30 dumbbell exercises for those who want to pump the whole body

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Choose 1-2 exercises from each section and create the perfect workout.

How to choose dumbbells

Dumbbells can be collapsible and non-collapsible. The latter have a given weight. Collapsible are a bar and a set of pancakes. If you plan to do strength training and gradually increase the load, buy collapsible equipment: they take up little space and allow you to select the weight for each exercise.

You can buy non-separable ones, but take several weights at once for exercises for different muscle groups. For shoulders, biceps and triceps, light dumbbells up to 5 kg are needed. For squats, deadlifts and other exercises for large muscle groups, shells weighing at least 16-20 kg are suitable.

You can also find fitness dumbbells covered in neoprene or vinyl in stores. They are bright and pleasant to the touch, but too light for strength training and are only suitable for aerobic exercise sessions.

Therefore, even if you are a complete beginner, do not take these dumbbells for strength training. As a last resort, you can always fill a plastic bottle with sand or water and get the same 1.5-2.5 kg.

What exercises to do

There are many exercises with dumbbells, it makes no sense to list them all. The life hacker chose the most popular and divided them into muscle groups.

To create a full body workout, you just need to choose 1–2 exercises from each group. Perform exercises in 3-5 sets of 8-12 times. Choose the weight in such a way that the last repetitions in the approach are given with difficulty, but the technique does not deteriorate.

If your dumbbells are too light to load the muscles thoroughly in 12 times, increase the number of repetitions in the set. At the end of the exercise, fatigue should appear in the muscles.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump biceps

1. Curls for biceps

Take dumbbells and keep your hands palms to your body. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders while pivoting your wrists outward. At the top, the palms should be turned towards the body.

This is an isolated biceps exercise that only works with the forearms. The rest of the body is not involved: there are no jerks, swaying and other unnecessary movements.

2. Curls for biceps on the bench

Sit on an incline bench, press your body against your back, your feet against the floor. Lower your arms with dumbbells so that they hang freely along the body. From this position, raise the dumbbells to shoulder level and lower them back down. Always return to the starting position to work at full range.

3. Concentrated biceps curls

Sit on a bench, spread your legs wider, press your feet to the floor. Take a dumbbell in your right hand, pressing your shoulder to the inside of the right thigh, closer to the body. Do not put your elbow on your leg: this will take the load off the biceps and make the exercise meaningless. Place your left hand on your left knee.

Perform a dumbbell lift. Return your arm to its original position and repeat.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump triceps

1. Extension on the triceps with support on the bench

Rest your knee and palm against the bench. Take the dumbbell in your other hand. First, bend it at the elbow at a right angle, then straighten it, return it to its original position and repeat. Move only your forearm, do not change the position of the body until the end of the exercise.

2. Bent over triceps extension

This exercise is similar to the previous one, only it is performed without support. Tilt the body, slightly bend the lower back. Lower your shoulders, and let your arms at the elbows form a right angle.

Extend your arms with dumbbells, return to starting position and repeat. Do not change the position of the body until the end of the exercise.

3. Dumbbell press from behind the head

Grasp the dumbbell pancake with both hands and lift it above your head. Bend the limbs at the elbows, lowering the projectile behind your back, lift it back and repeat. Do not move your shoulders: only your forearms work.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump your shoulders

1. Press of dumbbells standing

Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level, expand your chest, bring your shoulder blades together. Now lower your shoulders. Squeeze the dumbbells up and take them slightly behind your head. Lower them to their original position and repeat.

2. Breeding dumbbells

Raise your arms with dumbbells to the sides to shoulder level, lower them back and repeat. Bend the elbows slightly so as not to overload the joints.

3. Breeding dumbbells in an incline

Tilt the body to parallel with the floor, slightly bend your knees. Extend your arms with dumbbells to the sides to shoulder level and return them back. Perform the movement smoothly, without jerking. Do not change the position of the body until the end of the exercise.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump your back

1. Row of dumbbells on an incline bench

Lie on your stomach on an incline bench, lower your arms with dumbbells. Bring your fists up to your waist, bring your shoulder blades together, and lower your shoulders. Return your arms to their original position and repeat.

2. Row of a dumbbell to the belt in the slope

Lean against the bench with your left palm and knee, straighten your right leg, press your foot to the floor, pull your hand with a dumbbell down. Bring your weight to your waist and lower it back down. Don't lift your shoulder, don't hunch your back. Do not change the position of the body throughout the entire exercise. Direct your gaze to the floor in front of you so that your neck is in line with your back.

3. Row of dumbbells to the belt in the slope

Tilt your back to parallel with the floor or slightly higher, hold the dumbbells in outstretched arms. Lower and straighten your shoulders, bring your weight to your waist, bringing your shoulder blades together, and then lower back. Do not change the position of the body until the end of the exercise.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump the chest

1. Bench press of dumbbells

Lie on a bench, press your feet to the floor. Bend your elbows at right angles, place your shoulders parallel to the floor or slightly below. Hold your wrists as if you were pinching a barbell. Squeeze the dumbbells up, at the same time turning your hands palms towards each other and connecting them. At the top, your fists should meet. Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat.

2. Breeding dumbbells lying

Lie on a bench, press your feet to the floor. Connect your arms with the dumbbells above you, and then spread them to the sides, stretching the pectoral muscles. Bend your elbows slightly to protect the joint. Bring your arms back to the starting position and repeat.

