We have written articles about home gym equipment and the way much it costs to construct your individual state-of-the-art home workout area. But if you happen to need to drop some money on one piece of workout equipment, you would be hard-pressed to search out something higher than some dumbbells (adjustable ones are even higher if you happen to can afford them).
Regardless of what your chosen workout style is, a set of dumbbells can get the job done (unless we’re talking Strongman, by which case, why are you reading this text?). Since we love you all a lot, we’re going to offer you various kinds of DB workouts which you could do at home. And yes, they’ll hit your entire body!
Advantages of Dumbbell Home Workouts
So, why would you select to go solely with dumbbells for a workout? Listed here are a few the explanation why:
Convenience
You may do each certainly one of these workouts from the comfort of your individual home. It doesn’t matter if you happen to live in a mansion or a studio apartment; dumbbells take up virtually no room. Roll them next to the couch or stick them in a closet. They’re an awesome technique to get a pump in with minimal time, which ends up in the subsequent profit.
Versatility
You may hit all the pieces with the proper set of dumbbells. Arms? Check. Back? Yup, row your heart out. Legs? Ever heard of a goblet squat? Having an assortment of dumbbells or a set of adjustable dumbbells offers you essentially the most options, but that is not completely needed. Although you’ll need to regulate tempo, intensity, rep ranges, and so forth, it’s possible to get through a full-body workout using only one pair of dumbbells.
There are more the explanation why having dumbbells at home can be an awesome idea, but if you happen to’re on this page, then you definately probably have already got some and are here for some workout ideas. So, without further ado, let’s get into some popular workout splits for home dumbbell workouts.
Push Pull Legs (PPL) Split
The PPL split divides workouts into three distinct movement patterns—pushing, pulling, and leg exercises. It’s ideal for balanced strength and hypertrophy. If you wish to try a full 7-day workout, you possibly can do this here.
3-Day PPL Split
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Legs
*Note: You may decide to repeat the Push day immediately after Legs, or you possibly can take an extra day of rest. Determine what works best in your schedule.
Push Pull Legs (PPL) 5-Day Split
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 4: Push
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (use an elevated surface): 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 5: Pull
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row (with a slight pause at the highest): 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps per arm
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
*Note: You may run this straight through or add a rest day in between the workouts of your selection. Make certain to do a Leg day after your second Pull workout, too.
Upper/Lower Split
This split alternates between training the upper and lower body, making it excellent for balanced strength development.
4-Day Upper/Lower Split
Day 1: Upper Body
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell One-Arm Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Lower Body
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Step-Up: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Day 3: Upper Body
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (use pillows/bench): 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 4: Lower Body
- Dumbbell Squat: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 12-15 reps each leg
- Dumbbell Hip Thrusts: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
5-Day Upper/Lower Split
Day 1: Upper Body (Push Focus)
- Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 2: Lower Body (Quad Focus)
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Step-Ups (onto a sturdy surface): 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Sumo Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 3: Upper Body (Pull Focus)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 4: Lower Body (Hamstring Focus)
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 15 reps
Day 5: Upper Body (Balance Focus)
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Plank Rows: 3 sets of 12 reps
“Bro” Split
This split dedicates every day to a selected muscle group, popular amongst bodybuilders.
4-Day “Bro” Split
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Back and Biceps
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Squat: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Single-Leg Dumbbell RDL: 4 sets of 10 reps each leg
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 4: Shoulders and Abs
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Russian Twists: 3 sets of 20 twists
5-Day “Bro” Split
Day 1: Chest
- Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 2: Back
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 4: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 5: Arms
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Suggestions for Success
Listed here are a couple of ways to get essentially the most out of your private home dumbbell workouts.
Progressive Overload
As you get stronger, it becomes imperative to steadily increase the load, reps, or intensity to be certain that you make progress. While which will sound like common sense, some people get stuck in a rut of just doing the identical things time and again, and are surprised after they don’t see results.
Rest Periods
We wish to be certain that you are keeping your rest periods relatively short. Because you almost certainly do not have 120lb dumbbells in your home, your rest time doesn’t have to be all that prime. Aim for 60-90 second rest periods for compound exercises (resembling squats, overhead press, etc.) and 30-60 seconds of rest for isolation movements (biceps curls, tricep extensions, etc.). By keeping rest times short, you possibly can increase cardiovascular demand and keep your workouts relatively short.
Track Progress
A mistake we see way too often is people not keeping track of what they’re doing during their workouts. Chances are you’ll tell yourself, “Oh, I’ll remember what I did last week, no problem.” Well, guess what? You will not. Keeping a journal of what you probably did will assist you track if you happen to’re making improvements, like getting another rep than you probably did last week or seeing what it’s essential make changes on. Seeing positive changes, irrespective of how small, is an awesome motivator to maintain you going.
Conclusion
Dumbbell home workouts are an ideal way for anyone to get fit without having to commute or commit to a gym. We gave you blueprints for several different training splits which you could select from and customize to your preference. Regardless of your fitness level, schedule, or goals, dumbbell workouts are an awesome technique to help improve your physique! Grab a pair and get lifting!
