Whether you're trapped indoors or make the most of a hotel gym (maybe even your own home gym), there's no denying the impact of dumbbell exercises. They are incredibly versatile, allowing you to target the entire body or work on specific parts. Turn on the light to increase the intensity of a HIIT circuit. Go heavy to maximize hypertrophy, working through supersets or time under tension. They can take the place of kettlebells and dumbbells and help you reach your goals - be it weight loss, mass, endurance, or just a more athletic body.
Not sure how many repetitions? Use our rep range guide. We highlight the benefits of using high repetitions (15+), low repetitions (5 or less) and moderate repetitions (8-12) depending on your goals. Take a look at our 30 favorite dumbbell exercises below. Group them into your workouts and start seeing results.
1. Goblet Squat
Standing, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a heavy weight by the end with both hands on your chest. Squat as low as you can, keeping your back flat and your chest up. At the bottom of the squat, drive through the heels to start over. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
Pro tip: You can also try sumo squats, tempo squats, and jump squats (light weight)
2. Stepup
Stand perpendicular to a bench or other elevated surface that will put your thigh parallel to the floor when you step on it, to start. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and climb onto the bench, dangling the leg that follows. Drive through your front heel to stop. Pause briefly, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
Pro tip: You can also stand parallel to the bench and take side steps
3. Turkish Getup
Lie on your back on the floor holding a dumbbell in your left hand with your arm outstretched, your eyes on the weight, your left knee bent with your foot planted to begin. Keep your right leg stretched out on the floor. Then, pushing your left foot, roll onto your right hip and up onto your right elbow. Push up on your right hand and lift your back off the ground. Then screw the right leg back into the kneeling position. Your arm should still be locked. From this kneeling position, take a deep breath, squeeze your core and advance forward to a standing position. Reverse the process to return to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Repeat
4. Pullover
Lie on your back on the floor and hold a weight by the ends over your heads with both hands to begin. Press the weight onto your chest, then extend your hand back over your head, slightly bending your elbows. Continue until you feel a stretch in your lats, then place the weight back on your chest. Take a deep breath every time the dumbbell comes down behind you. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
5. Walking Lunge
Stand up, stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in each hand, palms facing each other, to begin. Step forward with one leg and lower the body until the rear knee almost touches the floor and the front thigh is parallel to the floor. That is 1 rep. Step forward with your back leg to perform the next repetition. Repeat.
6. Lateral Lunge
Stand up, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight in each hand, palms facing each other, to begin. Step sideways to the side, bending this knee to lunge as you lower the weights to the ground. Drive through your foot to return to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Repeat, then switch sides.
7. Lunge to Overhead Press
To get started, stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding two shoulder-weight weights with your palms facing each other. Go forward into a lunge, lower your body until your back knee almost touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Push the front foot back to the starting position, then press the weights on top. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
8. Tate Press
To begin, lie on a bench or on a flat, sturdy surface with weights in each hand, arms outstretched across your chest, and palms facing your feet. Point the elbows outward and bend them to lower the weights almost to the chest, so that they form L. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
9. Floor Press
Lie down on the floor, holding chest weights, to begin. Slowly lower your upper body to the floor, then extend your arms so that the weights are in the bench press position. Lower your elbows to the floor, making sure to maintain tension on your lats so that your arms are 45 degrees from your torso. When your elbows touch the floor, extend your arms to the starting position. That is 1 rep.
10. Arnold Press
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, gently flexing your knees, holding weights in front of your forehead, elbows at 90 degrees, and palms facing you. Slowly open your arms so that your elbows are still at a right angle but your hands are now out, squeezing your shoulder blades while doing military pressure (shown). Invert the pattern. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
11. Squat to Press
Standing, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the weights at shoulder height. Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back. Go back up and press the weights on top.
