Standing IYT Raises

The IYT raise is one of the super effective muscle-building workouts. It is a multi-movement that works on the entire upper body, especially the back and shoulders. It is intense, challenging, burn significant calories, and is worth including in a dumbbell CrossFit workout program.

How to do Standing IYT Raises:

1. Stand tall in the hip-width stance, holding one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip in front of your thighs. Your palms should be facing each other.
2. Raise your arms before you until they are level with your face.
3. Lower your arms back to the initial position and raise your arms slightly out to the sides, making a Y letter.
4. Then lower it down and raise our arms out to the sides (like side lateral raise). As a result, your body formed a “T” shape at the top of the lift.
5. Return your arms to the bottom position and repeat these steps for the desired number of repetitions.

27. Dumbbell Side Bend

When it comes to improving overall performance, strengthening the core is essential. Having a solid core boost your performance and helps you do better in your training.

You can do myriad exercises to forge your abs and obliques, and the side bend is one of them.

The dumbbell side bend specifically strengthens the love handles and thickens six-pack abs muscles.

To perform the side bend, grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand upright with your arms straight at your sides. Brace your abdominal muscles and bend to your right side as much as possible and then return to the upright position and again bend to your left side. Perform the suggested sets and reps.

28. Dumbbell Bench Press

Training the big muscles is crucial whether you want to build muscles or lose weight. That’s why I’ve added the dumbbell bench press to this list. It works on the lower and upper chest muscles and helps build a defined physique.

To perform this exercise, grab one dumbbell in each hand and lie on the bench with your feet flat on the ground. Brace your abdominal muscles, inhale and press the dumbbells directly over your chest until your arms are straight.

You can do dumbbell floor press if you don’t have a bench.

29. Dumbbell Reverse Crunches

To build a sturdy core, you need to work on lower abs specifically, and with reverse crunches, you can solidify that muscle.

How to perform:

1. Sit on the mat, hold one dumbbell with your feet, lie on your back and extend your legs straight on the floor.
2. Lift your legs off the floor and bring your knees toward your chest until your abs are fully engaged. Hold for a second and then extend your legs straight and repeat for the maximum number of times.

30. Dumbbell Overhead Squat

The overhead squat is one of the best dumbbell squat variations that work on multiple muscles, such as quadriceps, core, and anterior delt. You’ll often see this movement included in most of the famous WODs.

How to do it:

Holding a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, stand in the shoulder-width stance. Keep your arms straight overhead and perform a squat.

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The 5 Best CrossFit Dumbbell WODs

I’ve created a weekly Crossfit dumbbell workout plan to increase speed, stamina, and strength and help you achieve a better physique.

This routine is suitable for all. So, whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you can do these dumbbell Crossfit workouts at home to scale up your fitness level.

Summary:

• Frequency: 5 days a week
• Duration of one session: 30-45 minutes
• Rounds: Beginner: 1-2 | Intermediate: 2-4 | Advanced: 4-6
• Rest between exercises: As little as possible
• Interval time between rounds: 60-sec
• Intensity: Do these exercises as quickly as possible while maintaining a proper form

Monday

Perform as many rounds as possible in 30 minutes.

Exercise	Reps
Dumbbell Jumping Jacks	20-sec
Dumbbell Man makers	10
Dumbbell Push Press	10
Standing IYT Raises	15
Dumbbell Reverse Crunches	10
Side Bend	10
Lunges to Overhead Press	10
Dumbbell Floor Press	10

Tuesday

Do each exercise for one minute at your maximum heart rate (MHR).

The time cap is 30 minutes.

Exercise
Dumbbell Jumping Jacks
Dumbbell Man makers
Dumbbell Push Press
Standing IYT Raises
Dumbbell Reverse Crunches
Side Bend
Lunges to Overhead Press
Dumbbell Floor Press

Wednesday

AMRAP in 30 minutes

Exercise	Reps
Dumbbell Burpees	10
Hang Power Clean	10
Pushup To Row	10
Straight Arm Crunches	15
Dumbbell Shadow Punches	10
Stiff-leg DL to Upright Row	10
Dumbbell Push Jerk	10
Overhead Squat	10

Friday

Perform AMRAP for 30 minutes

Exercise	Reps
Single-Arm Squat Snatch	10
Dumbbell Leg Raises	10
Bent Over Rows to Fly	6
Dumbbell Push Jerk	10
Overhead Squat	10
Pushup To Row	6
Dumbbell Swings	10
Dumbbell Side Bend	10

Saturday

Perform as many rounds as possible in half an hour.

• 12 Dumbbell Box Step-up
• 10 Dumbbell Leg Raises
• 10 Stiff-leg Deadlift to Upright Row
• 08 Standing IYT Raises
• 08 Dumbbell Man maker
• 10 Single-Arm Dumbbell Squat Snatch
• 200m Dumbbell Carry Fast Walk

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Crossfit Dumbbell Workouts PDF