80 Best Free Weight Exercises to Build Muscles w/PDF

Free weight workout training involves lifting weights that are not attached to anything, such as dumbbell curl, bent-over row, or military press.

The primary equipment used in the free weight training are barbells and dumbbells.

Dumbbells and barbells provide a great range of motion and allow us to perform numerous exercises from the upper to the lower body.

They are also easy to customize and can be used for both low-impact to high-intensity training.

In this article, I’ll share numerous free weight exercises that will help you build muscles and strength and improve your body composition.

List of Free Weight Exercises By Muscle Group

Let’s have a quick list of all exercises (10 exercises per muscle group):

1. Chest (1-10)

1. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
3. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
4. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
5. Flat Dumbbell Fly
6. Incline Dumbbell Fly
7. Dumbbell Upward Fly
8. Dumbbell Pullover
9. Landmine Press
10. Barbell Rolling Chest Fly

2. Quadriceps and Calves (11-20)

1. Dumbbell Lunges
2. Barbell Front Squat
3. Barbell Back Squat
4. Barbell Hack Squat
5. Dumbbell Sumo Squat
6. One-Leg Leaning DB Calf Raises
7. Dumbbell Leg Extension
8. Landmine Squat
9. Pistol Squat
10. Zercher Squat

Hamstrings and Glutes (21-30)

1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
2. Dumbbell Step-up
3. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
4. Barbell Hip Thrust
5. Dumbbell Leg Curl
6. Reverse Lunges
7. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
8. Dumbbell Good Morning
9. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
10. Dumbbell Pop Squat

Shoulder (31-40)

1. Military Press
2. Dumbbell Overhead Press
3. Arnold Press
4. Dumbbell Front Raise
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
6. Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
7. Shoulder Shrug
8. Chest-Supported Incline Row
9. Upright Row
10. Dumbbell Face Pull

Back (41-50)

1. One-Arm Dumbbell Row
2. Bent Over Barbell Row
3. Pendlay Row
4. Conventional Deadlift
5. Elevated Plank Row
6. T-Bar Row
7. Meadows Row
8. Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
9. Incline IYT Dumbbell Raises
10. Renegade Row

Biceps (51-60)

1. Straight Barbell Curl
2. EZ Bar Curl
3. Alternating Curl
4. Spider Curl
5. Hammer Curl
6. Incline Dumbbell Curl
7. Concentration Curl
8. Zottoman Curl
9. Drag Curl
10. Preacher Curl

Triceps (61-70)

1. Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
2. EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension
3. Dual-arm Overhead Triceps Extension
4. Triceps Kickback
5. One-arm Triceps Extension
6. Lying Prone Incline Triceps Kickback
7. Dumbbell French Press
8. Dumbbell Tate Press
9. Triangle Pushups on Dumbbells
10. Standing Overhead EZ Bar Triceps Extension

Core (71-80)

1. Barbell Torso Twist
2. Dumbbell Oblique Twist
3. Reverse Crunches
4. Straight-arm Crunches
5. Russian Twist
6. Hollow Body Hold
7. Dumbbell Plank Rotation
8. Barbell Rollout
9. Side Plank Hip Dips
10. Plank Drags

Whether you are a beginner or intermediate, male or female, you can integrate these free weight workouts while creating a hypertrophy workout routine.

Here you can download the list of these exercises:

Let’s see how to perform the best exercises for each muscle.

Best Free Weight Exercises for Chest

Here are the best free weight exercises to hit the upper, middle, and lower pecs and build a solid chest.

1. Flat Dumbbell Chest press

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, lie on a flat bench with your face up and feet flat on the ground.
2. Keep your arms bent and elbows close to the sides of your chest with palms facing forward.
3. Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
4. Hold for a moment, then return to the starting position. That’s one complete rep.

2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Set a bench at a 30-degree incline angle, grab one dumbbell in each hand, and lie on the bench with your face up and feet firmly on the ground.
2. Keep your arms bent, elbows close to the sides of your chest with your palms facing away.
3. Brace your core, inhale, and press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight.
4. Pause for a brief moment, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

3. Flat Dumbbell Fly

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and lie down on a flat bench.
2. Keep your arms out to the sides with your elbows slightly bent.
3. Squeezing your pecs, pull the dumbbells until your arms are straight over your chest.
4. Hold for a moment, then return your arms to your sides. That’s one rep.

4. Incline Dumbbell Fly

1. Position the bench at a 30-degree incline, grab one dumbbell in each hand, and lie on it.
2. Keep your arms out to the sides with your elbows slightly bent.
3. Squeezing your pecs, pull the dumbbells until your arms are straight over your chest.
4. Hold for a moment, then return your arms to your sides. That’s one rep.