12. Seated Military Press
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly narrower) and hold the weights at your sides to get started. Explosively lift the weights to your shoulders, a movement called cleaning, or simply slowly bring them down to shoulder level. Squeeze the shoulder blades and stabilize your core while pressing the weights above and slightly back so that they are vertically aligned with the back of the head. Hold on top for a moment, then lower your back to your shoulders. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
13. High Pull
To begin, stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding two weights in front of your body with your palms facing you. Bend your knees and rotate your hips so that the weights hang just above the knees. Explosively expand your hips as if jumping and pull the weights down to shoulder level with your elbows wide apart, like in a vertical row. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
14. Romanian Deadlift
To begin, stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding two weights in front of your body with your palms facing you. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend your hips back, your torso forward, and lower yourself until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. You can bend your knees. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position, squeezing the buttocks on top. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
15. Thruster
To begin, stand with your feet shoulder width apart with weights in the front grill position. Keep the weights close to your shoulders, lower yourself to a squat, then explosively stand up to get up, activate your glutes, press your hips forward and lock your knees; use the momentum to help drive the weights overhead, palms facing each other. Immediately reverse the movement, lowering the weights to the front grill position and transitioning to a squat position. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
16. Bulgarian Split Squat
Stand up, stand in front of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, and rest the top of your left foot on the bench behind you to begin. Lower your body until your rear knee almost touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor, then drive through your front foot to start over. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
17. Strict curl
To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms stretched down with weights at your sides, palms facing front and back against the wall. Perform alternate curls by twisting your forearms and flexing your elbows. Squeeze your biceps at the top, then lower back to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Alternate sides.
18. Wrist Curl
Hold a weight in each hand and sit on a bench, box, or chair, resting your forearms on your thighs, allowing your wrists to bend over your knees so that the weights hang down, to begin. Lift the weights by simply flexing your wrists. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
19. Hammer Curl
Stand up, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart (or slightly narrower) with your arms extended to your sides, the weights hanging down on either side of your body, palms facing each other. Maintain this neutral grip while lifting the dumbbells up, pause and press your biceps at the top, then lower your back. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
20. Renegade Row
Start in a flexed position, holding weights on the floor with a neutral grip, to begin. Flex on the dumbbells, then immediately do one arm row and neutral grip. Repeat the flex and row on the other side. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
21. Bentover Row
Stand up, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lean forward on your hips, arms outstretched with weights hanging down to begin. Paddle the weights up to your torso, keeping your elbows aligned with your body. Reverse the motion to start over. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
22. Reverse flye
To begin, stand with your feet hip-width apart and twist your hips with your arms outstretched, palms facing each other. Raise your arms out to the sides, creating 90-degree angles, squeezing the shoulder blades at the top. Pause, then reverse the movement. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
23. Overhead Triceps Extension
To begin, sit on a bench holding a weight with both hands at one end of the hood. Press the weight directly onto your head. Keeping the upper arms vertical, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbell behind your head until you feel a stretch in your triceps. Extend your elbows to start over. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
24. Side Plank with Lateral Raise
Lie down on your left side, resting your left forearm on the floor for support, holding a dumbbell in your right hand, to begin. Lift your hips so that your body forms a straight line and supports your core; your weight should be on your left forearm and the edge of your left foot. Raise the weight in your right hand until your arm is parallel to the floor. Lower to starting position. That is 1 rep. Complete all repetitions on one side, then switch.
25. Wood-chop
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees bent so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat, holding a dumbbell in both hands, to begin. Bring the weight to the outside of a thigh. Turn your torso to the opposite side, while lifting the weight onto your body with your arms straight and standing up. Your eyes should follow the weight, which will end above the shoulder on your opposite side (shown). Invert the movement to return to the starting position. Move slowly, using your core. That is 1 rep. Repeat.
26. Lateral Raise
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart (or slightly narrower) and hold the weights at your sides, palms facing each other, to begin. Raise the weights 90 degrees to the sides. Do not bend your elbows or swing your arms; Movement must be controlled and constant. Note: Start the light with the weights.
27. Bent-over Triceps Kickback
Stand up, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lean forward on your hips, arms outstretched with weights hanging down to begin. Paddle the weights to just below chest height to assume the starting position. While keeping your upper arms aligned with your torso, extend your forearms backward by contracting your triceps. Can
28 . Skullcrusher
To begin, sit with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, holding weights on your chest. Slowly lower your upper body to the floor, then extend your arms so that the weights are in the bench press position. Using a neutral grip, carefully lower the weights to your forehead. Contract your triceps to extend your elbows and return to the starting position. That is 1 rep. Note: Do these lightly to get started and focus on keeping your elbows aligned with your shoulders.
29 . Farmers walk
Lift the heaviest weights you can handle and walk. Squeeze the handles tightly and walk with your chest out and your shoulders back. If you don't have the space to walk in a straight line, walk in a figure eight pattern for time or rounds. Repeat.
30 . Dead-lift to Shrug
Stand up, stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding weights at your sides, palms facing each other, to begin. Bend your hips back to squat until the weights are at knee level. Now explode upward and shrug your shoulders tightly on top. That is 1 rep. Reset your feet before starting the next repetition. Repeat.
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