The best dumbbell exercises can make you stronger, leaner, and more muscular faster. Here, we not only collect all the dumbbell exercises a beginner should know about, but we also ask an expert to explain why they are the best dumbbell movements for him to know.
The popularity of home workouts reached an all-time high in recent years, thanks to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures put in place. As a result, the best dumbbells and especially the best adjustable dumbbells flew off the shelves – it was harder to find a good Bowflex offer than it was to get toilet paper or hand sanitizer.
That’s why even now, years later, people are eager to find out how to build muscle all over the body using dumbbells. Using the following exercises, you too can pack on muscle mass (if that’s what you want) and get stronger without leaving home. And to make sure we’re recommending the right exercises, we asked Erin Kloosterman, director of sports science at the Sports Performance Lab, to list the essential dumbbell moves everyone should be doing.
Erin Kloosterman is the Director of Sports Science at the Sports Performance Lab. She has certifications in athletic training and is a strength and conditioning specialist.
If you plan to exercise more often, you should pay attention to recovery. This includes eating the right things; do not forget to consult the T3 best protein powder Y best weight gainer Guidelines: Rest for the required amount of time and be sure to warm up before your workouts. If those criteria are met, you should be ready to get stronger/leaner/more muscular fast.
The best dumbbell exercises for each body part
Delts – Dumbbell Raise
This exercise can be used to work every part of the deltoid muscle group; It is not surprising that it is considered one of the best shoulder exercises one can perform. To target the anterior deltoid fibers, a straight arm front raise can be used. To target the lateral deltoid fibers, a straight or bent arm lateral raise can be used. To target the posterior deltoid fibers, a straight arm extension can be used. A lighter weight should generally be used when performing these exercises to ensure the exercise is performed correctly. These exercises can be done once a week in addition to other upper body exercises.
Upper Back – Dumbbell Row
This exercise primarily targets your middle, lat, and rhomoid traps. Many of us have jobs where we’re hunched over a desk all day, using a few different row variations in your weekly schedule is great for developing better posture. A row can be done in many different positions, standing, sitting, or bent over (here’s how to do incline barbell row).
Triceps – Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
This exercise directly targets your triceps muscle group and is a safer option than typical “skull crushers.” When doing a triceps kickback, it’s best if you perform the exercise in an incline position to work against gravity and reduce the amount of compensatory movements. You can incorporate this exercise once a week into your program.
Biceps – Dumbbell Curl
There are many variations of a DB bicep curl that should be incorporated into your program once or twice a week. The hammer curl is the variation when you hold the DB with a neutral grip (thumbs forward). Another variation is to hold the DB with a pronated grip (palms down) and you could also do a supinated grip (palms up). Each variation will work your biceps group and help keep your routine interesting when you can switch things up.
Pectorals – Dumbbell flyes
This exercise can be performed lying on a flat bench or sitting on an incline bench. Not only is this exercise great for building your pecs, it also works your upper back and arms as you stabilize the weight throughout the movement. You can incorporate a fly into your program once a week.
Abs/core – High plank with dumbbell pull-ups
This exercise isn’t very popular, but it’s great for building your entire core. You start in a high plank position with a DB at the side of one of your arms. You will then rotate your torso reaching for the weight with the hand that is furthest from it. Pull it under you to the other side of your body, then repeat the movement on the other side. Your rectus abdominis will engage to help you stabilize in the high plank position while your obliques work during the rotation and pull. This exercise can be used once a week in conjunction with your other core movements.
Glutes – Dumbbell RDL (Romanian Deadlift)
This exercise can be performed in many different ways. You can do one leg, two legs, one arm or two arms. This exercise isn’t easy, but all the different variations make it a great exercise to progress through as you work your way up the lift. The simplest version is double legs and double arms. Work on developing your glutes and hamstrings while improving your mobility. This exercise should be incorporated into your workouts once a week and made more difficult over time by using more advanced variations.
Legs – Step Up with dumbbells
A very simple exercise that uses many muscles (glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and many small stabilizer muscles). There are two popular variations, a forward step (facing the step) and a side step (your side facing the step). A step helps improve your mobility and stability. During an up step, your step should be no more than a 90-degree angle to start. As important as “up” is, “down” is where you should focus most of your energy.
A slow, controlled downward movement will help improve your balance in daily life and help reduce your risk of injury while doing this exercise. You can do a progressive variation on your program once or twice a week. You can even do this exercise when you’re not in the gym. ANY ladder can count!