5. Dumbbell Pullover

1. Holding a dumbbell with a neutral grip, place your upper back on a flat bench while keeping your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Extend your arms behind your head, brace your core, and slightly open your lats. That’s the start.
3. Pull the dumbbell all the way until your arms are straight over your chest.
4. Pause for a moment, then lower it to the start. That’s one rep!

6. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Set the bench at 15-20 degrees decline position, grab one dumbbell in each hand, and lie on it.
2. Keep your arms bent, elbows close to your chest with your palms facing away.
3. Brace your core, inhale, and press the dumbbells up until your pecs are fully engaged.
4. Pause for a brief moment, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

Best Free Weight Exercises to Build Strong Legs

Here are the best free weight exercises that target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves and help improve the total lower body strength and appearance.

1. Dumbbell Lunges

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand upright in the lunge stance.
2. Keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing in.
3. Bend your knees until your rear one touches the floor.
4. Push through your leading foot to stand back. That’s one rep.

2. Barbell Back Squat

1. Place a loaded barbell on the back of your shoulder and stand in the shoulder-width stance with your toes slightly pointing out.
2. Keep your elbows under the bar, maintain an upright posture, and brace your abdominal muscles.
3. Pushing your hips back and bending your knees, lower into a squat until your glutes are in line with your knees.
4. Pushing through your feet, return to the standing position. That’s one rep.

3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

1. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Keep your arms straight with your palms facing your in.
3. Pushing your hips back, bend your torso until the dumbbells reach shin level.
4. Pushing through your feet, return to the standing position. That’s one rep.

4. Dumbbell Step-up

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand against a flat bench/stepper.
2. Keep your arms straight at your sides and slightly lean your torso forward.
3. Step your right foot on the bench, followed by the left one, and stand upright.
4. Return your foot one by one to complete your first rep.

5. Dumbbell Leg Curl

1. Lie prone on the floor with your face down, legs straight, and arms bent.
2. Clamp the dumbbell between your feet and brace your thigh and glutes.
3. Curl your legs until your hamstrings are engaged.
4. Pause for a brief moment then return to the start.

6. Barbell Hip Thrust

1. Place your upper back on the edge of a flat bench while keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Put a pad on your hip for extra safety, and ask your gym mates to place the bar on it.
3. Brace your core and thrust your hips upward as quickly as possible.
4. Once you reach your top, pause for a moment, then return to the start.

7. Dumbbell Calf Raises

1. Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, stand against the wall.
2. Lean your body forward and place your left hand on the wall.
3. Lift your left foot off the floor and bend your knee.
4. Raise your heel as high as possible. After a brief pause, return to the start.

Free Weight Shoulder Exercises

The following free weights exercises hit the anterior, medial, and posterior delts and help build healthy and good looking shoulders.

1. Military Press

1. Grab a loaded barbell and stand upright in the hip-width stance.
2. Keep your arms bent and hold the bar above your chest level with your hands just outside your shoulder and elbows pointing down.
3. Press the bar overhead until your arms are straight.
4. Pause for a second, then return the bar to the start. That’s one rep!

2. Arnold Press

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and sit on a bench with your back resting on the pad.
2. Keep your arms bent with elbows pointing down and hold the dumbbells against your chest, palms facing in.
3. Twisting your wrist, press the weight up until your arms are straight and palms facing away.
4. After a brief pause, return to the start.

3. Alternating Front Raise

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip.
2. Stand upright and keep your arms straight down with your palms facing your thighs.
3. Raise your right arm in front of you until your palm points down.
4. As you return your right arm to the start, raise your left arm simultaneously. Repeat until the desired time.

4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and stand in the hip-width stance with your arms straight down.
2. Push your hips slightly back and lean forward.
3. Raise the dumbbells at your sides (15-20 degrees in front of your shoulder) until your middle delts are fully engaged.
4. Hold for a second, and then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the start. That’s one rep

5. Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and sit on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
2. Keep your arms straight beside your legs with your palms facing in.
3. Slightly lean your torso toward your thighs and maintain a flat back.
4. Keeping your elbows softly bent, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until you feel a full contraction in your rear delts. That’s one rep.

6 Barbell Shrug

1. Grab a loaded barbell and stand upright with your hands just outside your hip.
2. Shrugging your shoulders, pull the bar and hold for a moment.
3. Try using shoulder blades and keep the movements restricted only to your shoulders during the lift.
4. Your arms should also be straight throughout the exercise.