3. Breeding dumbbells from a right angle

Lie on a bench, press your feet to the floor. Bend your elbows at a right angle, turn your palms towards the body. Straighten your arms, but not completely: at the extreme point, leave them slightly bent to protect the joint. Return your forearms to their original position and repeat.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump your hips and buttocks

1. Glute bridge supported on a bench

Sit on the floor next to the bench, rest your back on it, bend your knees. Raise your pelvis without lifting your feet. Place your hands with dumbbells on your hips. Straining the gluteal muscles, push the pelvis up until the hips are parallel to the floor. Lower to the starting position and repeat.

2. Romanian deadlift

Stand up straight, hold the dumbbells in outstretched arms, palms should be turned towards the body. Bend your knees slightly, bend over with your back straight, take your pelvis back and lower the shells to the middle of your lower leg. Move the dumbbells close to your feet. Keep your back straight. Return to starting position and repeat.

3. Lunges with dumbbells

Take dumbbells in your hands, lunge forward and touch the floor with the knee of your back leg. Make sure that the lower limbs are bent at right angles and that the knee in front does not protrude beyond the toe. You can perform lunges while moving around the room or on the spot.

4. Lunges with a dumbbell in one hand

This exercise option pumps not only the hips, but also the shoulders and core muscles. Do not take a heavy dumbbell right away: first check your sense of balance by doing an exercise with a light weight.

Raise the projectile over your head, extend your other hand to the side. Perform lunges while moving around the hall. After completing one approach, repeat it with a dumbbell in the other hand.

5. Squats with dumbbells

Put your feet shoulder-width apart, turn the toes of your feet to the sides. Hold the dumbbells over your shoulders. Squat to the parallel of the hips with the floor or below. Keep your back straight and your heels flat on the floor. Straighten up and repeat.

6. Trasters with dumbbells

This exercise uses several muscle groups at once: the hips, glutes, core muscles, shoulders and triceps. It works well for intense interval and circuit workouts for weight loss.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your toes to the sides. Keep dumbbells close to your shoulders. Do a squat, straighten up and, without stopping the movement, squeeze the shells upward, slightly taking them behind your head.

You are not doing a bench press, but a push press: you use the inertia of the lift to squeeze the dumbbells up. Therefore, do not pause between the squat and the bench press.

7. Swing dumbbells

Another exercise involving multiple muscle groups. Dumbbell swings work the muscles of the hips and back, strengthen the shoulder girdle.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly turn your toes to the sides. Grasp one dumbbell with both hands, tilt your back straight, bend your knees and push your pelvis back. Place a dumbbell between your legs. With a sharp movement, feed the pelvis forward, while straightening and swinging the projectile up. The dumbbell describes a semicircle and ends above the head. Then you go back to the starting position and repeat the movement.

If you work with the pelvis, the exercise will load the buttocks well, if not, the extensors of the back. Although both muscle groups will work anyway.

8. Sumo squats with dumbbells

Exercise with an emphasis on the inner thigh.

Place your feet 1, 5–2 times wider than your shoulders, turn your toes to the sides. Grasp one dumbbell with both hands. Do a squat with your knees spread out to the sides. Keep your back straight and squat down to parallel with your hips to the floor. Straighten up and repeat.

9. Bulgarian Dumbbell Split Squats

Take dumbbells in your hands, stand with your back to the dais, put the toe of one leg on it. Do a squat. Check if the knee in front of the standing leg extends beyond the toe. If so, move slightly away from the support. While squatting, try to turn the knee of the supporting leg outward.

10. Stepping into boxing with dumbbells

Walk up a hill with dumbbells in hand. While lifting, try to slightly turn the knee of the supporting leg outward: this way the joint is in a more stable position, which reduces the risk of injury.

11. Glute bridge on the floor with dumbbells

Lie on the floor and rest your feet on it, bending your knees at a right angle. Raise one leg and straighten your knee, place the dumbbell on your hips. Straining your buttocks, push your pelvis up so that the body and the raised leg are stretched in one line. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.

What exercises with dumbbells will pump your abs and core muscles

1. Turkish lifting with dumbbells

Excellent core exercise. Improves balance and coordination of movements.

Lie on the floor, straighten your legs. Take a dumbbell in your right hand and raise it in front of you, extend your left hand to the side. Bend your right leg and place your foot on the floor. Leaning on your right leg and left arm, take a sitting position. Move the dumbbell up and hold it above your head. Bring your left leg back and place it on your knee: you are now in a lunge position.

Stand up, and then repeat in reverse order: the left leg goes back into a lunge and is placed on the knee, the left arm and right leg rest on the floor, the left leg is moved forward and straightened, you sit down, then lower your back to the floor, extend your left hand to the side and straighten your right leg.

When you are comfortable with the exercise, change your hand and try on the other. Just for starters, take a lighter dumbbell.

2. "Lumberjack" with a dumbbell

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, grab the dumbbell with both hands. Turn the body to the right and take the projectile up and to the side. This lifts the heel of the left foot off the floor and pivots outward to provide full body rotation. Turn the latter to the left, while lowering the dumbbell to knee level. Imagine that you are doing an exercise in a rectangle: first you need to touch the projectile to the upper right corner, and then to the lower left.

Perform an equal number of approaches to both sides.

3. Russian crunches with dumbbells

Sit on the floor, grab a dumbbell with both hands, lift your legs off the floor, and straighten your back. Rotate the body and arms with the weight to the right, and then repeat the same to the left. Try not to lower your feet to the floor until the end of the exercise.

4. V-fold with dumbbell

Stretch out on the floor with a dumbbell behind your head. At the same time raise the body, arms and straight legs, touch the toes of the feet with the projectile. Drop back down and repeat. When lifting, try to keep your back straight and not bend your knees too much.