5-Day Full Body Dumbbell Workout Plan

Have you ever ever tried a full-body dumbbell workout? Whether you’ve a limited home gym setup or are simply searching for a more functional routine, you may effectively train your whole body using only dumbbells. Dumbbells are the most effective pieces of gym equipment and offer several advantages to machines or barbells. It’s possible so as to add serious muscle mass with a full-body dumbbell workout using standard dumbbell exercises and a bit of creativity. 

In this text, we offers you a five-day split full-body dumbbell workout and all the ideas you should trigger muscle growth. We may also show you a one-day full-body dumbbell workout to burn calories and get you ripped. So, no matter your goal, there’s a dumbbell workout for you!

Table of Contents

• Full Body Dumbbell Workout 5-Day Split
• Fat-Burning Full Body Workout
• Advantages of Using Dumbbells
• Programming Suggestions
• FAQs

Full Body 5-Day Workout Split

The primary option is a 5-day split program designed to shred those muscle fibers and construct muscle with dumbbells. Be happy to regulate the reps so long as they fall within the suggested range. 

Day 1: Upper Body (Strength) 5×5, or 4×6

Dumbbell Bench Press: 5 sets x 5 reps

1. Pick a pair of dumbbells and lie down on a flat bench keeping your feet flat on the bottom.
2. Position the dumbbells in step with your chest in order that your arms form a big U-shape and your palms face forward.
3. Press the dumbbells upwards by extending your arms and bringing them towards your center line in order that they flippantly touch. 
4. Slowly lower the burden to bring the dumbbells right down to your chest or barely past, along with your upper arms parallel to the ground.
5. Repeat for 4-7 reps. 

Incline Dumbbell Row: 5 sets x 5 reps

1. Place a pair of dumbbells under the pinnacle of a 30- or 45-degree bench.
2. Lie face down on the bench so your arms hang right down to the dumbbells.
3. Grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms toward one another). Keep your elbows near your body and barely bent throughout. 
4. Row the dumbbells upwards towards your ribs by pulling your shoulders back.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the highest to feel the contraction. 
6. Slowly lower the dumbbells so far as possible without locking your elbows. 
7. Repeat for reps 4-8 reps.

Dumbbell Overhead Press: 5 sets x 5 reps

1. Sit on a bench along with your back flat and feet shoulder-width apart planted on the ground. 
2. Grip a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level along with your palms facing outward. Your elbows ought to be at around a 90-degree angle.
3. Exhale and slowly push the dumbbells overhead, extending your arms up without locking your elbows. 
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells right down to the unique position.
5. Repeat for reps 4-8 reps. 

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 5 sets x 5 reps

1. Grab a single dumbbell in your right hand along with your palm facing inward.
2. Place your left arm on a bench or sturdy surface for support.
3. Bend your knees barely, hinge your hips forward, and keep your back straight so your torso is parallel to the bottom. 
4. Keep your arm near your body and slowly retract your shoulder blade to drag the dumbbell towards your hip. 
5. Your elbow will move back behind your body upwards to drag the burden. 
6. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down on the identical path.
7. Finish the reps with the best arm before doing the left arm. 
8. Repeat for reps.

Day 2: Lower Body (Strength) – Quad Focus

Dumbbell Squat: 4 sets x 10, 8, 6, 4 or 5×5

1. Start standing along with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed barely outward. Grab dumbbells with each hand. 
2. Drop your hips right down to a squat position so your upper legs are barely below parallel. The dumbbells should almost touch the bottom. 
3. Together with your eyes forward, chest up, and core engaged, explode through your heels to return to the unique position.
4. Repeat for 4-8 reps. 

Dumbbell Step-Ups: 4 sets x 5-8 reps

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand along with your arms by your side. 
2. Stand facing towards a bench or elevated surface. Step up onto the bench with one foot until your entire foot is on the bench. 
3. Push through the heel of the front foot (elevated) to lift your body onto the bench.
4. Slowly step back right down to the ground. 
5. Do all reps for one leg, then repeat for the opposite leg.

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats – 4 sets x 8-12 reps

1. Stand about 2-3 feet in front of a bench or elevated platform with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Place one foot behind you on the bench so your shoelaces are resting on the bench and your toe is pointing down.
3. Lower your body straight down by bending your front knee as you retain your back leg secured on the bench. Your front thigh ought to be parallel to the bottom.
4. Keep your front knee in step with your ankle, and be sure that it doesn’t extend past your toes.
5. Press through the heel of your front foot to return to the start position. 
6. Repeat for 8-12 reps. 