Free Weight Back Exercises

These free weight exercises target every muscle group from the upper to the lower back and help achieve a broader and sculpted back.

1. Conventional Deadlift

1. Place a loaded barbell in front of you and stand straight in the hip-width stance with your shin close to the bar.
2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower yourself to grab the bar with an alternate grip.
3. Brace your core, maintain a neutral spine position, and open your lats by pulling your shoulder blades back. That’s the start.
4. Inhale and lift the barbell with your full strength until your hips are fully extended.
5. Hold for a second or two, exhale, then return to the start.

2. Bent Over Barbell Row

1. Grab a loaded barbell with your hand wider than hip-width and stand in the shoulder-width stance.
2. Slightly bend your torso forward, maintain a neutral spine position, brace your core, and keep your arms straight down.
3. Pull your shoulders slightly back and lift the barbell until it touches your belly.
4. Hold for a couple of seconds, then return to the beginning position. That’s one rep!

3. One-Arm Dumbbell Rowing

1. Stand to the right of your weight bench, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip, your palm facing your body.
2. Place one leg on the bench and another leg on the floor. Grab a dumbbell with one of your hands, and keep another hand on the corner of the bench in a way that your chest is parallel to the floor.
3. Start rowing the dumbbell at your sides until your arm reaches up to your chest.
4. Hold for a second, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the beginning position. That’s one rep!

4. Incline Dumbbell Row

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and lie prone on an incline bench (45-degree).
2. Keep your arms straight toward the floor with your palms facing each other.
3. Slightly lift your shoulder blades behind, and driving your elbows back, pull the dumbbells until your back muscles are fully engaged.
4. Pause for a second, then return to the initial position.

5. Incline IYT Dumbbell Raises

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and lie on the bench with face down and chest on the edge of it.
2. Raise your arms straight in front of you as high as possible. That’s an “I” raise.
3. Bring the dumbbells to the start and then raise your arms slightly outward making a “Y” shape.
4. Then raise the dumbbells out to the sides until you form a “T” shape. That’s one rep!

Free Weight Biceps Exercises

The following dumbbell and barbell exercises target the biceps’ long head, short head, and brachialis and help build burly arms.

1. EZ Bar Biceps Curl

• Grab a loaded EZ bar with an underhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart.
• Stand upright with your arms straight against your thigh and palms facing up.
• Curl your arm until your biceps are fully engaged.
• Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the initial position. That’s one rep!

2. Alternating Biceps Curl

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand upright with your arms straight at your sides and palms facing your side thighs.
2. Curl the dumbells alternatively until they reach shoulder height. That’s one rep! Do as many reps as you can.

3. Spider Curl

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip, lie down on a 45-degree incline bench with your face down and chest on the edge of it.
2. Keep your arms straight below your shoulders with your palms facing forward.
3. Curl your arms toward the shoulder until your biceps are fully engaged.
4. Hold for a second and then slowly return to the start.

4. Hammer Curl

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand upright.
2. Keep your arms straight by your sides with your palms facing in.
3. Curl your arms until your biceps are entirely engaged.
4. Pause for a moment then lower it to the start. That’s one rep!

5. Concentration Curl

1. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and sit on the corner of the bench.
2. Place your right elbow on the right inner thigh and your left hand on your left upper thigh.
3. Curl your arm until your biceps are fully engaged.
4. Squeeze your bicep when you reach the top, then uncurl your arm. That’s one rep.

Free Weight Triceps Exercises

Here are the best free weights exercises that bolster each triceps’ head and help forge solid arms.

1. EZ Bar Triceps Extension/Skull Crusher

1. Holding a loaded barbell, lie on a flat bench with your feet firmly on the ground.
2. Keep your arms behind your head with your elbows bent and palms facing up.
3. Extend your arms overhead until your triceps are fully engaged.
4. Pause for a moment, then flex your arms to complete one rep.

2. EZ Standing Overhead Triceps Extension

1. Stand straight with your feet about shoulder-width apart; keep your back straight and brace the core.
2. Hold the bar behind your head by bending your elbows. That’s the starting position.
3. Raise the bar over your head until your arms are fully extended.
4. Hold for a second and slowly lower the bar behind your head to return to the starting position.

3. Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

1. Lay down on your back on a flat bench and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about hip-width apart. That’s the starting position.
2. Press the bar above your chest until your arms are fully extended.
3. Hold for a second and slowly lower the bar to the starting position. That’s one rep!

