HowGet into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells shoulder-width apart. b) Keeping your arms straight, lift the weights up and out until they're at shoulder height, engaging your core to avoid leaning back. Hold the weight straight out from your chest, keeping your arms as straight as possible. Now, whether you want to freshen up your free weight game for the gym, or have just invested in some new kit, you've come to the right place. "Dumbbell exercises are more advanced as they require more stabilisation and activation muscles that might not get used or missed in bilateral or barbell exercises," explains MH fitness editor Andrew Tracey. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Theres no time like the present, so get to work.

Why: For once, theres no sophisticated form rules to worry about (except for brace your core. c) Curl both palms up to your shoulders, pausing for one second at the top before lowering your arms back to your sides. HowLie flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell across your chest. Soften your knees and extend your arms, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Supersets are a tough way to train, but one month from now, when youre stronger and most likely leaner than youve ever been, it will all have been worth it. Targets: Hamstrings, back, quads, shoulders. WhyIt will work your abs, which must be fully braced and engaged to keep your torso stable and upright, and it will improve the strength and mobility of your delicate shoulder joints for added injury-prevention benefits. Using a hammer grip also hits your forearms and improves grip strength. b) Holding a dumbbell in each hand, hold your weights by your shoulders. How Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand. Here it is in brief, but theres a form guide for each in the linked article. By targeting your stabilising muscles it protects the shoulder joint and ligaments surrounding it. HowBend forwards from the hips with a light dumbbell in each hand, palms facing. Without rounding your lower back, bend your knees slightly, push your hips back, and swing the dumbbells between your legs. How: Place your right foot onto the elevated platform and push up through your heel to lift yourself up and place your left foot on the platform. Try to keep your shoulders pushing down into the bench throughout. b) Core engaged, press the weights up until your arms are straight. WhyThis lift hits the front of your shoulders predominantly and, as with all shoulder moves, make sure you are controlling the weight at all times it should never be controlling you. c) Lower back down in a slow, controlled movement. Return under control to the start position and repeat on the other side. Nick Harris-Fry WhyYou might think press-ups are easy, but they are still a useful chest-building move especially when you factor in the instability of the weights to work your chest, as well as your core, harder. a) Holding a dumbbell in front of your chest, stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Hinge at the hips until your upper body is parallel with the floor. HowStand tall holding one end of a dumbbell with both hands. Lower and repeat. Slowly return to starting position and repeat. Repeat the sets, rest and tempo from week three, but add two more reps. Adopt a fighting stance and punch upwards with your right arm, pivoting on your right foot as you do so. Win-win. Picking the right amount of weight for each exercise is crucial for successful muscle growth. d) When your thighs are parallel with the floor, pause for a second, then drive through your heels to push back up to the starting position. Hold the top of the bent-over row, reverse flye and renegade row for one second, and take an extra second to lower when performing both press-up variations. Sure thang. While its tempting to focus on the row aspect of the movement, the secret to getting the most out of this move is to double down on your plank positioning. But if you give that man a pair of the best dumbbells for a home gym alongside a dumbbell workout plan, he can change his entire body in a month. Dont rush this movement or twist too far it is much more effective if youre slow and in control. Do all the reps then switch sides. HowGet into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells wide apart. The movement also boosts your range of motion, which is integral to pretty much every upper body exercise you can think of. 'Muscular hypertrophy - the nature of growing and increasing muscle size - is dependant on many factors, and the equipment is just one of them,' says Hasit Jethwa, personal trainer at The Training Room. last updated 6 June 22, Burn calories with this demanding dumbbell circuit. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. They specifically target glute activation whilst improving both hip and thoracic mobility.. HowBend down and rest your elbows on your thighs, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms straight. You can start with this dynamic stretching routine, which will take mere minutes and will get your whole body moving. By 'They work the entire body no other equipment required,' says Mark Fox, personal trainer at The Training Room. As with dumbbell workout 1, week 2 of workout 2 increases the reps by two. Lift the dumbbell directly above your head, then lower it back down and repeat. There are four dumbbell workouts a week and each hits a different body part. b) Raise your arms outwards until they are level with your shoulders and you are stood in a T position. Todays Best Deals On Selectorised Dumbbells, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices, The Dumbbell Workout Plan To Build Muscle At Home, The Dumbbells You Need For This Workout Plan, How To Warm Up For Your Dumbbell Workout plan, (Image credit: Danny Bird. a) Stand with both feet flat on the floor and a dumbbell in each hand. A Schwarzenegger staple, it doubles down on your pecs and lats, stimulating unprecedented muscle growth. Raise your legs an inch off the ground. An easy way to start or develop your strength training, dumbbell workouts can help build and sculpt muscle throughout your whole body. HowGet into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells shoulder-width apart. Then lower the weights down to your thigh before moving into squat position and repeating. a) Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing forwards and arms straight down. Whats more, in weeks three and four the tempo (the time it takes to do the lifting and lowering for each rep) changes to make the exercises more challenging, so your target muscles experience more time under tension and greater workload. Stand back up to return to the start. Bending only at the elbows, lower the weights until they nearly touch your shoulders, keeping the rest of your body tight in the starting position. The first three workouts each week hit two different muscle groups, so that while one body part is working, the other recovers, allowing you to keep the intensity level high and lift the heaviest weight possible with good form to stimulate the maximum amount of muscle growth. Why: This exercise trains opposing muscles in your chest and back, improving stability, range of motion and posture. Keeping your chest up and core braced, bend your