DUMBBELLS AT HOME:

Has your gym closed due to the coronavirus? Is your gym open, but you’re not feeling like returning to an overcrowded room with poor ventilation? Or maybe you’re new to fitness and want to start slowly by learning the fundamentals from the comfort of your home.

A pair of dumbbells is one of the best weightlifting equipment you can buy for a home gym. Let’s review the benefits of dumbbells for home workouts, along with the best exercises for you to work out at home with dumbbells. We’ll even throw in two full-body dumbbell workouts to get you on your way.

BENEFITS OF DUMBBELLS FOR HOME WORKOUTS 

If you’re building a home gym and have to go with one piece of fitness equipment, we suggest dumbbells. Here are a few of the benefits of home workouts.

CONVENIENCE

Imagine walking out to your spare room, basement, or garage and immediately starting your workout. No long drive to the gym, battling your way through traffic. No waiting to use machines or equipment. Just you and a pair of dumbbells getting in one hell of a workout.

Dumbbells make working out at home easy and convenient. Barbells are another option, but most people don’t have the space for a 7-foot barbell with stacks of weight plates.

COST-EFFECTIVE

The upfront cost might shock you, but buying a set of dumbbells is a long-term fitness investment that will pay for itself several times over.

Think about how much you pay each month for a gym membership. The average gym membership costs around $50. That’s $600 per year. If you get a set of dumbbells that costs the same, the dumbbells will pay for themselves after only one year. Splurge a bit, and it’ll take you two years.

That time will fly by, and you won’t be throwing away money on a membership you might not be using in the first place.

Elite-quality dumbbells are going to last a long time. We’re talking decades. That means you are investing in equipment for your home gym that is going to help you stay in shape for years to come. Dumbbells are worth every penny they save you.

PROVEN RESULTS

Did you know that dumbbells can be traced back to the ancient Greeks? This classic piece of fitness equipment has been building muscle and burning fat for a long time (a very long time).

Science has caught up to what people have known all along, and there’s a ton of research to back up the benefits of dumbbells in physical fitness. But even without the studies, all you need to do is walk into a gym to see how dumbbells can help you build your ideal physique.

BEST DUMBBELL EXERCISES FOR HOME WORKOUTS

The following dumbbell exercises will ONLY require a pair of dumbbells. You won’t need any other special equipment.

DUMBBELL CHEST EXERCISES

• Floor Dumbbell Press
• Upright Front Chest Raises
• Dumbbell Push-ups
• Reverse Grip Press
• Dumbbell Floor Fly

DUMBBELL BACK EXERCISES

• Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly
• Dumbbell Rows
• Dumbbell Good Mornings
• Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows
• Dumbbell Bent-Over Wide Rows

DUMBBELL SHOULDERS EXERCISES

• Arnold Press
• Dumbbell Front Raise
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise
• Dumbbell Shrugs
• Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

DUMBBELL LEG EXERCISES

• Single-Leg Raises
• Dumbbell Hack Squats
• Dumbbell Lunges
• Goblet Squat
• Side Lunge / Lateral Lunge

DUMBBELL ARM EXERCISES

• Dumbbell Concentration Curl
• Cross Body Hammer Curl
• Dumbbell Drag Curl
• Tricep Kickbacks
• Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

DUMBBELL CORE EXERCISES

• Dumbbell V-Up
• Lying Dumbbell Crunch
• Dumbbell Bird Dog
• Dumbbell Side Bend
• Dumbbell Deadlifts

WORKOUT AT HOME WITH DUMBBELLS

Below, we’ve provided you with two types of dumbbell home workouts. Again, you don’t need any fancy equipment. Just ensure you have enough space to move about and change the dumbbells.

DUMBBELL UPPER-LOWER BODY SPLIT WORKOUT

The first is your basic upper and lower split program. You’ll perform two upper-body workouts and two lower-body workouts each week. This workout is going to be ideal for beginners and intermediate-level lifters.

While it builds muscle, burns fat, and increases strength, this first home workout also improves your neuromuscular connections and capacity. In other words, if you’re new to lifting, highly technical exercises like the squat can feel awkward. By strengthening neuromuscular connections, you’ll notice that these exercises become easier, and you can perform them with better form.

MONDAY

• Floor Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
• Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 4 x 8 – 12
• Arnold Press: 4 x 8 – 12
• Cross Body Hammer Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
• Triceps Kickbacks: 4 x 8 – 15

TUESDAY

• Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
• Dumbbell Hack Squats: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Lunges: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell V-Up: 4 x 10 – 15
• Lying Dumbbell Crunch: 4 x 10 – 15

WEDNESDAY

• Recovery and cardiovascular exercise

THURSDAY

• Upright Front Chest Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
• Dumbbell Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Front Raise: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 4 x 8 – 12
• Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension: 4 x 8 – 12

FRIDAY

• Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
• Goblet Squat: 4 x 8 – 12
• Side Lunge / Lateral Lunge: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Bird Dog: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Side Bend: 4 x 8 – 12

SATURDAY

• Recovery and cardiovascular exercise

SUNDAY

• Recovery

DUMBBELL CLASSIC BODYBUILDING WORKOUT

The second workout we’ve provided is better suited for more advanced lifters who specifically want to increase muscle hypertrophy (growth). It is a classic bodybuilding-style workout that focuses on one muscle group each day as opposed to pairing muscle groups together. Again, we wouldn’t recommend this workout for those who are new to the lifting game.

MONDAY: CHEST

• Floor Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
• Upright Front Chest Raises: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Push-ups: 4 x 8 – 15
• Reverse Grip Press: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Floor Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell V-Up: 4 x 10 – 15

TUESDAY: LEGS

• Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Hack Squats: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Lunges: 4 x 8 – 15
• Goblet Squat: 4 x 8 – 15
• Side Lunge / Lateral Lunge: 4 x 8 – 15
• Lying Dumbbell Crunch: 4 x 8 – 15

WEDNESDAY: BACK

• Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Good Mornings: 4 x 8 – 12
• Dumbbell Bent-Over Wide Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
• Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Bird Dog: 4 x 10 – 15

THURSDAY: SHOULDERS

• Arnold Press: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Front Raise: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 x 12 – 15
• Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 x 12 – 15
• Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Side Bend: 4 x 10 – 15

FRIDAY: ARMS

• Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
• Cross Body Hammer Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Drag Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
• Tricep Kickbacks: 4 x 8 – 15
• Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 4 x 8 – 15
• Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 x 8 – 15

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: RECOVERY

• Recovery and light cardio

DUMBBELL HOME WORKOUT: GET FIT IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

Life is stressful enough. Why add the hassle of getting to and from the gym during a time when social distancing is the norm? Dumbbells offer you a convenient way to continue your workouts from your home gym, ensuring you’ll be able to achieve your goals of muscle growth, fat loss, or performance