You may have seen plenty of dumbbell exercises for beginners on the internet, but not in one place. I also faced the same problem when I was a beginner, and I don’t want you to waste your time gathering all exercises from different places. That’s why I’ve decided to make a complete beginner dumbbell workout guide so you can get everything in one place, such as the list of all exercises with step-by-step instructions, pictures, and videos, as well as a sample of the weekly workout plan.
This guide includes dumbbell exercises for each muscle, such as the chest, legs, back, shoulder, and arms. And it will enable you to work out in an organized way and help you build strength, lean mass and improve body composition.
But before you do the dumbbell workouts mentioned in this article, I suggest performing these bodyweight exercises for beginners. Bodyweight workouts are an excellent way to increase strength and mobility and help you scale up for dumbbell training.
Benefits of Working out with Dumbbells
Dumbbells are suitable for multiple reasons, for example:
- They allow a greater range of motion. A better range of motion helps you target muscles more precisely and deeply and allow you to change or modify any exercise according to your need.
- They also help you perform various unilateral exercises using one arm at a time. Unilateral workouts are great for balancing strength and building defined body.
- They are adabptale, portable and efficinet. You can do dumbbell exercises anywhere you like, such as at home and in the gym.
Okay! If you’re ready for it, let’s get started.
Beginner Dumbbell Exercises For Chest
You can build a defined chest with various dumbbell exercises at home. I’ve shared the five best beginner dumbbell exercises that work on the upper, middle, and lower chest.
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Dumbbell Chest Fly
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Dumbbell Squeeze Press
1. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- Grab a pair of dumbbells, put them on your thighs in the standing position and lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbells at your sides (align with your chest), brace your core, and keep your chest higher by arching your back. That’s your starting position.
- Inhale, and press the dumbbells upward toward the ceiling until you feel the complete contraction in your chest and exhale.
- Squeezing your pecs, pause for a couple of seconds at the top before you lower the dumbbells to the start. Perform three to four sets of 8-12 reps each.
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Set the bench at 30-degree incline, and holding one dumebbell in each hand lay down on it.
- Hold the dumbbells besides your chest with your palms are facing forward.
- Keep your core tight, and press the dumbbells above your upper chest until your pecs are fully engaged.
- Squeezing your chest, pause for a couple of seconds at the top before you lower the dumbbells to the start. Perform three sets of 8-12 reps each.
3. Dumbbell Chest fly
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie on your back on the flat bench.
- Keep your arms out to the sides with your elbows slighty bend.
- Brace your core, and raise your arms upward until they meet each other at the top.
- Hold for a moment and then slowly lower it down to the start.
- Do a couple of sets of 8-10 reps each.
You can also try its incline variation. However, try not to lift more weight than your ability. Instead, use lightweight dumbbells for a couple of months.
4. Dumbbell Pullover
- Grab a dumbbell with your hands and lie on the bench on your back with your feet flat on the ground.
- Keep the dumbbells behind your head with your elbows slightly bent.
- Brace your abdominal muscles, inhale and pull the dumbbell over your chest until your arms are straight over your chest.
- Stay at the top for a couple of seconds before you return the dumbbell to the start.
- Aim for three sets of 8-10 reps each.
5. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip. Lie on the bench on your back and keep your feet steadily on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms are facing each other.
- Inhale and press the dumbbells upward until your arms are straight.
- Squeeze your pecs at top of the press and then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Shoot for three sets of 8-10 reps each.
You can do this movement once in two weeks as a finisher workout, especially on chest day.
The Best Dumbbell Leg Workouts for Beginners
You can do plenty of workouts to build study legs with dumbbells. However, doing them all isn’t necessary. That’s why I’ll only share the six best dumbbell exercises for beginners that’ll work on each muscle of the lower body, such as quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, and help you build sturdy legs at home.
Here are the workouts:
- Dumbbell Squats
- Dumbbell Lunges
- Dumbbell Step-up
- Dumbbell Calf Raise
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
- Dumbbell Glute Bridge
Now, let’s see how to perform these exercises with step-by-step instructions.
1. Dumbbell Front Squat
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand, stand straight in the shoulder-width stance, and hold the dumbbells on your shoulders. That’s the start.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Maintain flat back.
- Push through your heels to return to the standing position. That’s one rep.
- Perform as many reps as you want or until you feel a good contraction in your quads.
2. Dumbbell Lunges
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and hold your arms straight at your sides.