knees and push your hips back to squat down as deep as you can, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor. WhyLying on the floor puts you in a stable position so you can attempt to go quite heavy with this move. HowGet into position with your feet together and hands holding dumbbells that are touching. Repeat. Lean forwards slightly, then raise the weights to the sides, leading with your elbows. b) Keeping your weight in your heels, bend your knees and lower your bum back and down, as if youre about to sit in a chair. Keeping your chest up and leading with your elbows, row the weights up until your hands reach chin height. Its easy to pick a dumbbell that feels fine in the first set but is way too heavy for you to complete your sets towards the end of the workout. Avoid arching your back or slumping over. Why: With proper form, this swing will not only recruit muscles within your posterior chain but it will also build your grip strength, co-ordination, lower back muscles, quadriceps and shoulders. WhyIt works your upper back one side at a time so you can fully engage each of the muscles, as well as recruiting your core and shoulder joints to keep your body stable. HowStand tall holding a dumbbell in both hands in front of your face. Pause for 1 or 2 seconds. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are almost fully extended. Weighted lunges will strengthen your back, hips, and legs, while also improving your mobility and stability. All four weekly sessions comprise six exercises divided into three supersets, labelled 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, and 3A and 3B. How: Arc the weights up to your sides keeping your arms straight at all times until you feel a strong stretch across your shoulders. b) Once the weight is behind you, forcefully contract your glutes and thrust your hips forward to swing the dumbbell to chest level. Do all the reps with one arm and then switch and repeat. c) As you lower, engage your core, pull your weight back through your hips and ensure your shoulders dont round. The best dumbbell exercises proved their worth when we all began to WFH, stocked up on home gym equipment, and realised that they really can be done (and will get results) anywhere. Curl the weights up, squeeze your biceps at the top, then lower back to the start under control. Bend your elbows to lower your chest, then press back up powerfully. a) Lying flat on the floor, place your knees upwards and feet flat on the floor. Do this dumbbell tri-set workout to target all three deltoids for bigger, stronger shoulders, This weighty high-volume session gets your heart rate up and works every muscle for a full-body burn, Polish off your next workout with as many rounds of these dumbbell moves as you can manage, By a) Stand straight with a dumbbell in each hand by your side. b) Slowly lower the weights back to the start, fully extending your arms. At the top of the movement, contract your core, glutes, and quads as hard as you can. Press the weights directly overhead, rotating your wrists as you lift, until your arms are straight, then lower them back to the start. Why: If the fact that it was invented by Schwarzenegger himself wasnt already reason enough, this potent upper-body move is unique in that it hits all three sections of your deltoid the round-looking muscle that caps your shoulders adding thickness and width, and reinforcing the joint. b) Keeping your legs straight, bend at the hips to lower your weighted hands towards the floor. Engage your abs, then raise your torso off the floor. HowStand with dumbbells by your sides and palms facing forwards. This four-week, four-times-a-week training plan is guaranteed to get results if you follow it to the letter. An extra second is added to the eccentric phase for the squats and lunge, and pauses are added to the remaining three exercises. That translates to the following in practice. WhyIts the classic biceps lift for good reason: performing this move perfectly is one of the fastest ways to add size to your biceps. c) Lower the weights back to shoulder height to a count of three, pause at the bottom for one second and then press back up. How: Hold a dumbbell in one hand in front of your body with an overhand grip. Why: As a unilateral exercise, the upright row can help you address any muscle asymmetries that have developed along your weightlifting journey. Lower and repeat. Or just switch weights rapidly, if you trust yourself not to sneak in a bonus rest. Bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades to pull the dumbbells to your sides, level with your ribcage. Why: Its a sure-fire way to maximise your gluteus maximus, the major muscle responsible for extending, rotating and adducting and abducting from the hip joint. How: Start by positioning yourself in the decline bench, gripping a light weight with both hands. Why Are More Black Men Dying from Prostate Cancer? c) Step back to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg. b) Squeeze your glutes, hold the weight at each end, lift one leg and lower your hips thats your starting position. b) Lift one dumbbell toward the shoulder, rotating the arm as it moves up so that the palm is now facing upward. Why: This move is one-stop shopping for your abs, says Samuel. Hold the dumbbell in both hands above you with slightly bent arms. Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. b) Clench your bum at the top your shoulders, hips and knees should be in a straight line. Why: A staple of leg day, calf raises will build you bigger calves, as well strengthening your ankle stability and mobility. With control lower the weight back to starting position and repeat on the other side. d) Step back to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg. This content is imported from YouTube. 7 Reasons to Buy the Summer Issue of Men's Health, 15 Best Rowing Machines For 2022, From 159.99. This move also rushes blood to your glutes, hamstrings, shoulders and arms to maximise your muscle-growing power. c) Squeezing your shoulder blades, raise each arm out to each side. Repeat this movement, then swap sides. How: Stand with feet set wider than shoulder-width and hold a dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest. b) Step your foot back forwards to meet the other, then repeat the exercise on the second leg. Want more dumbbell exercises? Something we can't guarantee about the weight bench especially if it's chest day. Return slowly to the start position. b) Bend the front knee until the knee of the rear leg is almost in contact with the floor then return to the original standing position. c) Squeezing your shoulder blades, raise your right arm at a right angle, pausing when the weight is parallel with your waist. There was a problem. How: Stand upright holding two dumbbells by your sides. b) With your dumbbell in front of you, slowly twist your waist left to right. Do all the reps, then repeat in an anti-clockwise direction. Joe Warner Place a dumbbell across your hips. You cant add muscle if youre injured. This is one of the most effective ways to use dumbbells in your training, helping to strip away fat as well as building lean muscle. Why: Since it requires full coordination from your ankle, knee, hip, and spine, unilateral leg training makes for a far stronger deadlift.