Tip: Try an extended stance to emphasise the hamstrings and a shorter stance to concentrate on the quads. 

Standing Calf Raises – 4 sets x 12-15 reps

1. Stand along with your feet hip-width apart and your feet flat on the bottom.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand. 
3. Slowly push your heels off the bottom as high as possible. To get an excellent higher stretch, try standing on something barely elevated. 
4. Slowly lower back right down to the bottom.
5. Repeat for 12-15 reps.

Day 3: Push (Hypertrophy)

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets x 8-15 reps

1. That is an analogous movement as day 1, except the bench is placed at a 30- or 45-degree angle to emphasise the upper chest.
2. Push straight up keeping in step with your chin and squeeze your upper chest at the highest of the movement.
3. Repeat for 15, 12, 10, and eight reps, increasing weight each set.

Arnold Press: 4 sets x 8-15 reps

1. Sit on a bench (or stand) along with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab a pair of dumbbells.
2. Hold the dumbbells in front of you, around shoulder height, along with your palms facing in, such as you’re at the highest of a biceps curl. 
3. Slowly extend your arms straight upwards above your head like a shoulder press, but rotate your wrists as you lift so your palms are facing away from you at the highest of the movement.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells right down to starting height while rotating your wrists back to the unique position with palms facing towards you.
5. Repeat for 8-15 reps.

Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Lay on a flat bench, feet flat on the ground, with one dumbbell in each hand.
2. For the starting position, extend your arms into the air with a slight elbow bend, holding the weights so your palms face one another. 
3. Slowly lower the weights to your side, like a letter T, along with your arms barely bent.
4. Open your arms as wide as possible and concentrate on stretching the chest muscles.
5. Squeeze your muscles and concentrate on the chest contraction as you slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. 
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps. 

Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Stand straight with feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells with a neutral grip at your sides. 
2. Raise your arms laterally outward, maintaining a slight bending within the elbow. Bring the weights as much as shoulder level or barely past. 
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start position,
4. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Lie on a flat bench along with your back fully supported and your feet flat on the bottom.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inward (towards your head), and extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling.
3. Together with your elbows near your body, bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells towards your shoulders until they’re parallel to the bottom. 
4. Press the dumbbells back as much as the starting position by extending your elbows and squeezing your triceps.
5. Remember to keep your arms regular throughout the exercise. 
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Day 4: Pull (Hypertrophy) 

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets x 15, 12, 10, 10 reps

1. Same exercise as day 1, but use a lighter weight for more reps. Start with a lighter weight and increase each set.

Dumbbell Prone Row: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. The DB Prone Row is actually the identical exercise because the incline dumbbell row on day 1, except the bench is flattened as an alternative of at an incline. This creates a more direct horizontal pull than the angled pull from the incline bench. 
2. Not every gym has an additional tall bench like this, the identical effect may be achieved by putting a bench on top of two plyo boxes. 
3. Lay down flat on a bench within the prone position and grab one dumbbell in each hand.
4. Squeeze the lats, retract your shoulders, and flex the elbows (roughly a 30-degree angle) to row the weights upwards toward the bench.
5. Your upper arms ought to be just above your back at the highest of the concentric a part of the lift.
6. Slowly lower the dumbbells back right down to the unique position. 
7. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Renegade Row: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Grab two dumbbells and get right into a plank/push-up position along with your hands on the dumbbells. 
2. Keep your legs straight and feet barely wider than hip-width.
3. Pull one dumbbell towards your ribs with a rowing motion within the plank position, keeping your elbow near your body.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbell back right down to return to the plank position, then repeat the movement for the alternative arm.
5. Alternate between arms until you complete all reps for both sides. 

Bent Over Reverse Fly (Rear Delt): 4 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Stand along with your feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hinge forward at your hips to bend your upper body until it is sort of parallel to the ground. Keep your back straight, chest up, and knees barely bent. Your arms should hang straight down beneath your shoulders, along with your palms facing one another.
3. Together with your elbows barely bent, exhale and lift each dumbbells out to the perimeters until your arms parallel the bottom.
4. Inhale and lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner back to the start position.
5. Repeat for 10-15 reps. 