- Take one big step forward with your right leg and bend your both knees simultaneously until your left knees touch the ground. Keep your back flat during the movement and make sure your knees does not cross your toes while going down.
- Hold for a second then use your left foot to stand straight. Repeat the same steps for the opposite side to complete one rep.
- Aim for three sets of 8-10 reps each.
3. Dumbbell Step-up
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand, stand straight in the shoulder-width stance, and hold the dumbbells at your sides.
- Step your right foot on the bench and then bring your left one so both are together.
- Do as many sets and reps as you want or until you feel a good contraction in your legs.
Dumbbell step-up is an excellent workout to enhance endurance, build a strong lower body, and improve balance. You can do it on the box or a flat bench, whichever you have.
4. Dumbbell Calf Raise
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand upright with your feet together.
- Keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms are facing in.
- Raise your heels as high as possible, hold for a couple of seconds at the top, and then lower it down and repeat until you feel the good contrction in your calves.
5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift strengthens hamstrings and lower back and improves mobility and balance.
Start with lightweight dumbbells and focus on your form to perform this movement efficiently.
Here are steps to perform dumbbell RDL:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells, stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold your arms straight in front of your thighs.
- Brace your abdominal muscles, inhale, and slowly push your hips back to lean forward until the dumbbells cross your knees.
- Push through your heels and return to the standing position until your hips are fully extended.
- Aim for three sets of 6-8 reps each.
6. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
- Lie on the floor with your knees are bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Grab a dumbbell and hold it on your hips.
- Thrust your hips upward so you can feel the contraction in your glutes maximus.
- Squeezing your glute at the top, pause for a couple of seconds, and then lower your hips on the floor. That’s one rep.
- Do three to four sets of 8-12 reps.
Triceps Dumbbell exercises For Beginners
The tricep is located on the back of your upper arms. It has three heads; long, medial, and lateral. You can do dumbbell workouts to strengthen these heads and build brawny arms.
Here I’ve picked the five best dumbbell tricep exercises you can do as a beginner.
- Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension
- Dumbbell Behind The Neck Tricep Extension
- Tricep Kickback
- Dumbbell Floor Press
- Dumbbell One-arm Overhead Triceps Extension
1. Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension
This movement is also known as the dumbbell skull crusher. It is the basic dumbbell tricep exercise for beginners. You can do it to strengthen the long head of the tricep muscle.
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie flat on the bench.
- Bend your elbows and hold the dumbbells over your head and make sure your palms are facing each other.
- Keeping your elbows locked, extend your arms fully so you can feel the work on your triceps.
- Squeezing your triceps, pause for a second and then return to the start.
- Shoot for three to four sets of 8-12 reps.
2. Dumbbell Behind The Neck Tricep Extension
- In a seated or standing position, grab a dumbbell with your hands and hold it behind your head. Make sure your elbows are locked and pointing forward.
- Brace your core, inhale and extend your arms until you feel the good tricep muscles contraction.
- Pause for one to two seconds and lower the dumbbell to the start.
- Do three to four sets of 8-12 reps.
3. One-arm Dumbbell Tricep Kickback
- Grab a dumbbell in your right hand with a neutral grip.
- Place your left hand on the bench for support and lean forward.
- Raise your right elbow at your side and keep it fix.
- Now, kick the hand behind you until your arm is fully straigth.
- Hold for a second, squeeze your tricep muscles, and then slowly lower it down.
- Aim for three to four sets of 8-12 reps.
4. Dumbbell Floor Press
The dumbbell floor press is a great workout to fortify upper body muscles, especially triceps and chest, without a bench. It also helps you increase your strength and enables you to perform the bench press with a heavy load.
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand, lie flat on the mat and bend your knees at 90-degree.
- Hold the dumbbells besides your chest and brace your abdominal muscles.
- Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight. And then slowly lower the dumbbells in the starting position. Perform three sets of 8-10 reps each.
Related: 10 Dumbbell Floor Exercises You Can Do At Home
5. Seated One-arm triceps extension
The single-arm tricep extension is a unilateral movement that allows you to target one arm at a time. You can focus more on your weaker muscles and balance strength with this movement.
- Pick one dumbbell in your right hand; sit on the bench with your feet flat on the ground. Bend your elbow and hold the dumbbell behind your head (on the opposite shoulder). That’s the start.