WhyAdjusting your wrist position so that your palms face each other for the entirety of the set shifts the workload to a different part of your biceps muscles, as well as recruiting your forearms. This should take around two seconds. Don't sweat, we've got you covered with our collection that target all goals and every body part. last updated 21 June 22, Take your training to new heights with this simple challenge, By Lets take the first superset of the plan and write it out in full. Your hands should be facing forwards (knuckles facing your head, palms facing your toes. Jake Stones Nick Harris-Fry Naturally, they will be a bit pricier than a pair of 16s, but a good adjustable dumbbell set that can provide up to 24 different weight options will help minimise clutter and maximise gains. Why: Very often, people arch their backs slightly during skullcrushers, says Samuel. Use your biceps to curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Bath Targets: Quads, calves, hamstrings, core, lats, triceps. Press the weights up above your head until your arms are fully extended. Why: To win the arms race, divide and conquer. b) Take a big step to the side with your left leg, then bend your left knee, push hips back and lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. The first is the time in seconds to perform the eccentric or lowering phase, the second denotes the pause at the bottom of the rep, the third is how long you should take to complete the concentric or most dynamic part of the move, usually the lift, and the final number is the time to pause at the top of the rep. Pay particular attention to whether the exercise begins with the eccentric or concentric. And youll supercharge your grip strength, which is a serious plus. This compound move is essential for building strength, size and power. Aside from the potent cardio hit, it builds power and push-strength. Goblet squats are perfect for any level, says Frost. a) Sit on the floor or on a bench in a 'V' position. Thats what this plan does, increasing the sets or reps in every dumbbell workout each week. HowStand tall holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body with straight arms. Why Its the classic lift for building bigger and stronger legs, and its a big compound lift that recruits multiple muscle groups too. Keep a slight bend in your knees. The simplest way to do this is a round of the exercises you have lined up with no weight, or a very light set of dumbbells if you have them. Why: Rotator cuff, shoulder impingement and tears are common issues from overuse exercises, but not if you use the scaption. Brace your core so your body is straight from head to heels. a) Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie face up on a bench set at a 45-degree incline. HowStand holding a dumbbell in both hands to one side. Provided youre in a calorie deficit (burning more calories than you're consuming) you will lose weight, Van't Hoff says.