Seated Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Sit on a bench/chair along with your back firmly against the back and feet flat on the bottom. 
2. Grab each dumbbell with an underhand grip (palms out) and let your arms hang straight down. 
3. Together with your elbows tight to your body, exhale and slowly curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders by bending your elbows.
4. Squeeze your biceps at the highest of the lift to maximise the contraction.
5. Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Day 5: Legs (Hypertrophy) – Hamstring Focus

Romanian Dumbbell Deadlift – 4 sets x 8-12 reps

1. Stand along with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, palms facing your body.
2. Hinge at your hips and slowly lower the dumbbells, keeping them near your legs while keeping your back flat and chest up. The weights should pass below your knees but not touch the bottom.
3. Keep your knees bent and spine neutral, and avoid rounding your back throughout the lift. Your back ought to be flat, your chest up, your core tight, and your shoulders pulled back.
4. Activate your hamstrings and glutes to boost your torso to the start position.
5. Squeeze your glutes to totally extend your hips at the highest of the lift.
6. Repeat for 8-12 reps. You do not need to go much higher than eight reps since the back muscles will fatigue before your legs, which may result in injury. 

Tip: Try single-leg in case your dumbbells are too light. 

Dumbbell Front Squat – 4 sets x 8-15 reps

1. Stand tall along with your feet barely wider than shoulder-width.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing one another. Rest the bottoms of the dumbbells on the front of your shoulders.
3. Together with your chest up and your shoulders pulled back, slowly bend on the hips and knees to lower yourself, like sitting down on a chair. Attempt to go until your thighs are parallel to the bottom or beyond. 
4. Keep your elbows lifted to stop the dumbbells from dropping. 
5. Push through your heels, then extend your hips and knees to face back up. 
6. Repeat for 8-15 reps. 

Tip: This exercise is great for individuals with bad knees, because it places less force on the knees than regular squats. Goblet squats are an excellent alternative if this movement feels too awkward. 

Dumbbell Walking Lunges: 4 sets x 8-15 reps

1. Stand tall along with your feet together, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
2. Step forward along with your right foot so your heel hits the bottom first. 
3. Lower your body by bending each knees until your front thigh is parallel to the bottom and your back knee is just above the ground.
4. Lower your body straight down. Make sure that your front knee is in step with your ankle and doesn’t go past your toes. Each of your legs should form a 90-degree angle on the knee. 
5. Push through the heel of your front foot to straighten your front leg and return to a standing position. 
6. Repeat for the left leg, alternating until all reps are finished. 
7. Repeat for 8-15 reps. 

Tip: Take long strides to emphasise the hamstrings and create a greater range of motion for the hips/glutes. 

Dumbbell Leg Curl – 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Lie on a flat bench along with your legs prolonged and your toes pointing towards the ground.
2. Place a dumbbell between your feet, gripping it securely along with your feet.
3. Keep your hips pressed into the bench to take care of proper spine alignment.
4. Use your hamstrings to lift the dumbbell towards your glutes, keeping your knees close together and your feet flexed.
5. Ensure to not arch the lower back – squeeze the glutes and contract your core to maintain the concentrate on the hamstrings. 
6. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the unique position, extending your knees and straightening your legs.
7. Repeat for 10-15 reps. 

Dumbbell Hip Thrust – 3 sets x 10-15 reps

1. Sit on the bottom along with your upper back against a bench or elevated surface and feet flat on the bottom, hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in your hips, ensuring they’re secure and stable.
3. Press through the heels of your feet and squeeze your glutes to thrust your hips toward the ceiling.
4. Drive your hips upward until your body forms a straight line out of your shoulders to your knee.
5. Slowly lower your hips back down towards the bottom to the unique position. 
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps. 

Tip: Try a lower bench and experiment with positions until you discover a snug one. Your lower leg ought to be roughly perpendicular to the ground. 

Fat-Burning Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

While the primary workout plan is designed to construct muscle, this full-body workout is designed to burn calories. Full-body workouts are commonly utilized in the CrossFit world and circuit training programs as a technique to burn calories and sculpt lean muscle. This full-body workout uses exercises from above which might be combined to coach every thing in sooner or later. Since full-body workouts are extremely draining, you must limit yourself to twice per week, with a minimum of 72 hours of rest between. 

You must use a weight that you could comfortably complete for ten reps. Limit rest time to 90 seconds between sets. Unlike a circuit routine, you must complete all three sets for every exercise before moving on to the following exercise. 

