Get Jacked With These 10 Dumbbell Exercises

Building a home gym can quickly get expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. You can get a lot done with minimal equipment once you know what movements to focus on. Dumbbell exercises are a great example, as you can work your whole body with just one pair of weights.

Having a wider selection of weights and machines is always nice, but you can get jacked with just some dumbbells and hard work. Of course, that all depends on having the right training plan, so to help with that, here’s a look at 10 exercises you can do to hit your whole body.

Upper Body Dumbbell Exercises

When you think of dumbbell exercises, you probably imagine a few upper-body movements, so this is a good place to start. Here are five chest, back and arm workouts to integrate into your routine.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press

The bench press is a classic exercise for a reason, and the dumbbell variation has several advantages over the barbell press. You can bring the weights down lower for a bigger range of motion to really hit your chest, and you can easily dump them to the side if you can’t get another rep in.

Lie on a bench — or the floor if you don’t have one — and arch your back by sticking your chest up and squeezing your shoulder blades. Hold the dumbbells over your chest and slowly lower them to either side of your sternum before pressing them back up.

2. Dumbbell Overhead Press

If you can only ever do one shoulder movement, it should be the overhead press. On top of working all three deltoid heads, you’ll develop some core strength and upper body mobility.

Stand up straight and hold your dumbbells directly at your shoulders. Press up until your arms are fully extended and peek your head forward as if peering through a window. Lower the weights and repeat, being careful not to arch your back.

3. Concentration Curls

The classic bicep curl is one of the best arm workouts, and the concentration curl refines it by ensuring you can’t use momentum to lift more. That makes it not only one of the top dumbbell exercises but one of the greatest bicep movements in general.

Sit down, lean forward slightly and rest your elbow near your knee. Hold a dumbbell in that hand with your palm facing up and curl it toward your shoulder before letting it back down. Make sure to do equal reps on both arms.

4. Tricep Extensions

The bench press hits your triceps a little, but you should still have a movement dedicated to these muscles. Kickbacks are a great option, but the single-arm tricep extension will give you a bigger stretch.

Hold a dumbbell in one hand and raise that arm straight up. Keep your elbow pointed at the sky as you slowly lower the weight behind your head as far as it’ll go and raise it back up. 

5.  Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Strengthening your upper back is key to improving poor posture, and a bent-over row will do just that by hitting your lats, spinal erectors and traps. As a nice bonus, you’ll also work your posterior delts to round out your shoulders.

Stand and bend forward so your chest is nearly parallel to the floor, maintaining a solid lumbar curve. Let your arms hang straight down with a dumbbell in each hand, then row them up to your chest while keeping your elbows tucked.

Lower Body Dumbbell Exercises

You may not be able to hold a dumbbell with your toes — and please don’t try — but you can get a solid leg workout in with these free weights. Here are five lower-body dumbbell exercises to work into your schedule.

1. Goblet Squats

It’s hard to think of a better leg movement than the squat. While a barbell variation may let you lift heavier, a goblet squat will work the same muscles and also hits your upper body and core from holding the weight in front of you.

Adopt a standard squat stance with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Hold a single dumbbell with both hands right in front of your chest, and start squatting. Don’t think your dumbbell is heavy enough to get a good workout? Try holding one in each hand at your shoulders.

2. Romanian Deadlifts

The deadlift is another classic leg exercise, and the Romanian deadlift is a great dumbbell-friendly version. This variation will also place more emphasis on your hamstrings, making it a good complement to your quad-heavy goblet squats.

Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet within shoulder width. Hang your arms down with a dumbbell in each hand and slowly hinge your hips backward as you lower the weights toward your feet. Then, squeeze your glutes as you hinge back to an upright position.

3. Weighted Lunges

Lunges are another great dumbbell exercise for your legs, and they’ll also help you improve your balance. They’re also as simple as holding dumbbells at your sides and stepping so your knee almost touches the floor.

You can step forward, step backward or even lunge while walking around. No matter how you do it, this movement will hit all major muscle groups in your legs and, if you do it for long enough, can help your grip strength.

4. Calf Raises

Yet another simple-but-effective dumbbell exercise is the humble calf raise. Having a solid calf workout is crucial because, on top of helping you with everyday motion, your calves help pump blood to your heart after it reaches your legs.

Hold your dumbbells at your sides and stand on a stair, box or any other ledge with your heels hanging off. Dip down slightly and push up until you’re standing on your toes. It’s a small movement, but you’ll feel the burn before long.

5. Bulgarian Split Squats 

Bulgarian split squats are a great dumbbell exercise to round out your leg day. These work many of the same muscles as a regular squat but hit your glutes extra hard and help you develop better balance.

Find a ledge where you can place one foot behind you so that your knee is bent at 90 degrees and your laces are resting on the surface. Hold your dumbbells either at your side or in a front rack position and squat down, bringing your elevated knee nearly to the floor. Repeat with the other side for each set. 

You Don’t Need Much Equipment for Serious Gains

Between these 10 dumbbell exercises, you can work your whole body without any expensive equipment. Your abs and grip will get a decent workout if you follow all of these movements, but feel free to incorporate some farmer’s carries and weighted situps to target them more specifically. Remember to practice safe form, adjust the reps and sets as needed for your strength level and get those gains.