Why This is a fantastic move for hitting your side delts the section of the shoulder muscles that, when developed, creates a strong and wide upper body. And maybe keep another set to hand if you can, so you can switch in later rounds of the workout if required. How: Lie with your back on the ground, legs straight, two dumbbells held directly over your shoulders. Youll also need to brace your glutes and core muscles to stabilise yourself as you extend the dumbbell behind you. All rights reserved. Targets: Glutes, thighs, calves, core, shoulders. Before mixing up a protein shake, try to keep a rough tally of what youre eating because you may well find youre hitting the requirements already typical diets in the UK and US skew protein-rich already.

Straighten your arms, pause, then reverse the movement.

HowLean forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and arm bent holding a dumbbell. Keeping your elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps at the top. Using dumbbell exercises, good technique and progressively increasing how hard you're working, you will hundy p get stronger. Develop total-body strength and build maximum muscle mass with a simple set of dumbbells. For example, they'll force you to use stabiliser muscles like your core to maintain good form. Alternate arms. HowStand tall holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body with straight arms. If you perform dumbbell exercises back to back, it challenges your body more.'. a) Sit on the floor with your shoulder blades against a bench or step. Stuck on what weight of dumbbell to use? However, if youre going to be completing it at home then youll need to choose which dumbbells you buy carefully. How Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, with your palms facing forwards and elbows out to the sides. The range of motion is shorter than a bench press, so focus on contracting the chest muscles being targeted. Why: Are you a nervous newbie or a long-time hard gainer? Position the weights at your shoulders, elbows bent with the palms facing forwards. Always brace your core). And the added resistance of the dumbbell will force those muscles to up their game to lift and lower your torso without help from momentum. 'Dumbbells are a great addition to anyone's workout, as long as they're practicing correct form and not using a heavier weight than is right for them,' says Anna Parker, PT and founder of AP Fitness. All the workouts involve completing supersets with minimal rest, and if you havent adequately prepared your body youll find the first couple of rounds far tougher than you need to, and wont get as much from them in terms of strength and size gains. Place the balls of your feet on an exercise step or weight plate with your heels touching the floor. b) Clenching your bicep and tricep muscles, row your arms inwards and tense when the dumbbells are near your ribs. With your arms relaxed, hold the dumbbells by your sides, palms facing your hips. b) Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Repeat with the left dumbbell to complete one rep. Why: Build a strong back, ignite your abs, and develop anti-rotational core strength in one fell swoop.