- Extend your elbow fully so you can feel the complete contraction in your triceps, squeeze your muscle at the top, and then return to the start.
- Perform three sets of 8-10 reps each.
Dumbbell Workouts for Beginners for Back
The back is the superficial muscles of the upper body. It has three essential muscles to train: lats, traps, and infraspinatus. These muscles engage when you pull something, dumbbell rowing is a good example.
I’ve selected the top five back exercises that I mostly do with dumbbells, which are all suitable for beginners.
- One-arm Dumbbell Rowing
- Dumbbell Deadlift
- Incline Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises
- Dumbbell Bent Over Row
- Dumbbell Superman Pull
1. One-Arm Dumbbell Rowing
- Place your right hand and knee on the bench. Lean forward and grab a dumbell with your left hand with a neutral grip.
- Hold your arm straight underneath your shoulder with your palm facing the bench. Keep your face down or look forward – whichever is comfotable for you. That’s the start.
- Raise your elbow upward as pull the dumbbell in a controlled manner until you feel a full contraction in your back muscles.
- Hold for two seconds at the top and then slowly lower it down. That’s one rep.
- Aim for three sets of 8-12 reps each.
2. Dumbbell Deadlift
The dumbbell deadlift is a compound exercise that works on various muscles simultaneously, such as legs, back, and core. You can do this move to bolster your total body strength.
How to perform dumbbell deadlift:
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and hold your arms straight at your sides.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees until the dumbbells touch the floor.
- Engaging your lats, slowly return to the standing postion. Maintain flat back during the enitre movement.
- Aim for three to four sets of 6-8 reps.
3. Incline Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises
The I-Y-T raise mainly strengthens traps and infraspinatus muscles and develops a shredded back.
An ACE-sponsored study showed that I-Y-T raises stimulate the greatest activation in three of the five muscles of the back.
So if you have limited time to work out, you can do this exercise for maximum results.
How to perform:
- Set a bench at a 45-degree incline.
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Lie on your stomach with your neck at the corner of the bench and let your arms hang toward the floor. That’s the beginning position.
- Raise your arms upward to make an “I” shape with your torso and then slowly lower it in the beginning position.
- Then raise your arms vertically to make a “Y” shape with your torso and then bring your arms to the starting point.
- And finally, raise your arms out to the sides to make a “T” shape with your torso complete one rep.
- Perform three sets of 6-8 repetitions each.
4. Dumbbell Bent Over Rowing
- Pick one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Push your hips back, slightly bend your knees and lean your torso forward, and hold your arms straight below your shoulders. Maintain flat back. That’s the start.
- Pull the dumbbells at your sides until you feel a full contraction in your back muscles.
- Hold for a moment at the top and then slowly bring them down to the start.
- Try to perform three sets of 8-12 repetitions each.
5. Dumbbell Superman Pull
The dumbbell superman pull can be challenging for you if you’re new to training. However, if you’ve done various pushups and other bodyweight back exercises before weight training, you can do that. It strengthens your lats and traps and helps you increase strength and mobility.
- Grab a lightweight dumbbell in each hand and lay down on the floor on your stomach with your face facing the ground.
- Keep your arms straight and a few inches above the floor in front of you.
- Pull the dumbbells towards your chest until the muscles of your back are fully engaged.
- Hold for a couple of seconds and then return your arms to the start.
- Aim for three sets of 8-12 repetitions each.
Beginner Dumbbell Workouts For Shoulder at Home
You need dumbbells to perform most primary shoulder exercises, such as front raises, lateral raises, and rear delt fly.
You can efficiently target each shoulder muscle with dumbbells, such as the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, and posterior deltoid.
Here are the six best exercises you can do to build muscular shoulders.
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Dumbbell Front Raise
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Bent-over Dumbbell Reverse Fly
- Dumbbell Upright Row
- Shoulders Shrugs
1. Overhead Shoulder Press
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart or you can also do it in the seated position.
- Hold the dumbbells at your shoulder height with your elbows bent and pointing forward. That’s the starting position.
- Brace your abdominal muscles, inhale, and press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are straight.
- Hold for a sec and then slowly return to the start. That’s one repetition.
- Shoot for three to four sets of 8-12 repetitions each.
2. Dumbbell Front Raise
- Pick two dumbbells with an overhand grip and stand upright.
- Hold your arms straight in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body.
- Raise the dumbbell alternatively in front of you until your arms are at your shoulder height.