4. Triceps Kickback

• Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and stand in the hip-width stance.
• Bend your knees and lean forward until your chest is parallel to the floor.
• Slightly raise your elbows and bend them, then extend your arms back until you feel the full contraction in your triceps.
• Pause for a second, then return to the start.

5. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

1. Grab a dumbbell with both your hands and sit on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
2. Keep your arms overhead with your elbows bent and dumbbell pointing down.
3. Extend your arms overhead until your triceps are fully activated.
4. Pause for a second, feel the contraction, and then return to the start.

6. One-Arm Triceps Extension

1. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and keep your overhead with your elbow bent and locked.
2. Extend your arm toward the ceiling until your arm is straight.
3. Try pressing with your triceps and keeping your elbow in a fixed position.
4. Hold for a moment and then return to the initial position. That’s one rep!

Free Weight Ab Exercises

When it comes to building a strong and athletic body, your core must be strong. You can bolster your abdominal muscles with the following free weights exercises.

1. Dumbbell Oblique Twist

1. Holding the ends of a dumbbell, stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Keep your arms straight, close to the right hips.
3. Raise your arms up diagonally to the left side until they reach over your shoulder.
4. Return your arms to the start. Make sure you feel the work in your obliques. Perform on the opposite side.

2. Plank Drags

1. Place a dumbbell on the floor and get into a high plank position with your arms straight below your shoulders. The dumbbell should be close to your hand.
2. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight, drag the dumbbell with your left hand from your right side to your left.
3. Bring your hand on the floor and now grab the dumbbell in your right hand and drag it to your left side. Repeat as many times as possible.

3. Side Plank Hip Dips

• Get into a side plank position on your right side.
• Grab a dumbbell in your left hand and place it over your hips.
• Keeping your abs and thighs engaged, thrust your hips up and down for the desired number of times.

4. Hollow Body Hold

1. Grab the ends of a dumbbell with your hands and lie on the floor.
2. Extend your arms behind your head and raise your legs before you. Your lower and glutes will be grounded throughout the movement.
3. Hold in that position for as long as possible.

5. Straight-arm Sit-up

1. Grab the ends of a dumbbell with your hands and lie on the floor.
2. Keep your knees bent to 90 degrees and arms straight over your face.
3. Curl your torso until your abs are fully engaged.
4. Lower your torso back to the start and repeat.

Pros and Cons of Free Weight Workouts

PROS

1. Free weights exercises allow a complete range of motion. It means you can push, pull and raise the dumbbells in a position you want. You can lift dumbbells or barbells as you want.
2. You can perform various compound exercises with dumbbells and barbells to hit multiple muscles simultaneously. Compound movements save time and help build strength and mass.
3. You can use free-weight equipment anywhere you like, such as at home and the gym.
4. Unilateral free weight exercises allow you to work more on inferior muscles and help correct strength imbalance and improve muscle definition.
5. Free weight workouts burn many calories compared to the machines and help enhance endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

CONS

1. Performing free weights exercises requires proper technique. So if you’re a newbie, build your foundational strength using machines first, then perform dumbbell and barbell exercises with the right form.

Free Weights vs Machines Workout

Both free weights and resistance machine workouts are effective and safe for the training of overall muscles.¹Heidel KA, Novak ZJ, Dankel SJ. Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2022;62(8):1061-1070. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12929-9

However, they work slightly in different ways. And knowing the differences will help you utilize them effectively.

• Safety: Machines are easy to use and safe compared to free weights. However, doing exercises weight requires you to maintain proper form and balance.
• Range of Motion: Free weights allow a greater range of motion than machines. You can move the dumbbells and barbells freely anywhere you like, but it is not possible with machines.
• Claorie-burn: Free weight workouts burn more calories than the machines and help enhance endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
• Multi-movement exercises: You can use free weights to perform multi-movement exercises, such as thruster, man maker, cluster, and dumbbell surrenders. These exercises usually work throughout the body and help enhance overall fitness.

Final Words

Free weight workout training involves lifting weights that are not attached to anything.

The primary equipment used in the free weight training are barbells and dumbbells which provide an excellent range of motion and allow us to perform countless exercises from the upper to the lower body.

From HIIT and low-impact cardio to muscle-building and strength training, you can perform various types of training with barbells and dumbbells.

Free weights also allow you to perform unilateral exercises which helps improve strength imbalance and muscular symmetry.

You can combine free weights with machines to achieve a strong and aesthetic physique.

References

• 1
  Heidel KA, Novak ZJ, Dankel SJ. Machines and free weight exercises: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing changes in muscle size, strength, and power. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2022;62(8):1061-1070. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.21.12929-9