Rotate your torso and arms to one side as far as possible, twisting from low in your torso.

Push up until your arms are straight, then lower under control. How: Stand holding two dumbbells at shoulder height with an underhand grip. Squat down then stand back up while raising the weight up and across your body until its above your shoulder. 20 of the Best Weight Benches To Use at Home, 20 Best Adjustable Dumbbells to Buy In 2022.

You can let the weights rest gently on your shoulders. If you're struggling to use your gym membership and your living room isn't big enough to house the squat rack, weight bench and barbell, then adjustable dumbbells are worth their weight in gold. Repeat on the opposite side. Pause in the middle of the movement for one second for the first five exercises. That's one rep. a) Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90, heels propped on a box or stool in front of you. Rotate back to center while also squeezing your core to perform a sit-up, keeping your arms straight and brining the weight overhead. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Trainer Shares How to Deadlift for Hamstring Gains, A Physical Therapist's Tips for a Better Deadlift, A Strength Coach Ranked All the Glute Exercises, A Trainer Shared His Top Tip for Bicep Workouts, The Rock Torched His Triceps With Weighted Dips, Joseph Baena Shows Off 'Classic' Bodybuilder Poses, Watch Mat Fraser Try Strongman With Rob Kearney, A Top Trainer Shared a Chest and Back Workout, 25 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Building Muscle, Men's Health, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network. Additionally, this move fortifies your rotator cuffs, protecting your shoulders from injury during bigger lifts. How: Flip your wrists so they face forwards and bring the weights to your shoulders, slightly jumping as you do. And the harder you can push your muscles in the gym, the more damage gets done to muscle tissue, which is then rebuilt bigger and stronger when you recover.

a) Get into a plank position, with your hands under but slightly outside of your shoulders and resting on dumbbells. How: Keep your core tight and your back straight as you row the weights up to your chest. You arent using your arms and shoulders to raise the weight; the momentum of your hip thrust should swing the dumbbell upward. For one, with your arms hanging forward, you have a greater range of motion than your classic curl allows for. c) Press through your glutes to swing the weights overhead, then lower down carefully and jump your feet back into a plank position. Heres why you can trust us. HowLie flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand above your chest with straight arms. In a standard reps and sets-based workout, you complete all the sets of one exercise before moving on to the next exercise. Dont go too heavy at first its better to perform quality reps than max-weight ones and never jerk the weights up and down. Repeat. How: One at a time, curl each weight up towards your opposing shoulder. Progress this working by adding two reps to every set of every exercise. It will also ensure youre losing body fat and not muscle mass. By performing it standing, youll recruit your abdominal muscles, which will improve your posture and stability. How: Lie down on a flat bench. Why: There are a few benefits. a) Place two dumbbells on the floor in front of your feet. Hold for three seconds, clenching your muscles, return to the floor and repeat. Lower them back to the start. Add an extra set in the third week, but drop the reps back down to 10 per set. Squeeze your pecs together at the top of the lift to recruit as many muscle fibres as possible, says Frost. Keeping your arms straight, shift your upper arms back slightly. WhyWorking one arm at a time allows you to focus on making your triceps work hard to keep the dumbbell under complete control throughout the lift and lower, while your core must be engaged to keep your torso upright. There are plenty, says Jake van't Hoff, founder and coach at Beyond Fitness Coaching. 'As you probably wont have a large variety of weights at home, one of the best ways to train is to combine exercises in what's called "supersets". Of course, there are other factors involved including good nutrition but getting yourself a pair of these dumbbells is a good start. Focusing on one arm at a time creates a large neural drive, which engages the nervous system to recruit more muscle fibres.