- Pause for a sec at the top and then slowly bring it to the start.
- Aim for three sets of 8-10 reps each.
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and stand straight. Hold your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing in.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until you feel the contraction in your lateral deltoid.
- Pause for a moment and then bring the dumbbells to the start. That’s one rep!
- Do three sets of 8-10 reps each.
4. Bent-over Dumbbell Reverse Fly
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and hold your arms straight underneath your chest.
- Push your hips back, slightly bend your knees, and bring your torso parallel to the floor.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until your rear delt and upper traps are fully engaged.
- Hold for a moment at the top and then lower the weight to the start.
- Perform three sets of 8-10 reps each.
5. Dumbbell Upright Row
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and stand straight in the hip-width stance.
- Hold your arms straight in front of your thighs with your palms facing in.
- Pull the dumbbells towards your neck as high as possible.
- Hold for a couple of seconds and then return to the beginning position.
- That’s one repetition. Try to perform three sets of 8-12 repetitions each.
6. Standing Dumbbell Shrug
- Pick one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand straight in the hip-width stance.
- Hold your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing the body.
- Raise your shoulder blades without bending your elbows, until you feel the good contraction in your neck and shoulder.
- Hold for a couple of seconds and then relax your shoulder blades.
- Do three sets of 8-10 reps.
Biceps Dumbbell Workout for Beginners
The biceps are one of the smallest but most eye-catching muscles of the entire body. That’s why everyone wants to hammer their biceps by performing various curls twice to thrice a week.
However, in a couple of years, I’ve learned that training each muscle equally is the key to building an aesthetic physique.
So if you’re a beginner and want to build beefy biceps alongside other muscles, you can do the following dumbbell exercises:
- Seated Bicep curls
- Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl
- Concentration Curl
- Twisting Dumbbell Curl
- Hammer Curl
1. Seated Alternate Bicep curl
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip and sit on the corner of a flat bench.
- Keep your back straight and chest up and hold your arms straight at your sides.
- Curl your right arm and bring the dumbbell toward your shoulder.
- Pause for one sec and then return your arm to the start and perform with your left arm.
- Aim for three sets of 8-12 repetitions each.
2. Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl
- Set a bench at 60-degree incline, grab one dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, and sit on the bench.
- Hold your arms at your sides and keep your elbows slightly bent. Palms facing upward. That’s the starting position.
- Curls your arms as required and then lowers them in the starting position.
- Like seated biceps curl, you can also perform this move alternatively (one arm at a time).
3. Dumbbell Concentration Curl
- Grab a dumbbell with your right hand with an underhand grip.
- Sit on the corner of a bench or table (lower in height) and place right elbow arm under the thigh.
- Keep your left hand on your knee for support. Slightly lean forward so you can focus on your biceps. That’s the start.
- Now curl your right arm until you feel the concentration in your bicep.
- Do three sets of 8-10 reps, each side.
Focusing on your biceps during the movement is crucial that is why it is called the concentration curl. Concentrating during the curl engages more muscles.
4. Twisting Dumbbell Curl
The twisting dumbbell curl strengthens the biceps and the forearms and makes it one of the best arms workouts to incorporate into the muscle-building workout program.
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip and stand straight.
- Hold your arms at your sides with your palms facing in. That’s the start.
- Twist your arms they reach halfway of the curl.
- Hold for a sec when your palms are in front of your shoulder and then return to the start.
- That’s one rep! Do three sets of 8-10 reps each.
5. Hammer Curl
- Pick one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand straight in the hip-width stance. Hold your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing in.
- Curl your arms alternatively in the same neutral grip position.
- Perform as many reps as you like. Recommended: three sets of 8-12 reps each.
Forearms Dumbbell Exercises For Beginners
If you want to build muscular arms, you can also work on your forearms specifically. And for that, you can do the following exercises.
- Palms-up wrist curl
- Palms-down wrist curls
1. Dumbbell Palms-up wrist curl
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip, sit on knees on the floor and place your forearms on a flat bench with your palms are facing upward.
- Curl your wrist ups and down for the desired number of reps and sets.
2. Dumbbell Reverse wrist curls
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, sit on your knees on the floor, and place your forearms on a flat bench with your palms are facing downward.
- Curl your wrist ups and down until you feel the full contraction in your forearms.
Basic Dumbbell Core Exercises For Beginners
The core plays a key role in efficiently performing various compound lifts, such as the deadlift, bench press, and squat.