Warm-Up:

• 5 minutes of dynamic stretching
• 5 minutes of sunshine walking 

Workout: 3 sets x 10 reps each exercise

• Dumbbell Deadlift
• Dumbbell Goblet Squat
• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell Overhead Presses
• Dumbbell Lunges with Bicep Curl
• Renegade Row

Cool-Down:

• 5 minutes of static stretching
• 5 minutes of sunshine walking 

Programming The Workout Plan

For the bodybuilder/strength training workout, we are going to use a five-day split, but not the one you are serious about. This workout can be split as follows:

• Upper Body (Strength)
• Lower Body (Strength) – Quad Focus
• Rest
• Push (Hypertrophy) 
• Pull (Hypertrophy) 
• Legs (Hypertrophy) – Hamstring Focus
• Rest

While most individuals do split workouts which might be divided by specific muscle groups (chest, back, arms, etc.), the scientific evidence shows that training each muscle group twice weekly is right for max growth.¹ To learn more about this, try our article Why You Should Train Each Muscle Group Twice A Week. 

It is vital to have a thorough warm-up for these workouts because dumbbells activate so many accessory muscles to take care of stability. Try doing dynamic stretches (energetic movements) and just a few minutes of sunshine cardio to warm up properly. 

After the warm-up, all workouts should (unless you’re doing a pre-exhaust) start with compound exercises that work for multiple muscle groups. When training multiple muscle groups on the identical day (which we can be), you must at all times start with large muscle groups then move on to the smaller muscle groups or accessory muscles. 

The primary two workouts (upper body and lower body) are strength training days and goal all the foremost muscle groups. These two workouts use a lower volume with high intensity to extend muscle strength. The goal is to lift as much weight as possible while maintaining correct form. 

The second half of the split, the hypertrophy days, use higher volume to construct muscle and create a pump. This workout is designed scientifically to extend volume and manage fatigue. Simply put, you should increase the amount over time to proceed to make gains. The goal is to perform 10-20 weekly sets per muscle group.

Advantages of Using Dumbbells

While it’s possible you’ll be doubting the effectiveness of a full-body dumbbell workout, there are literally several advantages. A number of the top advantages of dumbbells include:

1. Core Activation

One major good thing about using dumbbells in comparison with other workout equipment is that they keep the core engaged. Most dumbbell exercises activate the core and other stabilizer muscles in a way that machines cannot. 

2. Greater Range of Motion

One other major advantage of using dumbbells is the greater range of motion they permit. The dumbbell bench press is one among several examples where you may get a far greater stretch in comparison with a machine or barbell. With a barbell bench press, your chest gets in the best way – with dumbbells, you may go so far as you may stretch. A greater range of motion will improve gains, mobility, and suppleness. 

3. Improved Balance

Lifting with dumbbells requires balance and coordination. You might not know it, but your body works extra hard to maintain every thing stable during free-weight exercises. 

4. Fix Muscle Imbalance

Dumbbells make sure you lift the identical amount to assist prevent muscle imbalances. With machines or barbell exercises, your body often overcompensates for a lacking muscle group through the use of other body parts or momentum. This could result in muscle imbalances, whereas dumbbells correct this. 

5. More Versatile

We understand that not everyone has access to full gyms with unlimited equipment. Should you are figuring out at home or traveling, dumbbells may be used for countless exercises that focus on every muscle group.

FAQs

What should I do if my dumbbells are too light for my strength level?

Should you only have light dumbbells, you may try increasing the variety of reps or superset with other exercises. For leg exercises, you can too do higher reps to failure or do the exercises with one leg slightly than two. 

Are you able to get big from a full-body workout using only dumbbells?

Yes! You might have to get creative if you’ve limited weight options, but you may train every muscle group just as effectively with dumbbells. 

Is it possible to coach the lower body muscles with a dumbbell workout?

Yes, there are several excellent exercises that can assist construct muscle within the legs and lower body. Exercises just like the single-leg deadlift, goblet squat, lunges, or front squat can all be done using dumbbells. 

Outro

So long as you do the exercises appropriately and follow an efficient routine, full-body dumbbell workouts may be just as effective as a whole gym. Nearly every exercise may be performed with just dumbbells; it just requires extra balance and a bit of creativity. If you’ve a limited amount of dumbbells to work with that you have outgrown, try doing higher reps or train to failure to make sure a great workout. You may as well mess around with various hand positions or angles to make things more difficult.

Should you are a beginner and need to do this routine, simply in the reduction of just a few sets or reps in case you are struggling. A private trainer may be helpful to point out you proper form and keep you motivated. 

Should you want more dumbbell workout options, try our article, The Ultimate Upper Body Dumbbell Workout. Should you are sold on this idea and are out there for a latest set of dumbbells for the house gym, try our article 9 Best Dumbbell Sets (2024 Edition). 

References