You can bolster your core through various bodyweight exercises. However, if you want to do some core exercises with dumbbells, you can do these basic exercises.
- Dumbbell Straight-arm Side-plank
- Standing Dumbbell Side Bend
- Dumbbell Crunches
1. Dumbbell Straight-arm Side-plank
Grab a dumbbell with your left hand and get into a side plank position, so your bodyweight stays on your right arm (keep it straight). Then, holding the dumbbell in your hand, Hold it in that position for 10 to 15 seconds and then switch on the other side.
2. Standing Dumbbell Side Bend
Grab a dumbbell with a neutral grip, stand straight in the hip-width stance and hold your arm straight at your side. Bend your torso to one side as far as you can or until you feel a full contraction in your oblique. Repeat on the other side. Perform two sets of 10 reps each.
3. Dumbbell Lying Crunches
Grab a dumbbell and hold its end with your hand and lie flat on the floor with your knees bent. Keep your arms straight over your chest and lift your upper back off the floor as high as possible so you can feel the work on your abdominal muscles. Do as many sets and reps as possible.
Full Body Beginner Dumbbell Workout Routine at Home
You’ve got all the beginner dumbbell workouts, and now I’m sharing a sample of a one-week dumbbell full-body workout routine so you can work out effectively. If necessary, you can change, modify or create your own routine according to your plan.
Moreover, if you want a monthly plan, you can also download this 4-week beginner dumbbell exercise routine.
DAY 1
- Dumbbell Squat: 10 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Lunges: 8 reps x 2 sets
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 10 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Pullover: 8-10 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Tricep Kickback:8 reps x 3 sets
DAY 2
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 6-8 reps x 3 sets
- Incline Dumbbell IYT Raises- 6-8 reps x 3 sets
- One-arm Dumbbell Rowing– 8-10 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Upright Row: 8-10 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly:8-10 reps x 3 sets
- Seated Alternate Bicep curls– 10 reps x 3 sets
- Concentration Curl: 8-10 reps x 3 sets
DAY 3 – Rest Day or Recovery Day
Day 4
- Dumbbell Floor Press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 8-12 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Side bend: 8-10 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 6-8 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Glute Bridge: 8-12 reps x 2 sets
Day 5
- Dumbbell Step-up: 8-10 reps x 2 sets
- Dumbbell Bent Over Rowing: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Superman Pull: 6-8 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Calf Raise: 10-12 reps x 2 sets
- Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Palms-up wrist curl: 8-12 reps x 3 sets
- Dumbbell Lying Crunches: 8-10 reps x 2 sets
Day 6: Rest Day or Recovery Day
Day 7: Rest Day or Recovery Day
A Quick List of All Dumbbell Exercises
| Chest | Shoulder | Triceps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Dumbbell Bench Press | Dumbbell Overhead Press | Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Dumbbell Front Raise | Behind The Neck Tricep Extension |
| Dumbbell Chest fly | Dumbbell Lateral Raise | One-arm Dumbbell Tricep Kickback |
| Dumbbell Pullover | Bent-over Reverse Fly | Dumbbell Floor Press |
| Dumbbell Squeeze Press | Dumbbell Upright Row | Seated One-arm triceps extension |
| – | Standing Dumbbell Shrug | – |
| Legs | Biceps | Back | Forearms and Core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Front Squat | Seated Alternate Bicep curl | One-Arm Dumbbell Rowing | Dumbbell palms-up wrist curl |
| Dumbbell Lunges | Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl | Dumbbell Deadlift | Dumbbell Reverse wrist curls |
| Dumbbell Step-up | Dumbbell Concentration Curl | Incline Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises | Dumbbell Straight-arm Side-plank |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | Twisting Dumbbell Curl | Dumbbell Bent Over Rowing | Standing Dumbbell Side Bend |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | Hammer Curl | Dumbbell Superman Pull | Dumbbell Lying Crunches |
| Dumbbell Glute Bridge | – | – | – |
Dumbbell Exercises For Beginners PDF
The Takeaway
Once you gain strength and muscles and decide to step your feet in the gym, I’ve got another 4-week workout program that can be helpful for you. You can do this to become more strong, fit, and healthy than you were before.
If you want more dumbbell exercises, you don’t need to go anywhere. You’ll find more than 150 workouts in the dumbbell workout section on this site.
And please do share these dumbbell beginner exercises with your mates and on social media if you found this helpful.
